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Author Topic: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s  (Read 9130 times)

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Offline Rourke

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Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« on: Sat, 08 December 2012, 18:48:28 »
Hello people,

I bought a HP Probook 4530s (PDF with specs) last week and installed OSX on it. Everything seems to work great, but the windows keys make it really confusing for me. So I was wondering if it is possible to replace the CTRL/FN/WINDOWS/ALT keys with the apple ones. I prefer genuine keys, but I don't mind if they are stickers, as long as they don't look too cheap.

My laptop keyboard looks like this http://i.imgur.com/lWNJh.jpg

To give you a basic idea, this is what i'd like: http://i.imgur.com/PLL7M.jpg Not the actual keys but the prints on it. As I said I don't mind stickers unless they look like this: http://i.imgur.com/BtcCH.jpg

If this seems to be doable I might change more keys to that of a macbook keyboard.

Can you guys give me some advice on this?
« Last Edit: Sat, 08 December 2012, 18:50:30 by Rourke »
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Offline rayuki

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15 »
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.
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Offline Rourke

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 08 December 2012, 20:23:28 »
Quote from: rayuki on Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.

I'm affraid you didn't understand me. I didn't mean to get the TYPE of keys in that picture. It's just to give an IDEA of how a windows keyboard got turned into an apple keyboard. I want to stick to the same keys I have in the keyboard right now ;)
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 08 December 2012, 23:11:11 »
I don't know if they are compatible, but you might look at getting an Apple notebook keyboard.  Some eBay sellers sell just the keyboard.
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Offline demik

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 01:06:03 »
Quote from: rayuki on Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.
reading isn't your strength, is it.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 03:28:13 »
Quote from: demik on Sun, 09 December 2012, 01:06:03
Quote from: rayuki on Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.
reading isn't your strength, is it.

Subtlety isn't your strength, is it?
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline Rourke

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 18:02:09 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 08 December 2012, 23:11:11
I don't know if they are compatible, but you might look at getting an Apple notebook keyboard.  Some eBay sellers sell just the keyboard.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think it would fit. Individual keys or good looking stickers would be the best idea I think. I just have no idea where to find that.
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Offline SmallFry

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #7 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 18:04:00 »
What might work is a dry rub on sticker, not sure what they call those... Rub off the current legend with a solvent if you're ambitious and then put the new legend on.
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 18:54:49 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 08 December 2012, 23:11:11
I don't know if they are compatible, but you might look at getting an Apple notebook keyboard.  Some eBay sellers sell just the keyboard.
No. Keyboards are almost never compatible across manufacturers. Usualy you just get a ribbon flexible membrane out, which plugs into the motherboard. The keyboard controller is on the motherboard.

You have a few options.
1. Sandpaper off the legend and try to custom paint/laser it yourself (I don't think WASDkeyboards will be able to laser it, but you can always ask, I guess)
2. Pry an actual apple key off one of their keyborads, and modify the "scissor-holding" latches on the bottom to accept the ones on your HP.
3. Get stickers.

Also, please don't break your HP, they are terrible to take apart and repair, so on behalf of all the HP repair techs, make sure you don't break it. (though the 8560p is worse, IMO) :)
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 19:07:26 »
I was thinking more of the OP getting a used or otherwise keyboard (just the keyboard) from a MacBook and swappnig the keycaps over as it looked like both use scissor switches, so hopefully those keycaps would be interchangeable.

But it looks like his Alt keys are square, and the Mac Command keys are not quite.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline bavman

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 19:24:20 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 09 December 2012, 03:28:13
Quote from: demik on Sun, 09 December 2012, 01:06:03
Quote from: rayuki on Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.
reading isn't your strength, is it.

Subtlety isn't your strength, is it?

Not with demik!
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Offline Rourke

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 20:13:00 »
Quote from: dorkvader on Sun, 09 December 2012, 18:54:49
1. Sandpaper off the legend and try to custom paint/laser it yourself (I don't think WASDkeyboards will be able to laser it, but you can always ask, I guess)
2. Pry an actual apple key off one of their keyborads, and modify the "scissor-holding" latches on the bottom to accept the ones on your HP.
3. Get stickers.

Also, please don't break your HP, they are terrible to take apart and repair, so on behalf of all the HP repair techs, make sure you don't break it. (though the 8560p is worse, IMO) :)

Thanks for the suggestions. These are clear options to me.

1) Current legends are actually stickers. I think I can get them off clean without much trouble. I'll ask the people at WASDkeyboards if they can do something for me here.
2) I don't want to alter keys because i'm not good with custom work like that
3) Stickers. This would be the easiest solution, but if anyone knows a source i'd love to test it out
I'll keep it in mind. Already changed some hardware without a problem. Closely following the manual. :)
« Last Edit: Sun, 09 December 2012, 20:15:17 by Rourke »
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Offline Rourke

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 20:54:33 »
I did some digging and got to this website: http://www.4keyboard.com/mac-laptop-stickers-p-218.html

It looks a lot like the picture from my initial post, but I think if I cut closely around the edges (of the key images and text) with a utility knife I can get a good result. If anyone has more suggestions I'd love to hear them.
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Offline SmallFry

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 22:31:42 »
Use an X-Acto knife for more accuracy, but other than that, nada:)
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Offline rayuki

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 09 December 2012, 22:35:29 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 09 December 2012, 03:28:13
Quote from: demik on Sun, 09 December 2012, 01:06:03
Quote from: rayuki on Sat, 08 December 2012, 19:16:15
no... you can't replace laptop keys with cherry mx keys.
reading isn't your strength, is it.

Subtlety isn't your strength, is it?

no need to be subtle i prefer bluntness lol, my bad i read it wrong. ( i have a bad habbit of posting while drunk which doesn't help)

thought he was asking to put keycaps on his laptop keyboard.

after reading it again (a few times actually) i think the sticker suggestion is probably your best option, its apple it shouldn't be impossible to find something suitable.
« Last Edit: Sun, 09 December 2012, 22:37:57 by rayuki »
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Custom keycaps on HP Probook 4530s
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 10 December 2012, 18:54:42 »
Quote from: Rourke on Sun, 09 December 2012, 20:54:33
I did some digging and got to this website: http://www.4keyboard.com/mac-laptop-stickers-p-218.html

It looks a lot like the picture from my initial post, but I think if I cut closely around the edges (of the key images and text) with a utility knife I can get a good result. If anyone has more suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Okay, so the keyboard you're looking at? Is identical to the HP Envy17 keyboard. (In fact, same service part for some models. No joke.) That said: they aren't stickers on the keys. They're likely the same laser-filled PBT keys I have on mine. At least I presume it's PBT given the pebble texture and extreme resistance to shine compared to ABS.
The Windows keys feel like they're raised, but it's actually sunk some ridiculously tiny amount. I would recommend just applying stickers very carefully. Probably should remove the keyboard per service manual and clean the keys you're going to apply them to with denatured alcohol beforehand. (Or iso of at least 90%.)
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