[nrp]

Keyboard and touchpad quality were high priorities for us. We built in 1.5mm key travel, which is unusually high for a <16mm thick laptop. The touchpad surface feels great and performs well. I hear you on the touchpad buttons though. That is something we've done a little exploration on. The touchpad is an end-user replaceable module, but we can't commit to a three button version materializing just yet.

[Liskni_si]

Key travel isn't everything. The layout is important as well.

This is the best layout humanity ever invented: https://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/_processed_/c/0/csm_...

Classic arrow keys, separate volume buttons, separate back/forward/pageup/pagedown, F1-F12 as the primary functions, …

[com2kid]

See, I disagree, I use home/end/pageup/pagedown all the time, and having them separate in an awkward spot is annoying. I prefer having them overlaid on the arrow keys, with fn to access them. IMHO that is the one area laptop keyboards can superior to full size keyboards.

[Liskni_si]

We probably need laptops with configurable keyboard layouts then, so that you can choose a variant when purchasing it and then replace it with different one if you find out you don't like it.

(And then, let's not forget that keyboard layouts are somewhat configurable in software. It's easy to bind pageup to mod-uparrow and pagedown to mod-downarrow. But it can't be done if the physical keys are missing, so physical keyboard layouts with more keys are preferable to those with less keys. Unfortunately fn-combos are usually hardwired in the Embedded Controller and can't be changed easily in software.)

[fsflover]

> We probably need laptops with configurable keyboard layouts then

https://puri.sm/posts/librem-14-adding-librem-ec-freed-embed...

[Liskni_si]

By configurable, I mainly meant the physical layout of keys, configurable at purchase time. So that one can get a laptop with a trendy 6-row chiclet, or a proper 7-row classic ThinkPad keyboard.

But yeah, being able to override the key mapping in EC is an important feature as well, and I'm glad someone's doing it! I really hope for the future where all these pieces come together: a laptop with a good physical keyboard (configurable/swappable, so that everyone can get their meaning of "good"), with configurable EC, replaceable components, etc. That would be a dream.

[jpetso]

This is what makes newer ThinkPad keyboard layouts great at least in terms of arrow keys - the useless icon keys from the GP's posted image are now PgUp/PgDown, meaning you can access at least two out of the four without annoying two-handed operation. Home/End can still be bound to arrow keys plus modifier, but even there it's nice to have a dedicated key available.

Basically, full-size arrow keys are what really makes the difference, and at that point you could get the best of both worlds anyway.

(Let's not talk about other recent/misguided ThinkPad keyboard developments though.)

[Liskni_si]

I actually use those "useless" keys (back/forward in the browser) more often than PgUp/PgDown, as I usually scroll using the touchpad.

But it doesn't really matter, as long as the physical keys are there. They can be remapped.

[jpetso]

Never said they were useless! I also use them all the time. There is, however, only space for two extra keys in the holes of the four-arrow layout.

[eightails]

This is one of the reasons I actually really like the Surface Book keyboard [0]. It has home/end/pageup/pagedown as primary keys in the fn row, where they all fall to hand just by moving your right hand up from the home row.

Key size and placement is generally pretty perfect for the size imo (backspace, shift, enter, etc aren't cramped), and key travel and feel is up there with the best.

The up/down arrow keys and lack of brightness control in the fn row are the only real problems.

[0] https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_3...

[layer8]

Full-sized (full-height!) F keys, full-sized inverted-T arrow keys, dedicated Ins/Del/Home/End/PgUp/PgDown keys, and the Menu key (as on the Thinkpad) would be ideal.

[wishinghand]

At this point I'd prefer few keys, just 18 per side for my fingers and a row of 4-6 for each of my thumbs. I'd handle numbers, function keys, volume, and whatever else you mentioned with layers.

[layer8]

Those keys already have their own layers in a lot of software. Having to press yet another additional modifier key destroys usability and muscle memory.

[wishinghand]

> Having to press yet another additional modifier key destroys usability and muscle memory

I'm far more comfortable moving my fingers and thumbs as little as possible rather than having to stretch far and wide for those extra function keys.

[layer8]

For me it’s the opposite: I get RSI from having to stretch my hands to press 2-3 modifiers simultaneously, whereas moving my hands a bit is no problem.

[rgoulter]

If there are different preferences for arrangement of keyboard layout, then my vote goes to: it would be amazing if there were a laptop where such things could be customized. Then the people who want niche 40% or 36-key layouts can go with that, and those who prefer more keys can go with that.

IMO, the row-stagger is an unergonomic, archaic skeuomorphism. This is also a niche opinion.

Unfortunately, I'm sure there are practical reasons why "modular keyboard" can't happen (not enough market interest, strength of the laptop hull suffers if the keyboard is a separate module, laptop couldn't be as thin, etc.).

[wishinghand]

Right, which is why I wanted the non-stretching version. The modifiers are quite reachable with about 50-52 keys.

[rplnt]

While I agree with you one the F keys and home block, I also understand that's something that people might not prefer.

What I don't understand are the arrows. I've been using MB Pro daily for over 3 years now and I still regularly miss up/down arrows. I would never buy a device that merges them into size of one key as the MB Pro does, as well as this one.

[nine_k]

I'm a big fan of Thinkpad keyboards, too.

But am I the only person considering a split ergonomic layout with thumb clusters, to give your pinkies some rest? The touchpad could live between the keyboard halves, and never be touched by mistake.

I wonder if that could be an option.

[croh]

haha fn on extreme left. are you kidding?

[Liskni_si]

Fn position is obviously configurable. I have ctrl/fn swapped, but plenty of people don't, and that's fine. (And then plently of people have ctrl on capslock, which is also fine. I couldn't get used to it.)

[m463]

I think if you could buck the "flat thin keys" trend you would probably develop lots of customers for life.

Thin and flat has nice visual appeal, but I think you should approach it from a tactile direction.

My ideal keyboard would have a little extra throw, and they keys would be sculpted to match the curve of your fingertips for comfort and to help you center on the keys.

I think the thinkpad keyboards were favorites for a reason.

[tomtheelder]

No buttons is clearly the logical choice. I can't imagine it would be worth building a three button version to satisfy that miniscule niche.

[accelbred]

Are they mechanical keys?