need help dissembling endurapro

[wellington1869]

Hi gang, I need help taking apart an endurapro. I got the four main bolts off from underneath and lifted off the faceplate. Now I'm stuck.

I'm looking at the keys with the faceplate off, but I cant see where the other screws are. The keys (which are attached onto what looks like a thick plastic plate, which is on top of what looks like an aluminum plate), dont just lift out.

Help!

[bhtooefr]

There's one hidden under the birth certificate. (Which is why they put it there - so you couldn't remove it without destroying the birth certificate. )

[wellington1869]

There's one hidden under the birth certificate. (Which is why they put it there - so you couldn't remove it without destroying the birth certificate. )

ah, I thought I felt one there, but didnt want to rip the label off. Bummer! I dont suppose the label comes off in a civilized way?
Also, are there any others screws besides that one at this point?

I cant decide if I should wreck the label or not. My goal here was to open it up and put sound insulating stuff underneath the pcb.

Is it me or do the UIOP keys on the endura sound especially clackier than the other keys (via keyboard resonance)?

[bhtooefr]

I don't find them especially clackier, no.

IIRC, there's two or three inside the case (but you should be able to see them with just the top case removed,) plus the one under the label.

[wellington1869]

hey, the screw under the label looks like its sealed over with plastic!  I'm still stumped, help!

[wellington1869]

still havent gotten it open, but I've done the grease-the-springs experiment and the rubber-washer-to-reduce-clack on the endura pro. Both have been succesful. This bs board sounds like a topre now, basically. Its kind of neat. The feel is still the feel of a heavy mechanical board.

I'd still love to know how to open it up though.

[iMav]

Unless you are planning on cracking the frame assembly, there is no point in disassembling it any further.

[wellington1869]

Unless you are planning on cracking the frame assembly, there is no point in disassembling it any further.

imav (or anyone), do you know how to get the trackpoint off? (there are three tiny clips holding the trackpoint assembly to the board - I wasnt able to get those clips off (at least not without destroying them and/or destroying the plastic tabs that they're attached to)... Do they come off?

[lal]

imav (or anyone), do you know how to get the trackpoint off? (there are three tiny clips holding the trackpoint assembly to the board - I wasnt able to get those clips off (at least not without destroying them and/or destroying the plastic tabs that they're attached to)... Do they come off?

The problem:



The tools (notice my hand-made keypuller):



The solution:




With some very small pliers and a flat screwdriver you can widen the clips and get them off the plastic tabs as well as back on later. That's how I "repaired" the problem with my pointing stick described in this thread. I've bent the left base a bit down to move the stick to the right. See here:



Now the stick is almost centered and both sides are working equally bad. The stick still pushes against the nearby keys when moving top left and top right
I hate it.

[wellington1869]

lal -- brilliant!! Thanks so much for the awesome pics, this is extremely helpful. I'll try this out tomorrow.

Sorry to hear your trackpoint is giving trouble. Isnt your board still very new? It would really be worthwhile to ask unicomp for an exchange. In my interactions with the folks at unicomp, they're very responsive and helpful. Have you spoken with jim owens there? Let me know if you need his email address.

[lal]

You're welcome!

I'm undecided as to what to do. I think I'd really better bought a SpaceSaver or a Customizer. On the other hand the crappy pointing stick doesn't bother me enough to be without these wonderful buckling springs for several weeks if I decided to return it and get a replacement... Oh well. I have Jims address, thanks!

[wellington1869]

You're welcome!

lal your instructions were awesome. I got the clips off in no time. I didnt have a needlenose handy so I just used a small philips screwdriver and twisted it into the open end of the clip to open its "jaws" (while simultaneously using a small flathead screwdriver to lift the clip up and off the peg).  That worked marvelously.

[lal]

Cool. I'm curious, why do you want to remove the pointing stick?

[wellington1869]

Cool. I'm curious, why do you want to remove the pointing stick?

cuz I never use it and it gets in the way when I type  I hate when my finger accidentally hits it when I'm typing.

Even if I wanted to use it, its no ibm trackpoint, thats for sure. Its too slow (and I dont want to keep changing my mouse settings for this one keyboard). The ibm trackpoint has a much lower profile (I think this one sticks up from the board a lot more). Also of course the ibm trackpoint is much more responsive.

[lal]

cuz I never use it and it gets in the way when I type  I hate when my finger accidentally hits it when I'm typing.

Exaaaactly! Even worse with the cap that's on by default, the one with hundreds of small spikes. I often thought this thing had wounded me

FYI, I asked Unicomp if I could return it and get a black Customizer instead. The SpaceSaver doesn't save *that* much space anyway and I think it's cooler to have one that looks more like a Model M.

[wellington1869]

Exaaaactly! Even worse with the cap that's on by default, the one with hundreds of small spikes. I often thought this thing had wounded me

lol

FYI, I asked Unicomp if I could return it and get a black Customizer instead. The SpaceSaver doesn't save *that* much space anyway and I think it's cooler to have one that looks more like a Model M.

I'd love a review of the customizer esp on the question of whether it had a diferent fit and finish and/or a different tone and feel to the keys (ie, compared to the endurapro specifically). In the pictures it looks like its made of denser plastic and different materials.

[lal]

FunkTrooper just reviewed one. From the pictures I wouldn't expect significant differences. The plastic of both the housing and the keys looks exactly like my Endurapro. If and when Unicomp agrees to the exchange I'll may be able to say more. But I won't have them both here to do a real side by side comparison.

[bhtooefr]

Although he said it felt heavy... but that could just be because there's more plastic in the thing. And, as it's made on the old Model M molds, might be thicker, too.

[wellington1869]

FunkTrooper just reviewed one. .

yes but we need someone who's owned both (to compare them) - and I think thats going to be you

as it's made on the old Model M molds, might be thicker, too.

thats what I'm thinking - and that will lower the tone of the sound and feel, I think.

[bhtooefr]

Of course, even though the pointing stick on my EnduraPro sucks, I don't find it slow. On my ThinkPad, I've got the pointer set for maximum speed, and the TrackPoint set for maximum sensitivity, and the pointing stick on my EnduraPro is nearly as sensitive (once you get it off the huge dead zone.)

The TrackPoint on my Model M13 felt like the built-in TrackPoint at minimum sensitivity, I had to whale on the thing to get the pointer to cross the 1400 pixel span that is my screen in anything resembling a timely manner.

[lal]

yes but we need someone who's owned both (to compare them) - and I think thats going to be you

Understood. We'll see

[bigpook]

no pressure, lal, no pressure