It's about time I need to go for a new laptop, nothing special in terms of hardware, of course other than the keyboard! Does anyone have any suggestions on laptops with solid keyboards for when I'm on the go? When I'm at home, I'm switching between my clears and blues, and it would be great if my laptop keyboard could be of similar quality.
I know this may sound like heresy, but the keyboard on my t61p is better than some mechanical keyboards I've used. I'm a heavy typist and I'd rather my laptop's keyboard over lighter switches like blues, browns, or reds.
They are all chiclet . Not gonna be much difference
This is so annoying. You used to be able to get a halfdecent keyboard on laptops. Now however, they are really all chiclet with only a few exceptions.
^^ I like that setup :)
Now, that they can put the guts of the computer behind a touchscreen it should be possible to have a hybrid mechanical keyboard/tablet. Maybe mk's aren't mainstream enough yet, but maybe for a gaming laptop from say MSI.
This is so annoying. You used to be able to get a halfdecent keyboard on laptops. Now however, they are really all chiclet with only a few exceptions.
This is my solution:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/9951)
Lenovo's thinkpad line are the only laptops with decent keyboards, and the ones on the older thinkpads were better.
If you're not compiling anything big and your biggest worry is keyboard quality, then getting a used t420 would be a good idea. Thinkpads have the best build quality you can get, and most of the used ones you'll find online come from businesses who are upgrading their equipment, and therefore are ussually taken care of very well. I've bought many used thinkpads before, and they're all great. Hell, I have an old one from the late 90s still running windows 95 that runs like a charm even after years of abuse. But, yeah, the t420 was the last thinkpad to have what i'd consider to be a true thinkpad keyboard, i.e. not chiclet and the right amount of rows. It has the best hardware inside that you could get for a laptop when it came out, which wasthe time sandy bridge was released.
Is that a hall effect?It's beam spring - IBM 3278. Here's a larger photo:
Is that a hall effect?It's beam spring - IBM 3278. Here's a larger photo:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/10376)
(hall effect numpad just out of frame on the left)
I know this may sound like heresy, but the keyboard on my t61p is better than some mechanical keyboards I've used. I'm a heavy typist and I'd rather my laptop's keyboard over lighter switches like blues, browns, or reds.
Sounds like an old typewriter . I love itIt's hard to describe. It's like a more substantial Model F, more "plonky" than "plinky". The keys feel as solid as dice. The springs remind me of the sound when cranking a "jack-in-the-box".
One more question how does it feel?
Hmmm, something about me just can't commit to the MB's. However, the Lenovo's are interesting, particularly between the t440s and the X1 Carbon. Does anyone have any experience with these?
I know the standards are much lower, and less consistent, but hey, just seeing what the best of the mediocre selection can be.
Lenovo's thinkpad line are the only laptops with decent keyboards, and the ones on the older thinkpads were better.
If you're not compiling anything big and your biggest worry is keyboard quality, then getting a used t420 would be a good idea. Thinkpads have the best build quality you can get, and most of the used ones you'll find online come from businesses who are upgrading their equipment, and therefore are ussually taken care of very well. I've bought many used thinkpads before, and they're all great. Hell, I have an old one from the late 90s still running windows 95 that runs like a charm even after years of abuse. But, yeah, the t420 was the last thinkpad to have what i'd consider to be a true thinkpad keyboard, i.e. not chiclet and the right amount of rows. It has the best hardware inside that you could get for a laptop when it came out, which wasthe time sandy bridge was released.
They are all chiclet . Not gonna be much differenceI would avoid the recent MacBooks models with no optical drive. The key travel is very shallow these days even on the recent MacBook Pro.
If you're not compiling anything big and your biggest worry is keyboard quality, then getting a used t420 would be a good idea. Thinkpads have the best build quality you can get, and most of the used ones you'll find online come from businesses who are upgrading their equipment, and therefore are ussually taken care of very well.I have worn out a letter key on a old-type Thinkpad keyboard at work. It was used as the primary keyboard - no external keyboard. The company's name began with that letter, and therefore did many variable names. I took 1 1/2 years of daily wear from the day it was new. I got a new keyboard though the support agreement with Lenovo.
I'd want a 17" 4K touchpad running OSX 10.6 with USB port and SD slot. Sadly, that will never exist.Not big enough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64UQ7el-FrM). I know that 17" touch-screen Windows 8 tablets do exist .. the question is of they could be used for Hackintosh like the MS Surface.
^^ I like that setup :)
Now, that they can put the guts of the computer behind a touchscreen it should be possible to have a hybrid mechanical keyboard/tablet. Maybe mk's aren't mainstream enough yet, but maybe for a gaming laptop from say MSI.
