ThinkPad External Keyboard Survey: Just Your Type?
For many years we have offered two versions of what has generally become known as the ThinkPad external keyboard. I wrote a post about this offering quite some time ago. Personally I really enjoy using this keyboard. I own the version with the number pad. I don’t use the number pad much, but I like the overall product proportion better. I’m also not a really big fan of mice (long live TrackPoint) , and prefer the feel of a ThinkPad keyboard to the more traditional desktop versions. Lately we’ve been thinking about how we might improve these keyboards for future releases. It would be great if you could take this survey and help us understand our next steps. Thanks in advance for the help.
If you want to buy these keyboards they are on sale right now. Yes we already make them!!!
ThinkPad Full-Size UltraNav USB keyboard (with numberpad)
ThinkPad Travel UltraNav USB keyboard (without numberpad)
EDIT: Just to give a feel of what these keyboards look like in person, we shot a quick video with some hands-on action.
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
December 17th, 2008 7:10 pm
We use them for Point-of-Sale Deployments.
The personnel loves them. Extremely small, everything you need, good feel, etc.
I especially like the choice between Cli err TrackPoint and TouchPad. I use both.
December 17th, 2008 7:13 pm
A little birdie told me there is a 10% off coupon code for these that runs until the 31st.
USPTVSU10
December 17th, 2008 7:16 pm
Why not picture the excellent Lenovo “Travel” USB Keyboard, which is like a ThinkPad keyboard? It’s wonderful, and I use one on a T61p and a second one on a T43p, both with laptops closed and external big monitors.
One problem, though: the current Lenovo driver for the USB keyboard offers to selectively disable either the TrackPoint or the touchpad, but it won’t really disable the touchpad. Having the touchpad active means that one’s thumb can trail near it and move the cursor without meaning to while typing. It would be great to fix this Lenovo driver so that the (useless) touchpad and its second set of buttons on the USB Travel keyboard could really be disabled.
(This is observed on T61p and T43p, both running WinXP fully updated and with latest Lenovo updates.)
For a new design, consider leaving off the touchpad entirely, and including just the TrackPoint and its buttons. Anyone who wants a TrackPoint external keyboard probably isn’t using that touchpad anyway. (Cf. X200).
Apart from this one (big) irritation, the USB Travel Keyboard and a big external monitor are a very nice way to use a docked Thinkpad, because the external keyboard is just about the same as the internal laptop keyboard, but all the parts can be arranged to be ergonomically comfortable.
December 17th, 2008 7:36 pm
Great thing you are asking. I currently use the Apple wireless keyboard with which I am reasonably happy. I would be immensely happier if you folks manage to have a trackpoint and the traditional key feel you are known for in the same format as the Apple Wireless. To wit: thin, small, no numeric keypad and wireless — bluetooth, not any other variety. Oh yeah, no palm rest as we are shooting for small.
December 17th, 2008 8:08 pm
I neglected to be more explicit when I mentioned in my post above that not only I wouldn’t care for a palm rest, but absolutely no trackpad please! If you are paying for a keyboard with trackpoint then very likely youare doing it because you dislike trackpads. There are other manufacturers that make small keyboards with trackpads but only you folks can make a good one with a trackpoint.
December 17th, 2008 8:22 pm
I own three of these USB ultranav keyboards (2 regular and 1 travel). I actually hate them from time to time. The keytouch feel and overall production quality of them are simply no match of real Thinkpad keyboards. But since I am so addicted to the trackpoint, I don’t have a choice. If you can solve these issues and add wireless to it, I will buy another three instantly.
Oh I also have to say that I don’t like the included touchpad. I think it is pointless to use the touchpad for a desktop since it is always inferior to a real mouse. Since you have to move your finger to use it, why not just the mouse? And it made the palm rest uncomfortable. Maybe it is just my own take, but I wish you can at least provide a version sans the touchpad.
December 17th, 2008 8:59 pm
I’ve been looking for a fine wireless keyboard for a long time, I’ve considered Logitech’s diNovo Edge (which I was going to buy in a few days until I found this survey) and Microsft’s WED keyboards; however, none of them fully addresses my needs. The DiNovo is too big and wastes space above a small touchdisk and Microsoft’s keyboards don’t have good pointing devices (they come with mice).
Actually the best form factor is represented by Apple’s wireless keyboard but it lacks a pointing device.
My perfect wireless keyboard would be as small as the Apple’s and would have a touchpad on the right side.
I also like the idea of large and multitouch touchpads in recent MacBooks so I wouldn’t mind having a similar one integrated into the external keyboard.
And of course bluetooth is absolutely essential – there is no other option.
December 17th, 2008 9:05 pm
And one more thing: backlight , please!
