05-15-2012 09:01 PM
05-16-2012 01:47 PM
I highly doubt it. At least for the T series.
Compare the picture of the new T430:

With that of a T420:

On the T420, there's a recess in the keyboard bezel, between the "Escape" amd "Print Screen" keys, where a part of the keyboard (which includes the volume and power buttons) goes underneath the bezel. Also, the connector is probably different, or at least has surely been moved around with the new, different chassis.
05-16-2012 04:34 PM
Hi again,
You might also like to have a look the the following thread, elsewhere in the Lenovo Community forums:
Jonathan
05-16-2012 06:09 PM
hope they fix that creaking palmrest so annoying and its the only major complaint i have but others are just nitpicking.
05-16-2012 08:25 PM
If the keyboards are the same size/screw holes line up and the connector is the same I don't see why not. From the pictures above it looks like it can be done.
05-17-2012 08:47 AM
Posts in other forums have indicated that the connector is different, which would make changing it not possible.
05-17-2012 10:44 AM
The old keyboard will not fit into the new ThinkPad.
If you look closely at your X220/T420/T520/W520, you will see notches at the upper left of the speaker mute button, and the upper right of the power button. These notches do not exist in the top cover of the new ThinkPads, therefore the old keyboard will not physically fit into the top cover of the new ThinkPad.
It is possible to take both a top cover and keyboard from an old ThinkPad and fit it onto a new ThinkPad. And the keyboard connector will attach to the motherboard. However the keys that were relocated will not function. This is because the scancode map of the new keyboard is programmed into the BIOS. So the relocated keys like PgUp/PgDn/Home/End/Del will either not work, or they will do something unexpected.
Note that I am not trying to argue which keyboard is better than the other, and I had nothing to do with deciding the future of ThinkPad keyboards, so I cannot take credit or blame for any decisions that were made by Lenovo. I am just stating facts about whether it is possible to swap keyboards or not.
05-17-2012 11:19 AM - edited 05-17-2012 11:21 AM
@JDay: Like I said, the keyboard bezel is different. See for yourself (that's a T420):
The bezels on the T430, T530, etc. don't have any recess and are uniform at the top where the keyboard is inserted. Even if everything else was the same, you'd have to cut the new bezel on the T430 to accomodate the old keyboard.
And I've had confirmation the screw layout is different. The chassis for the T430 is a whole new beast. The guy couldn't confirm me for the connector, but it's presumably different to support those keyboards that will feature back lighting.
Something noteworthy: The T430 used for the official press shots has a crooked keyboard upper-left corner and Escape key. I wonder how they managed to do that (the upper row is meant to be higher than the others, but not like that). It's bad enough to have lost a row and be stuck with chiclet keyboards across the whole line, we better not end up having keyboards that get easily warped.
05-18-2012 05:44 PM
Well it's official, Lenovo has killed the ThinkPad.
05-23-2012 11:59 AM
I was afraid of that ![]()