Will there ever be another great Thinkpad keyboard?

[StevenD]

Well, I'm still using a T60p (I know, I know...). My son wants me to join the real world, so I thought I'd experiment with the Carbon X1 4th gen from which he just upgraded. I had tried an earlier X1 gen a couple years ago, but couldn't tolerate it because the mouse buttons had to be pressed *in the middle* of the button to get them to register, and my thumbs want to press the button far toward the center: For example, when pressing the left mouse button, my thumb naturally hits the far right end of the mouse button, but on the X1's the mouse button won't know it's been pressed if you press in that location, unless you hop up on your chair and really mash it! It was a problem every time I tried to click.

Ah, but today I figured out why I hate the X1's keyboard so much. It's not just that the "key travel" is so much less than on the T60p. Check out the included photos. Here are two images of the X1's keyboard:



Look closely: there is a yellow arrow drawn up the vertical face of the 'E' key:



Now check out the T60p's keyboard:



Again, there is a yellow arrow drawn up the vertical face of the 'E' key:



What I discovered is that, for example, when typing on the X1, if my left middle finger types a 'c' and the next letter to press is an 'e', my fingernail catches on that vertical face of the lower edge of the 'e' key, and also of the intervening 'd' key. It stops the finger's movement, and it's a pain in the you-know-what, and I just don't like it because I type at 80wpm or so.

See? The T60p's keys have that nice ramp up: what a thoughtful nice design element! That, in addition to the better travel, and it's just a hugely, hugely better keyboard.

Hellllp!! Thanks for any advice or comments. And trust me, my son has already given me the "you'll get used to it" lecture!!

--Steve D.

[SAIYAN48]

You could use the xx20 or xx30 series with a similar keyboard. Or if you can find one, an external Ultrnav keyboard.

[unixed]

While waiting for someone to reply that a user-centric keyboard and screen aspect ratio will emerge in the future, you can explore controlling your X1 from your T60p. In linux there are a variety of means of using the resources of both computers, such as ssh (optionally with X-forwarding), X2X, ... you don't have to touch the X1 input devices. With windows it usually boils down to buying some program but I would see what sort of VNC or RDP options are available first. You can frankenpad that T60p if you require more RAM or better CPU options.
Or you can just network the computers, carry only the T60p.
You could use a DVCS, do all your input via the T60p. 80 wpm you're either writing an article, coding or doing something useful.
Whatever you're up to there are many ways to skin that cat without skinning your fingers.

[RealBlackStuff]

If you have some spare cash lying around, there's a modern motherboard in the making for your T60.
It's called the T700, more info here.
With that, you can continue using your favourite NMB keyboards for many more years.

[StevenD]

Thank you for the responses. RealBlackStuff, what they're doing with the new motherboards is *fascinating.*
I have an idea for a compromise solution.
I'm still using XP, because I love the T60p's hardware, and XP does 99% of what I need a computer to do, and my unit gets entirely backed up daily. (And yes I know there are risks with that, too.)
Now that Lenovo is finally making laptops with taller screens, like the 16" X1 Extreme, what if I were able to tolerate the new chicklet-y keyboard because some incredibly smart person were to design a replacement for the plastic key covers -- just the plastic cover itself, but with the "ramp up" of the more classic keyboard keys, as I illustrated with the yellow arrows above. Or even a small amount of ramp up. Even though Lenovo has decreased the "key travel," if my fingers could slide over the keys without bumping into the vertical sidewalls of the new keys, maybe that could help a lot.
Does that sound impossible to do? Might there be others out there who would appreciate the change as well? Am I just dreaming?
--Steve

[RealBlackStuff]

See if you can find one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SK-8845-Keyboa ... B07D9BG4HP
Hook that up to your 'new/ish/er' laptop.

[StevenD]

Ah, another reasonable idea.
Actually, I already own one of those, but ... just didn't fit the bill. Have to carry it around with the laptop, and I want to plop it right down on the laptop's keyboard so my hands are in a normal position relative to the desk and the screen.
Good thought, but I guess I'm still looking for something better.
--Steve

[unixed]

You open the X1 flat, i.e. about 170 deg angle. There are lightweight aluminium stands that hold the laptop upright, i.e. the screen facing you when open as stated. Then the USB-keyboard or "input laptop" gets placed in the normal position on the table or desk. I've done that but prefer them side-by-side (in particular if the upright laptop runs off the AC adapter rather than battery), easy to do with 4:3 and 16:10 laptops with IPS displays.
Placing an external keyboard on top of the laptop keyboard is unworkable, as you've probably discovered.

[mikemex]

Maybe the yogas aren't such a bad idea after all. You can setup them with the keyboard facing down and then you can use a normal (read =decent) keyboard.