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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: microsoft windows on Fri, 07 January 2011, 08:26:30

Title: Laptop Keyboard Layouts: What's your favorite?
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 07 January 2011, 08:26:30
I've always liked this general layout for laptop keyboards, which originated in IBM Thinkpads in 1993.

(http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8162/dscn0027f.jpg)
Keyboard on my Compaq LTE 4/40cx

The layout is still present in today's Thinkpads and many Dell laptops, except with changed placement of the Fn key in some cases.
(http://www.coolgadgets4sale.com/images/IBM-Thinkpad-T60-R60-T60P-Z60-Keyboard.jpg)
(http://www.mrgadget.com.au/catalog/images/dell_laptop_battery_small.gif)

So what kind of keyboard layout do you prefer on your laptops?
Title: Laptop Keyboard Layouts: What's your favorite?
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 07 January 2011, 13:46:41
The Dell Latitude ones found on the D620/D630.
(http://i.dell.com/images/global/products/latit/d630_keyboard_490x314.jpg)

It's similar to the Thinkpad one, except arrow keys are full sized and the Ctrl-Fn placement is "proper".

The new ones on the E-series Latitudes don't have an application key and the SysRq/PrntScrn/Pause block is emulated.

EDIT: The arrow keys are like 80% sized, but still pretty large.
Title: Laptop Keyboard Layouts: What's your favorite?
Post by: Daniel Beaver on Fri, 07 January 2011, 14:23:19
I like the general thinkpad layout, with the full-sized (sort of) arrow keys.

My only quip is the placement of the Fn key - I prefer the Ctrl key to be on the far left.

I despise the modern inversion of function and multimedia keys. My Dad bought a new laptop with that "feature", and returned it after a couple of days.
Title: Laptop Keyboard Layouts: What's your favorite?
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 07 January 2011, 14:44:24
Quote from: Daniel Beaver;274731

My only quip is the placement of the Fn key - I prefer the Ctrl key to be on the far left.


Dell Latitude. very similar to the Thinkpad layout except for arrow keys, no forward/back buttons, and "proper" Ctrl-Fn.
Title: Laptop Keyboard Layouts: What's your favorite?
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 07 January 2011, 18:35:13
Thinkpads didn't use to have those forward/back keys.