Author Topic: Better Laptop keyboard replacement? (Read 3114 times)

Geekdude · « **on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 08:42:27 »

hi im new. you guys seem to know a lot about keyboards. I got t a nice ibm model m for my desktop but my laptop is still stuck with a lame bubble-mash type keyboard. also its got a missing key and needs to be replaced anyway. ive heard some laptops have alps, chiconay or cherry type key mechanisms. so im trying to find out if there is any replacements keyboards, or ones i might be able to mod to work for my dell inspron B130

bhtooefr · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:10:58 »

Best bet is to replace the entire laptop.

It gets worse.

ThinkPad keyboards are the gold standard, but they're definitely still rubber dome. Much, much better rubber dome, but still rubber dome. Try one, though, it might be good enough - Dell keyboards are bad about feeling unusually mushy.

So, you've gotta go older. I think you can get as new as a Pentium on a ThinkPad, and still get collapsing rubber sleeve. And I don't mean Pentium M, or 4, or 3, or 2, or even MMX. I mean Pentium I.

Of course, I've got an RDI PowerLite (which is 50 MHz microSPARC, but there's a 170 MHz TurboSPARC version out there) with a switch made by Alps, although it's not that great.

imsto · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:27:01 »

that seems quite a hard work to put a kbd into B130.
how about try to do it with Cherry 4100.
or try to use the kbd from OLD thinkpad like 600X, the kbds of old thinkpad are real nice.

Geekdude · « **Reply #3 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:29:31 »

I got a pentium1 laptop too its also a dell but it seems better to type on. so i guess thats what it comes to? do all my typeing on the win95 laptop and xp games on the new one? mabye i can get a replacement keypad and attempt to wire some mini keyswitches to it

ch_123 · « **Reply #4 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:30:44 »

Just get an external keyboard like the Tenkeyless Filco or HHKB.

Geekdude · « **Reply #5 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:33:09 »

oooh i like the Cherry 4100 idea i didn't know about that. that sounds like a more reasonable plan

bhtooefr · « **Reply #6 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:37:28 »

Or, like I said, try a modern ThinkPad. That P1 Dell's gonna have a scissor+rubber dome board too, just like everything else nowadays.

One thing I see as good is Shuttle SPA - it'll have standard keyboard, case, motherboard, and LCD form factors for laptops, and if you buy an SPA machine, you can just upgrade things. Want a better keyboard? Get a better keyboard. Got the perfect setup, but want the next-gen CPUs? Swap the motherboard.

whininggit · « **Reply #7 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 10:41:04 »

The biggest thing to be wary of with the G84-4100 is that the keys actually smaller than standard keys. I find the G84 to be quite hard work too - the keys are rather stiff. It's fun to have a mess around on from time to time, but I wouldn't want to use it for any length of time. I can type faster and more accurately on pretty much any laptop keyboard compared to the G84. It does sound nice though, I'll give it that.

I think the problem with a lot of laptops is not the keyboards themselves, but the support given underneath. Scissor switches seem pretty hard for manufacturers to screw up, as they manage to do with rubber domes.

Having said that, the best laptop keyboard I've ever used was on an IBM Thinkpad X31. In fact, if not for finding mechanical keyboards, I've probably say it's one of my favourite keyboards, period.

cmr · « **Reply #8 on:** Mon, 01 February 2010, 22:10:49 »

i wonder if you could rip out the internals from a hyundai super LT3 and replace them with modern, like, micro-ATX components or something. there's a lot of room in there and it's got white ALPS keys

ch_123 · « **Reply #9 on:** Tue, 02 February 2010, 02:58:58 »

But you'd then end up with something bigger than a laptop + external keyboard.

devilcm3 · « **Reply #10 on:** Tue, 02 February 2010, 05:44:17 »

the filco tenkeyless version length fits exactly with my 15" inch sager laptop..and its 16:10 ratio...so...you can somehow imagine how long is it..

also..brown cherries or the quieter HHKB pro2 would be suitable for you unless your surroundings doesnt mind you type with clicky keyboards

arfink · « **Reply #11 on:** Thu, 04 February 2010, 08:07:58 »

For keyboards on laptops, you guys should really be using a Tandy 102. Best laptop keyboard ever. Best laptop ever, in fact.

alpslover · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu, 04 February 2010, 10:00:54 »

have any older thinkpads (say, mid to late 90's) ever used mechanical switches? was at a client's house last night and got a glimpse of one of her older thinkpads. i hit a few keys and they didn't feel like rubber domes. they felt like smoother versions of cherry ml's. i was on my way out, though, so i didn't get a closer look.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #13 on:** Thu, 04 February 2010, 10:02:24 »

The oldest ThinkPads used collapsing rubber sleeves, IIRC, but they've always had rubber under the keys.

It's the same as what Unicomp uses on the Mighty Mouse.

itlnstln · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu, 04 February 2010, 10:11:14 »

Quote from: alpslover;156216

was at a client's house last night and got a glimpse of her domes. they felt smooth. i was on my way out, though, so i didn't get a closer look.

Oh, really? "Client," huh?

alpslover · « **Reply #15 on:** Thu, 04 February 2010, 11:41:18 »

Quote from: bhtooefr;156217

The oldest ThinkPads used collapsing rubber sleeves, IIRC, but they've always had rubber under the keys.

that's very interesting. i felt no 'rubberiness' at all, and the keys bottomed out solidly. there was also a healthy amount of key travel (~3-3.5mm?). probably the nicest laptop keyboard i've tried.

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Author Topic: Better Laptop keyboard replacement? (Read 3114 times)