Yes - I considered getting a tablet and just docking it on that keyboard, but all tablets have those crap locked-down operating systems. I'd want a 17" 4K touchpad running OSX 10.6 with USB port and SD slot. Sadly, that will never exist.
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboardsize issues
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
They did back in the day....
Back when this 16 pound monstrosity was called a laptop...The Macintosh Portable is a classic. Even the local electronics recycling place has one on display, because they respect it too much to dismantle it.Show Image(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Apple_MacPortable_System_s1.jpg)
This is so annoying. You used to be able to get a halfdecent keyboard on laptops. Now however, they are really all chiclet with only a few exceptions.
This is my solution:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/9951)
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
They did back in the day....
Back when this 16 pound monstrosity was called a laptop...Show Image(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Apple_MacPortable_System_s1.jpg)
Btw - I followed your quest for your perfect keyboard (and I mean quest) over at VC with much interest. Am glad you've found it and it's working :)
I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
They did back in the day....
Back when this 16 pound monstrosity was called a laptop...Show Image(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Apple_MacPortable_System_s1.jpg)
This 1983 notebook has a nice ALPS keyboard:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/10028)
(on top of Macbook Pro for size comparison)
... but it has 24k RAM and runs at 2.4MHz. I still type notes with it occasionally. You can program with it too... but only in BASIC. :D
This 1983 notebook has a nice ALPS keyboard:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/10028)
(on top of Macbook Pro for size comparison)
... but it has 24k RAM and runs at 2.4MHz. I still type notes with it occasionally. You can program with it too... but only in BASIC. :D
QuoteThis 1983 notebook has a nice ALPS keyboard:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/10028)
(on top of Macbook Pro for size comparison)
... but it has 24k RAM and runs at 2.4MHz. I still type notes with it occasionally. You can program with it too... but only in BASIC. :D
Damn that looks nice! I could overlook the Caps Lock, but I'd prefer Tandy over Radio Shack!
This thread reminded me my long forgotten TRS-80 and gave an idea. After web research I found this page says it has serial communication program by nature. It is time to revive my lovely small old computer.
http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2010-02-18-kaypro-m100-keyboard.htm
With converting its serial output into USB HID I can type this post with my TRS-80 model 100 now.Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/aF3cqmT.jpg)
This is so annoying. You used to be able to get a halfdecent keyboard on laptops. Now however, they are really all chiclet with only a few exceptions.
This is my solution:Show Image(http://deskthority.net/resources/image/9951)
That's actually not too bad of a design in the context of having a portable workbench laptop. I'm currently using one of my older laptops for that purpose, having one similar to that size with a built-in trackball and quality keyboard would be very useful, especially if it had a stackable design where I could put a FPGA or other kit under it.I wonder why dont they create a laptop with a mechanical keyboard
They did back in the day....
Back when this 16 pound monstrosity was called a laptop...Show Image(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Apple_MacPortable_System_s1.jpg)
My mother owns a Thinkpad and the keys on it are quite nice for any laptop that I've used. I also really like the Steelseries laptop keyboard on MSI laptops as well, they have a nice pressure and the keys themselves feel thicker and heavier, with a nice long travel.
My mother owns a Thinkpad and the keys on it are quite nice for any laptop that I've used. I also really like the Steelseries laptop keyboard on MSI laptops as well, they have a nice pressure and the keys themselves feel thicker and heavier, with a nice long travel.
+1 for the steelseries. I have a clevo laptop built from mythlogic that offers the same keyboard. One of the best scissor keyboards i've used. It feels very evenly solid and ends with a satisfying click with each stroke. I highly recommend that keyboard ( the mousepad on the other hand...)
My mother owns a Thinkpad and the keys on it are quite nice for any laptop that I've used. I also really like the Steelseries laptop keyboard on MSI laptops as well, they have a nice pressure and the keys themselves feel thicker and heavier, with a nice long travel.
+1 for the steelseries. I have a clevo laptop built from mythlogic that offers the same keyboard. One of the best scissor keyboards i've used. It feels very evenly solid and ends with a satisfying click with each stroke. I highly recommend that keyboard ( the mousepad on the other hand...)
Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
My mother owns a Thinkpad and the keys on it are quite nice for any laptop that I've used. I also really like the Steelseries laptop keyboard on MSI laptops as well, they have a nice pressure and the keys themselves feel thicker and heavier, with a nice long travel.
+1 for the steelseries. I have a clevo laptop built from mythlogic that offers the same keyboard. One of the best scissor keyboards i've used. It feels very evenly solid and ends with a satisfying click with each stroke. I highly recommend that keyboard ( the mousepad on the other hand...)
Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
With the Apple Trackpad the user can simply tap it quickly.... pressing it with enough force to actually have it click rather than utilize it being a multi-touch pad is strange.Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
With the Apple Trackpad the user can simply tap it quickly.... pressing it with enough force to actually have it click rather than utilize it being a multi-touch pad is strange.Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
That must be a contrast! Have you ever attempted gaming on a trackball?
Of course. I've been using trackballs for gaming for the past few decades. I completed Halo, Half-life, Half-life 2, etc. (hundreds of games, even though I'm not a "gamer") I find a trackball less awkward than mouse or trackpad. One major advantage of trackballs is that if you want to move fast, the ball has momentum so you just spin it hard. You can't do the same with other pointing devices.
This guy has really gone out of his way to tell me about this product and has been nothing but helpful and very professional.Just ordered two, and I want to echo 127001's statement here. This person has been very nice throughout all me correspondence with him. He comes off immediately as being a great guy. I love doing business with such excellent people.I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
That must be a contrast! Have you ever attempted gaming on a trackball?
Of course. I've been using trackballs for gaming for the past few decades. I completed Halo, Half-life, Half-life 2, etc. (hundreds of games, even though I'm not a "gamer") I find a trackball less awkward than mouse or trackpad. One major advantage of trackballs is that if you want to move fast, the ball has momentum so you just spin it hard. You can't do the same with other pointing devices.
Of course. I've been using trackballs for gaming for the past few decades. I completed Halo, Half-life, Half-life 2, etc. (hundreds of games, even though I'm not a "gamer") I find a trackball less awkward than mouse or trackpad. One major advantage of trackballs is that if you want to move fast, the ball has momentum so you just spin it hard. You can't do the same with other pointing devices.
bull ****... you beat halo PC with trackball? was it on Easy or Legendary...Show Image(http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/tuzki-bunnys/tuzki-bunny-emoticon-007.gif)
also.. Do you want to 1v1 me on Halo?
My mother owns a Thinkpad and the keys on it are quite nice for any laptop that I've used. I also really like the Steelseries laptop keyboard on MSI laptops as well, they have a nice pressure and the keys themselves feel thicker and heavier, with a nice long travel.
+1 for the steelseries. I have a clevo laptop built from mythlogic that offers the same keyboard. One of the best scissor keyboards i've used. It feels very evenly solid and ends with a satisfying click with each stroke. I highly recommend that keyboard ( the mousepad on the other hand...)
Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
I have not tried the Logitech touch pad mentioned earlier, but compared to all of the other trackpads I have tried, the ones Apple makes work far better for whatever reason. I still use an external trackball and Spacemouse Wireless though as using a trackpad for CAD would be insanely tedious.With the Apple Trackpad the user can simply tap it quickly.... pressing it with enough force to actually have it click rather than utilize it being a multi-touch pad is strange.Their single mouse button is barely half a step up from the apple no-button pads, in my opinion..
What's so bad about the apple trackpads? I have no problem with them. They keyboards are pretty terrible, but at least they're better than standard membrane boards.
Not a fan of how the clicking mechanism works, honestly. I like the pad and the finger detection is intuitive and responsive for me, but the clicking..
Also, do you really like their keyboards? I find the travel too short for my taste personally, feels like I'm typing on a sheet.
I'll agree with that. The Apple trackpad click annoys the hell out of me. It's way too stiff. Obviously it's that stiff to prevent accidental clicks, but it makes clicking a pain. I'm forced to use "double tap to click", which causes... accidental clicks. (but less painful to do so)
I'm so much happier when I dock my Macbook and use my DT225 trackball and beam spring keyboard instead.
Only in certain applications. There are many applications where I want to know that my click has definitely been recorded (or when I need to hold down the left/right button) which not achievable.
Again, I do like the multi-touch function, but pretty much any touchpad has them these days and I hate that Apple removes functionality for form.
Developer who likes to type a lot here. Let's assume you want no extra keyboard; I'm sure you already explored this option.
I owned an older ThinkPad, a MacBook Pro and now a ThinkPad with the current chiclet-style switches. Additionally I have typed every now and then on various other laptop keyboards. My favorite is the current ThinkPad keyboard, I like it even better than the old ones - although I seem to be in the minority on this one. They are available with a backlight, if that's a "must have" for you. The older ThinkPad keyboards get a very close second place, and I think the Apple keyboards are okay ... as long as you don't switch between this flat keys and regular ones, than they get weird.
If you need to do some serious writing on the go, you really should think about getting your favorite 60% keyboard and prop it up Stallman-style (http://"http://www.lugos.si/lugos/rms2000/pic/RMS-2000-10-13/pic00001.jpg"). But hey, I have some problems with regular membrane keyboards, but using my trusty ThinkPad for a whole day is not out of the question. :)
Thanks a lot for the input everyone.
