Island 6-row keyboards coming to Thinkpads - your opinions? [ Edited ]

[dr_st]

Now that the new Thinkpads for 2012 have been announced, with pictures, we can see that one big change across the entire line-up (more specifically, T/W/X series) is the transition to the 6-row island keyboard in lieu of the traditional 7-row one.

This is the old keyboard.

This is the new keyboard.

I posted a poll on the Thinkpad forums (here), but I would specifically like to post it here as well, as I feel that this community may be more diverse and represent a more general (or at least different) group of Thinkpad users.

Unfortunately, it seems there is no technical way to actually make a poll, so all I can do is list the options, and anyone who wants can reply with the option number of their choice (and a few words of explanation if they want so).

Please vote only on the keyboard and only as a whole. Therefore if some aspect of the new keyboard appeals to you, but the other doesn't, try to still consider whether the overall keyboard change is attractive to you or not, choose the option that most accurately describes your feelings.

Poll question: How do you like the latest keyboard change?

Options:

(1) Very good - It makes these Thinkpads more appealing to me

(2) Good - I like it

(3) Neutral - Don't care either way

(4) Bad - I dislike it

(5) Very bad - This may be a deal-breaker for me

(6) I'll make up my mind once I've actually had one to try

[erik Community SuperMod]

i voted a 5.   after 19 years of using the 7-row thinkpad layout i cannot change overnight to using a 6-row.   i've built nearly two decades of muscle memory around professional applications that make use of the F keys, del/home/end/pgup/pgdn block, and Fn combos.   island versus traditional key shapes aren't my concern at this point.   the layout is the deal-breaker for my needs.

to put things in perspective 12 keys were moved, 3 keys deleted entirely, numlock and 10 number pad keys removed, 9 Fn key combos moved, and 6 Fn combos deleted.   on an 88-key layout that's about a 45% change in physical key locations.   that's a drastic change in a system's human interface device.

(edit: simplified post)

[JaneL Community SuperMod]

I voted a 5, too. The 6-row layout is a deal-breaker for me, too.

[ibmthink]

Voted 1 - I have already a 6-row keyboard on my L520 and I have no problems with it. For the chiclet keys: In my opinion they a have a better feel. So I voted 1, because I think that means that ThinkPads have a better keyboard and this add some nice options on too, like backlight (which is good, especially for the X230t, because it hasn´t the ThinkLight before, so that is a nice option).

[Duck3]

I will vote #6

I have always liked the Thinkpad KBs, and
was not so thrilled by newer Ideapad KBs with
similar layout to new TP ones.

Agree with erik on choice of KB would be great idea.

Now if I can only get one to try out...

[totoro-kun]

I vote 5.

New layout seems thoughtless and not practical. And only appealing to people who do not type on them. This would strike down my productivity a lot. There for I am taking my money and recommendations else where. Untill 7 row layout will be preserved one way or another. As it is and was the best layout found in any laptop.

All in all improving parts that are already as perfect as 7 row keyboard is a nonsense. There are plenty of areas where ThinkPad could be improved.

[johnwait]

My vote: 5

Although I could end up adapting to Lenovo's "isolation" keyboards (*if* they provide the same, robust experience as previous designs), the lost of the 7th row (and the resulting re-arrangement of the keys) is really a deal-breaker.

Simply unsuitable in a business setting, and for someone like me who works in an IT dept. and on a computer all day. If I wanted 6 rows I would be using one of my company's-provided Dell lappies already.

[ajkula66 Guru]

I voted # 5.

The new layout is simply not something I've ever envisioned on a ThinkPad. Not in my worst nightmares.

The new layout is something I'll never accept on a ThinkPad.

[billbolton Community Moderator]

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ajkula66 wrote:

I voted # 5.

The new layout is simply not something I've ever envisioned on a ThinkPad. Not in my worst nightmares.

The new layout is something I'll never accept on a ThinkPad.

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How long is it since you bought a new Thinkpad George?

[ajkula66 Guru]

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billbolton wrote:

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ajkula66 wrote:

I voted # 5.

The new layout is simply not something I've ever envisioned on a ThinkPad. Not in my worst nightmares.

The new layout is something I'll never accept on a ThinkPad.

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How long is it since you bought a new Thinkpad George?

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Funny you should ask.

I placed an order for a X220T a couple of days ago. I wouldn't have done that if it were not for the new keyboard on *30 series.

The last brand new one before that was a T400. And a T61p before that. Neither of them was kept for more than a month.

That list doesn't include purchases from the Outlet...

How about you, Bill?