[ltp] Re: New 6-row keyboard scaring me off

Stefan Monnier linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:05:06 -0400


> Is anyone else annoyed at Lenovo for discontinuing the standard 7-row
> keyboard?  I've been looking at getting a new laptop and after what I've
> seen from Lenovo and their attitude towards users about this, I'm thinking
> of jumping ship.  Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

>From what I can tell, the new keyboard is largely OK (a few pluses and
a few minuses, but overall probably just as good, though I haven't had
a chance to use them yet).
The main problem is the change itself: most/all my various computers
(laptops and desktops) have a Thinkpad keyboards.  So if I get a new
Thinkpad, I'll be back to having to deal with various different
keyboards.

Luckily, I don't forsee buying a new laptop any time soon.  The main
reason being that 16:10 was bad enough, but 16:9 is just too painful
(either the screen is not tall enough, or if it is, then the machine is
much too big to be carried around).  In my book, the best laptop screen
width is "the width of the keyboard", and its height should be "as high
you can without making the laptop's overall size inconvenient".
I.e. anywhere between a X200 and a 14" T43 (both have pretty much the
same width).
So my plan is rather to make my laptops last as much as possible, hoping
that either this hole in the market gets plugged, or that my habits
change enough.


        Stefan