It seems like there are 3 common options:
1. Lenovo
2. MacBooks
3. 60%
As stated, I know the MB's must be good... I just can't get myself to have one. So between Lenovo's and 60%'s... hmmm, great excuse for another keyboard? :cool:
I don't know of any laptops with mechanical keyboards. But Lenovo's scissor switches, of the scissor switches I've tried, feel the most crisp.
Apple, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, ASUS not so much.
Although wasn't there something in this forum a while back about Apple coming out with its own mechanical switch?
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
That's really sad to hear. My last experience with a Lenovo was quite a while ago (mid 2000's) and I remember them being extremely well made and reliable, with probably the best laptop keyboards you could put your fingers on.
I hate it when a good company gets popular because of their quality products and then proceed to get greed and sacrifice quality, knowing that their name brand will drive sales and maximize profits.
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
That's really sad to hear. My last experience with a Lenovo was quite a while ago (mid 2000's) and I remember them being extremely well made and reliable, with probably the best laptop keyboards you could put your fingers on.
I hate it when a good company gets popular because of their quality products and then proceed to get greed and sacrifice quality, knowing that their name brand will drive sales and maximize profits.
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
That's really sad to hear. My last experience with a Lenovo was quite a while ago (mid 2000's) and I remember them being extremely well made and reliable, with probably the best laptop keyboards you could put your fingers on.
I hate it when a good company gets popular because of their quality products and then proceed to get greed and sacrifice quality, knowing that their name brand will drive sales and maximize profits.
I just compared the keyboard from a Lenovo t540p to a Dell Inspirion 5721 and they were pretty much identical. My Typematrix feels better than either. My ideal setup is a Windows tablet with a 60% like Keycool or Poker. Now if only I could find a 60% mechanical keyboard with a columnar layout. I would be really happy.
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
That's really sad to hear. My last experience with a Lenovo was quite a while ago (mid 2000's) and I remember them being extremely well made and reliable, with probably the best laptop keyboards you could put your fingers on.
I hate it when a good company gets popular because of their quality products and then proceed to get greed and sacrifice quality, knowing that their name brand will drive sales and maximize profits.
I just compared the keyboard from a Lenovo t540p to a Dell Inspirion 5721 and they were pretty much identical. My Typematrix feels better than either. My ideal setup is a Windows tablet with a 60% like Keycool or Poker. Now if only I could find a 60% mechanical keyboard with a columnar layout. I would be really happy.
What do you mean by columnar layout?
The typematrix is an interesting layout. Why are you not considering to use this then? You already have it, and it fits your needs, doesn't it?
The typematrix is an interesting layout. Why are you not considering to use this then? You already have it, and it fits your needs, doesn't it?
It's not mechanical. The keys are alright, but after using MX blues on another keyboard, it's still not quite there. It's nice, but no where near as nice as it could be.
The typematrix is an interesting layout. Why are you not considering to use this then? You already have it, and it fits your needs, doesn't it?
It's not mechanical. The keys are alright, but after using MX blues on another keyboard, it's still not quite there. It's nice, but no where near as nice as it could be.
I see, well in that case I think your options will be very limited. I think I saw a mechanical keyboard with a matrix layout, but it was large, and by no means portable. Maybe you should consider to design and built your own.
I know I'm going against the grain here, but Lenovos are god awful. The cases feel like cheap plastic and the trackpads on some of these are a nightmare. You do a mouse click and the whole trackpad depresses.
Get a 60% mechanical keyboard and just carry it around with you. You'll be happier. I'm going to get one next paycheck, program it for Dvorak and use that.
That's really sad to hear. My last experience with a Lenovo was quite a while ago (mid 2000's) and I remember them being extremely well made and reliable, with probably the best laptop keyboards you could put your fingers on.
I hate it when a good company gets popular because of their quality products and then proceed to get greed and sacrifice quality, knowing that their name brand will drive sales and maximize profits.
I just compared the keyboard from a Lenovo t540p to a Dell Inspirion 5721 and they were pretty much identical. My Typematrix feels better than either. My ideal setup is a Windows tablet with a 60% like Keycool or Poker. Now if only I could find a 60% mechanical keyboard with a columnar layout. I would be really happy.
I don't know of any laptops with mechanical keyboards. But Lenovo's scissor switches, of the scissor switches I've tried, feel the most crisp.
Apple, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, ASUS not so much.
Although wasn't there something in this forum a while back about Apple coming out with its own mechanical switch?
Someone, please change this to use mechanical keyboard:Show Image(http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/novena_quarterview.jpg?w=620&h=347)