December 17th, 2008 10:41 pm
Another one
– the idea of a large touchpad – it could be as large as the numpad and also detachable like in MS’s SideWinder – this would also satisfy left-handed.
December 17th, 2008 10:49 pm
If you’re going to make an external keyboard to replicate the experience of the Thinkpad, then you need to include the touchpad — my touchpad/touchpoint use is about 75%/25% (the large multitouch touchpads are certainly of interest to me too). (BTW, these keyboards make great “in rack” keyboards for rack mount servers.)
I have the older IBM version of the external USB keyboard with separate numeric keypad — it is at least as good as the real Thinkpad keyboards. Don’t know about the more recent ones.
However, when I really want to get work done I switch to a really good “real” full size keyboard with full travel keys. To really improve the Thinkpad external keyboard you should keep the Thinkpad layout and key sizes and shapes, but pull out the stops on the keys — make it a REAL keyboard, not a straight duplicate of the Thinkpad keys (which let’s face it, have lots of limitations on their design that don’t have to be carried over to an external keyboard).
I don’t carry one around with me, so making it heavier, more solid, and much stiffer would be great to me. Also – I want large effective rubber feet on the keyboard and on the angle adjustment legs (the IBM version just has slick hard plastic legs and small rubber pads on the front edge of the keyboard — so with the angle adjusted, the keyboard has very little to hold it in place (it’s also light)). (With the keyboard flat it’s not so bad about moving since there are other small rubber pads along the back edge of the keyboard.) Palm rests are also a good thing to me.
I don’t have any interest in it being wireless, but wouldn’t necessarily turn it down.
December 17th, 2008 11:22 pm
I cherish my Trackpoint IV keyboard, an IBM Model M clicky keyboard with trackpoint mouse from the later 90s. This looks like a nice modern board, but I still wish you would bring buckling-spring back
.
December 17th, 2008 11:41 pm
i use the full-size USB trackpoint keyboard with my thinkstation D10 and wouldn’t want anything else… except for an improved model, of course.
here are a few features i’d like to see included:
- use an NMB keyboard from a thinkpad (X300, perhaps)
- make it so the keyboard can be replaced with the above NMB keyboard when keys wear out
- give the keys the X300’s low-wear coating
- do not make wireless the only option (i prefer USB, especially with the thinkstation)
- make it work equally well with a thinkstation and a thinkpad (and release specific, full-featured drivers for each so that most or all Fn keys work)
- give it a built-in 2-port USB 2.0 hub
December 18th, 2008 12:25 am
One thing.. Windows key.. plz.. would get this in a heartbeat. Backlighting would be nice too..
. Has to be wireless.
December 18th, 2008 12:40 am
[...] commenters have pointed out, it’s probably on Flickr because it was posted on Lenovo’s Design Matters blog today. That’s not to say we wouldn’t take a wireless version of this bad boy in a [...]
December 18th, 2008 1:41 am
Something that many people seem to miss about compact keyboards (like the travel version of the Ultranav) is how they are actually quite ergonomic. Check out this keyboard: http://www.evoluent.com/kb1.html
A good number of people prefer laptop-style keyboards, and Thinkpads have the absolute best available. I really think the Ultranav keyboard could be a huge hit if it was refreshed. Drop the price ($100 for a wired keyboard is *insane*, even with the touchpad/trackpoint) and add a Windows key!
December 18th, 2008 1:47 am
Make a bluetooth version of the one with the trackpad (hate the nipples) and i’ll be in heaven
December 18th, 2008 2:04 am
adding Wireless and backlight version would be very nice.
no touchpad, please. I just see no point of moving hand that much but get less productivity than using external mouse when considering as ‘external keyboard.’
If prefer using touchpad, why would you guys want any extra keyboard around?
December 18th, 2008 2:08 am
I like the design. However I would love the design if the keyboard had
a Windows key or button
Back lighting
Wireless and USB with a hub.
December 18th, 2008 2:15 am
Hey Dave,
I tried to e-mail this to you personally, but can’t find contact information for you.
I only have six blogs on my RSS. I constantly prune the list so that I don’t spend too much time on blogs.
Your blog is one of those six, but won’t be for long.
You’re obviously an incredibly talented person in a really great position. Your earliest posts were fantastic. I’m a die hard Thinkpad fan and I loved hearing your insights on design.
But now the blog is terrible, plain and simple.
Eight of the last 30 posts are about polls. Several more are about design awards. We know your products are great – we don’t need awards for that. Another is about how much other people like your blog. These days a post about putting a mustache on a thinkpad counts as substance.
Tell us about our favorite products and how you came to design decisions. Tell us about things you’re considering in the future. Show us how you’d apply the Thinkpad ethos to other products.
You have a captive audience of people who love your brand and want to love it more, but you’re squandering that.
