[throwawayaway]

The new lenovo thinkpads are nearly as bad. I'm an x series user, the last model with a good keyboard for programming was the x220.

From the x230 onwards they have stupid chicklet keys, no visual representation of caps lock or numlock, bad trackpads, and 'modal' function keys - (visually represesented with LEDs of course). Abandoning traditional insert/delete/home/end/pgup/pgdn layout.

Superfish on thinkpads, this battery thing, this bios thing:

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150812/11395231925/lenov...

Very frustrating! Beyond a joke at this stage.

[mindslight]

I really don't mind the keyboard on my X230. Then again, I don't see the point of caps lock or trackpads. The layout is a bit annoying when I switch back and forth to a T61, but that's due to the difference rather than inherent superiority. If the keyboard dies, I will obviously consider replacing it with an X220 keyboard but nothing makes me want to do that preemptively.

The plastic case seems a bit flimsy, but so far hasn't broken. And obviously having a shortscreen sucks, but I accepted that tradeoff for the LED backlight and better specs.

[throwawayaway]

In no uncertain terms I absolutely detest the x230 keyboard. I am none too happy about the location of Insert on the x220.

It is like using a cheap acer/toshiba laptop from Argos. A common question I have using them is 'where have the HW UX geniuses decided to put this button I want to use?'.

Cheap laptops are fine by me, but that's not what I want from a thinkpad.

The fact that there is a difference at all is the inherent superiority, a standard layout that stood the test of time and changed for the sake of saving a few pennies.

The fact that you would consider replacing it if it dies with an x220 keyboard (thanks for the info I didn't know that was possible) shows that you do mind it to a small extent.

The keyboard is a very common complaint: http://blog.the-compiler.org/?p=134 - also see the comments.

Also in addition to my prior whining about lenovo, their customer support and returns policy is nowhere near as good as IBM's was. A friend was sent the wrong laptop and after returning it & huge delays lenovo failed to source the correct laptop. He bought a dell.

Richard Sapper, the German industrial designer who orchestrated the look of the iconic laptop for IBM, died 83 years old. I'm blaming lenovo, he's probably spinning in his grave.

[mindslight]

The keyboard is a very common complaint, so I just figured I'd throw in my two cents of not actually hating the chiclet-style keys. Because I was unsure before I bought it, and ended up not actually minding the different keycaps.

PgUp/PgDn are more my problem when switching back and forth to the T61, but I would probably fix that by remapping the T61. I don't see how Insert is that different between the two, but I'm not so picky with specific positioning because I don't "home row".

Don't worry, I'm also bitter about the erosion of Thinkpad - just not so much about the keyboard. The 1.75 inches of missing vertical screen real estate is a much bigger annoyance.