Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 30th Mar 2009 13:00 UTC
"ThinkPads are well known for the quality of their keyboards. This has long been a strength of the ThinkPad brand, but when we say how good ThinkPad keyboards are we almost always implicitly mean 'relative to the keyboards on other laptops'. That might not be the case for everyone though, because the ThinkPad Full-Size UltraNav USB Keyboard is currently available for sale and it is a testament to how attached people have become to these keyboards."
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Member since:2006-10-08
The Ctrl and Fn being the way they are was certainly very irritating for the first few weeks, but it's quite possible to get used to it.
I often ask myself: What is the Fn key good for on this particular keyboard configuration? On laptops, it's used to get the num block from within the alphanumerical section. But this keyboard *has* a num block, and cursor keys. So what functionality does it create? Do they address typical laptop issues (LCD/CRT, VOL++/-- etc)? It's a honest question...
F12 and delete being next to each other has never bothered me.
That's understandable. Better than many laptop keyboards, the IBM layout leaves the 2x3 matrix above toe "cursor T" intact, so you can lay your right hand with it's first three fingers (the thumb doesn't count) on it and address all functions of this block. "Modern" laptops often like to disassemble this 2x3 block and make a vertikal line "home, pg up, pg dn, end" so navigation is more complicated.
By the way, on http://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ultranav_keyboard_04... I notice that there are two attitional keys (grey) in the "cursor T". Can anyone explain what they are? My ThinkPad (586 class) doesn't have them. I cannot identify them through magnification.
I really like the placement of delete. Some keyboards place it near the return key, which is much more dangerous IMO.
Exactly, I share your opinion. Some hours ago, I sat on a HP laptop where the del key was in the upper right.
One thing that's quite annoying in a few games, though, is that the F keys aren't aligned with the number keys. F2 is above 1 etc.
On regular keyboards - I'm looking at a fine Sun Type 6 USB keyboard right now - this is the case. Nevertheless, the function keys on the TP keyboard are grouped, so you can easily hit the correct key without needing to look or count. (I even have a Siemens-Fujitsu laptop where I intendedly placed a sticker above the function keys, ... white ... grey ... white, to group them visually.)
ESC above PF1 is a thing one surely can get used to.
Finally, I share the opinion that the glidepad is a real annoying thing where it is.
According to the topic "It's good", I don't know if it's good (because that's primarily a matter of mechanical feelings), but it *looks* good. :-)
Member since:2005-07-18
I often ask myself: What is the Fn key good for on this particular keyboard configuration? On laptops, it's used to get the num block from within the alphanumerical section. But this keyboard *has* a num block, and cursor keys. So what functionality does it create? Do they address typical laptop issues (LCD/CRT, VOL++/-- etc)? It's a honest question...
My guess is that it was left there mainly so users of the laptop keyboards wouldn't have to readjust, which seems like a good enough reason to me. From the pictures I see the keyboard has the same fn combinations as recent thinkpads, so it's used to control the same laptop functions. Of course, most of them are useless for a desktop.
By the way, on http://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ultranav_keyboard_04... I notice that there are two attitional keys (grey) in the "cursor T". Can anyone explain what they are? My ThinkPad (586 class) doesn't have them. I cannot identify them through magnification.
They are forward/backward buttons for the browser.
Member since:
2005-07-18
In my experience with a T60, the right edge of the trackpad makes an excellent scrolling device to complement the trackpoint. It's even better in Linux where the scroll wheel scrolls what's under the cursor, not what's currently active.
The Ctrl and Fn being the way they are was certainly very irritating for the first few weeks, but it's quite possible to get used to it.
F12 and delete being next to each other has never bothered me. I really like the placement of delete. Some keyboards place it near the return key, which is much more dangerous IMO.
One thing that's quite annoying in a few games, though, is that the F keys aren't aligned with the number keys. F2 is above 1 etc.