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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ashort on Sat, 21 June 2008, 10:29:05

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: ashort on Sat, 21 June 2008, 10:29:05

seems like an easy one but i've never seen it.

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: bhtooefr on Sun, 22 June 2008, 08:34:15

I don't think anyone's ever used Cherry MLs in an actual laptop, but I could be completely wrong.

You should see an IBM Model M6 or M6-1, though. (They're the keyboards used in most of the early ThinkPads.) Some weird counteracting rubber dome setup that works extremely well - not scissor switches like modern ThinkPads have.

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: Eclairz on Tue, 24 June 2008, 15:54:07

how easy and costly would it be to build ML keyswitches into a laptop? like the Lenova thinkpads or macbook pro? As i think the keys would have to be taller due to the switch?

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: bhtooefr on Tue, 24 June 2008, 17:24:16

It could end up being extremely expensive, because you'd basically be engineering your own keyboard, from the ground up, to meet a closed specification. (Fat chance at getting Lenovo or Apple to tell you how the keyboard matrix is set up, and I can almost guarantee you that the thing isn't PS/2 or USB natively.)

And, they would indeed have to be taller...

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: lowpoly on Wed, 25 June 2008, 02:43:57

Quote from: Eclairz;5876

how easy and costly would it be to build ML keyswitches into a laptop? like the Lenova thinkpads or macbook pro? As i think the keys would have to be taller due to the switch?

You can remove the old 'board and try to fit a G84-4100 without its housing. Then connect to USB internally sacrificing a port.

I just opened mine and the keyboard pcb and controller pcb are separate, connected by a flat cable so you can relocate the controller pcb if neccessary.

If you find a notebook with enough vertical space. I wouldn't start with the super flat ones.

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: bhtooefr on Wed, 25 June 2008, 09:26:00

The problem arises when you realize... a lot of it is the clearance between the motherboard (and optical bay) and keyboard.

I'm gonna suggest a ThinkPad R5x - and this is the only time that I'm going to suggest one of those models. It's based on the T4x, but is thicker. The R51e may be an even better bet - the lack of a optical drive eject mechanism (so no hotswapping drives - it's still easy to remove drives, though) means that the optical bay is lower profile.

Ugh, now I feel dirty for actually recommending a BAD ThinkPad.

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: lowpoly on Thu, 26 June 2008, 02:24:41

The height of the G84-4100 pcb with keys is about 11mm, with the keys pressed about 8mm.

Title: laptops with cherry ML switches?
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 26 June 2008, 02:30:25

This would be the coolest mod ever.