ThinkPad Compact Keyboard Review

[Aarnii]

Hi,

just wondering how far you can go with your BT keyboard and still be able to use it properly?  Is it still ok one or two meters away from your laptop?

Generally I am no farther than 1 meter from my laptop, but if I can't use the BT keyboard even from that distance, then I think I will go for the USB one too!

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

there is ThinkPad compact usb kb in US english (I have one). Lenovo web store may not have it. Try other eStores.

Also depending on how much accuracy you need from the trackpoint you can get the version of the keyboard to work as far away as 7 m, but 2 m should be okay depending on location of your antenna.

[Aarnii]

Great, thanks for your response Jin.

I just want it to work as fine as my trackpoint from my T500 works. And I don't think I will be more than 1 m from my laptop anyway, so I hope the BT keyboard should work fine from there.

But if it does not, do you think I will be able to return the product easily to Lenovo and ask for a switch between the BT and USB keyboard?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

I am not sure about the return policy in France.

[Hoshino]

It has been more than 5 months but the Thinkpad Compact USB Keyboard (US English) is still not available on Lenovo US or Amazon website. It's already out on Australian stores but not in US or other countries. Why?

Any official Lenovo reps know when can we get it?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

@Hoshino,

I am not sure about the keyboard availability in foreign countries. All i know Australia and New Zealand has it, maybe it is because certain enterprise customer buys them.

[Aarnii]

Hi,

I have just received the BT keyboard and unfortunately I already have an issue.

I can pair it with my laptop, I can see the BT Keyboard listed in the Bluetooth devices connected, yet, the keyboard is not working. Not a single key or the trackpoint. And the green light on the top right corner of the keyboard is still flashing while it has been correctly paired with the laptop.

I tried with another laptop and this time I had no issue at all, the keyboard worked perfectly fine.

Do you have any idea as to what it is happening wih the first laptop?

[Aarnii]

Well, it looks like it was just due to some Bluetooh drivers issues. For some reasons, the device paired but wasn't really installed.
I updated the BT drivers and the keyboard works fine now!

[Hoshino]

Finally received the Thinkpad Compact USB keyboard. Feels great typing on it but it's not exactly the same as the Thinkpad Laptop Keyboards.

On the Thinkpad Compact USB keyboard, the letters are pasted on the key switches while the laptop has the letters built right into the switches.

The key switches material also feel different from the Thinkpad Laptop keyboard.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

@hoshino,

are you comparing to the backlight version of the Precision Keyboard used on the T430, X230, X230t, T430s, T530, W530?