laptop with a great keyboard?

[whistleclient]

Hi,
Looking for some expert advice. Thank you in advance for your help:

I do a lot of writing, so a great keyboard is most important.
I don't even need the newest chipset because all I'll use it for is word processing and a little surfing.

If I had to rank, I'd go:

1) great keyboard
2) lightweight (I know this is somewhat at odds with a great keyboard)
3) great build quality

-I don't need a built in dvd drive
-built in webcam would be nice but isn't required
-no preference between trackpad vs trackpoint

I'm was thinking about an older Thinkpad x31, because everyone raves about the Thinkpad keyboards, but it bugs me a little that used ones are still $400 while brand new laptops are $600.

Any other ideas?

 

[TheStu]

My top 3 list for keyboards, in order of preference.

MacBook
MacBook Pro/PowerBook
ThinkPads

Those 3 all have nice, solid keyboards. They respond well, I don't feel like they are too soft or squishy, and I also am not afraid that I am going to break the keyboard and laptop in half when I use them.

 

[aceO07]

The newer Thinkpad keyboard/base section is tilted instead of the typical laptop box frame. Think of a tilted keyboard instead of a flat one. I had the Thinkpad X60s during my last job and it was very nice. Light small, nice keyboard and good build quality. Not cheap though.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Macbook Pro keyboards are the best IMO.

 

[Oil]

The 14" T61 would be a nice way to go because it gives you a larger keyboard than the x61 but is still lightweight

 

[corkyg]

Macbooks are nice - but there are many compaints about letter ruboff after several months.

For me, this is the gold standard for a laptop keyboard:

Keyboard

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
Looking for some expert advice. Thank you in advance for your help:

I do a lot of writing, so a great keyboard is most important...

Any other ideas?

Sorry!

IMHO, they all suck...

Personally, I use a $5 Logitech PS/2 keyboard - $12 with a *FREE* mouse (via a PS/2-to-USB adapter) unless I'm on the move.

I run this setup on ALL my machines! They're available in USB too, but I hate USB keyboards & mice... (different discussion)

Runs circles around any lappy keyboard I've ever seen!

Kinda sad, actually... but that's the way it is...

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: VinDSL
Personally, I use a $5 Logitech PS/2 keyboard - $12 with a *FREE* mouse (via a PS/2-to-USB adapter) unless I'm on the move.

Glad you casually mentioned ". . . on the move." My lappys are strictly for travel. There is no laptop keyboard around that can compete with good full size KB regardless of how it is connected. Keyboards can be a bit like toothbrushes - once you get used to a certain touch and feel, any thing else is substandard for you.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Glad you casually mentioned ". . . on the move." My lappys are strictly for travel...

A few things:

1) I've grown to prefer using Vista HP rather than W2K/XP Pro (and Slackware) and my lappy is the only machine in my stable with Vista (SP1 RC) installed, so I'm using it more n' more as my 'desktop' machine.

2) In the context of the OP's question - doing a lot of writing - I *assume* he doesn't do most of it in an airplane aisle seat, hotel lobby, or laying in bed. If he's like me, he does most of his writing kicked back in a chair with the keyboard on his lap, et cetera.

3) The $5 Logitech keyboards I use are identical to the old skool Dell desktop keyboards. The only difference is the logo says Logitech instead of Dell. These things rock!

Anyway, keyboards are extremely important to me too, and lappy keyboards just don't cut it for me!

The OP was asking for suggestions, and that's mine...

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Macbooks are nice - but there are many compaints about letter ruboff after several months.

For me, this is the gold standard for a laptop keyboard:

Keyboard

I've had a Powerbook going on 5 years now and no keys are even showing the faintest sign of being rubbed off.

And actually the letters can't be rubbed off because now all MBP's are equipped with a lighted keyboard meaning the letters are transparent. And they have been like that since the Powerbook G4's. So wherever you heard of the keys rubbing off is completely false information.

 

[TheStu]

I have had my macbook for about 17 months now, and for the first 8 months of its life, I had all white keys, no rub off. Now, I have a bunch of black keys (swapped from my friends BlackBook) which are also doing just fine. The white keys are all white with grey letters 'painted' on. The black keys are all white with the letters masked and the rest of the key then 'painted' black. So.... no rub off here, and I use my macbook a lot!

 

[ubercaffeinated]

18 months of macbooking here, without a keyboard cover. no rubbage yet. very nice to use too. i clean everything with diluted rubbing alcohol once a week too just to maintain ocd hygiene. the mbp keyboards and thinkpad keyboards are real solid too.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I only use my ThinkPad X60 Tablet's keyboard and it works well for me. I have a desktop docking solution at home, with a full size keyboard, but by god I never use the damn thing.

 

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I have had my macbook for about 17 months now, and for the first 8 months of its life, I had all white keys, no rub off. Now, I have a bunch of black keys (swapped from my friends BlackBook) which are also doing just fine. The white keys are all white with grey letters 'painted' on. The black keys are all white with the letters masked and the rest of the key then 'painted' black. So.... no rub off here, and I use my macbook a lot!

How do you swap the keys?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Parasitic

Originally posted by: TheStu
I have had my macbook for about 17 months now, and for the first 8 months of its life, I had all white keys, no rub off. Now, I have a bunch of black keys (swapped from my friends BlackBook) which are also doing just fine. The white keys are all white with grey letters 'painted' on. The black keys are all white with the letters masked and the rest of the key then 'painted' black. So.... no rub off here, and I use my macbook a lot!

How do you swap the keys?

We just popped them off. Same way you do on any laptop i suppose.