That’s not to say that there aren’t a few gems here and there, but you’re batting .250 at best, and that’s bad for a blogger.
I mean this to be helpful and because I selfishly want to read a good blog like this used to be. I would have preferred to communicate it privately. I hope it helps.
Tynan
December 18th, 2008 2:44 am
I would suggest that if enough people feel the trackpad is a problem, a relocation could be viable. Keep the trackpoint and its buttons where they are, and perhaps move the trackpad over above the keypad. There is a large empty space there anyways, and this way, there wouldn’t need to be a palm rest (a palm rest could be a plastic attachment like desktop keyboards have). It is certainly an unconventional position, but a good majority of users reach for the mouse on that side anyways, and experimentation with different keyboards with integrated trackpads has shown that (at least to me) it is fairly comfortable in use. A problem I could see with this setup would be that for left handed people, it may feel awkward to use the right hand for mouse navigation. I am also unsure what kind of solution would be implemented for the compact version of the keyboard without the number pad.
Making the keyboard wireless would be a great way to reduce clutter on an office desk. In my opinion it should be an option, so that end users can decide which variation would best suit their needs. I would be perfectly willing to invest a bit more money for the wireless option, whereas security-minded users could opt for a wired version (wireless keyboards are still notoriously unsecure).
Finally, yes, a Windows key would be helpful. I know for a fact that it is a (small) nuisance on older thinkpads when I reach for the Windows key (say, for the minimize all shortcut) and I get the Alt key instead. The spacebar needs to remain at least as large as it is currently, though.
December 18th, 2008 2:54 am
I have The Keyboard (the one with numpad) both at work and at home. Simply love it. As Mac user I am mostly missing the windows keys to be able to map all Mac special keys nicely to keyboard. Mac driver to disable the TouchPad and enable middle button + TrackPoint scrolling would also be nice to have. Otherwise The Keyboard is just perfect in current form.
December 18th, 2008 3:19 am
I have UltraNav Travel. and want wireless version.
please~~~ ^^
December 18th, 2008 3:20 am
bluetooth version is better!!
December 18th, 2008 4:16 am
Longtime ThinkPad user and Dvorak typist here.
I own 3 of these babies (two with the num keypad and one without). But lately I’ve been preferring the new Apple keyboard. I didn’t like it at all at first, but I’ve come around to it completely. I think they have the right idea: minimize overall keyboard height and key travel, and put some empty space between keys (logical conclusion of tapered key profiles… reduces typos). But most importantly their design is ROCK SOLID, which really saves the typist’s energy (no energy is absorbed by the keyboard). Believe it or not this is significant… it is very easy to know when to stop with their keys. One can execute very light taps that are sure to be effective because one knows EXACTLY where the bottom is (no flex). This makes it possible to type very efficiently and quickly.
Many people like wireless but I prefer the reliability of hard-wired. The last thing I need is annoying failures to sync after waking from sleep, etc. (Is the battery dead? etc. etc.) And, while it’s nice to have cable management under the keyboard, this space must better employed in the service of a ROCK SOLID and/or SUPER THIN chassis. Instead, simply ditch the captive cable. Let us detach the cable and fold it up separately.
Oh, and whatever you do, do NOT put a windows key on it (and please take it off my W500).
thanks,
-Carl
December 18th, 2008 4:30 am
I have a couple of the num pad versions of this keyboard, while they look the same, the feel is not really what a Thinkpad keyboard feels like. I do use it still when docked with external monitor, a nice bonus is that it still has the t4x thinkpad layout without the annoying windows key.
December 18th, 2008 5:28 am
Is there any reason nobody is mentioning a “split” keyboard, like the MS natural pro?
December 18th, 2008 5:41 am
You really ought to move the Fn key to the top of the keyboard, since it mostly works only with the F keys. It’s awfully silly to rearrange more important keys for it. And please add a windows key and menu key. Those are standard keys, nowadays. Is your keyboard substandard, then?
Wireless connectivity would be nice. Especially if you innovated and included both wireless *AND* USB connectivity. It could charge and connect at the same time.
Also, build in a vertical (and possibly horizontal) scrolling device. Your scroll driver using the Trackpoint doesn’t work that well, and I doubt you’ll improve it for the keyboard. Stick to hardware, where you actually get things done.
December 18th, 2008 7:51 am
[...] has something up their sleeves since a photo of a new keyboard showed up in their Lenovo’s Design Matters blog today.. This one looks like an obvious render but this particular computer peripheral is thin and [...]
December 18th, 2008 9:49 am
2 wishes:
1) make the current UltraNav wireless.
2) offer a wireless version of X40 type keyboard, i.e. like UltraNav, trackpoint only, no trackpad.
Underlying all that, do NOT make a mushy keyboard…more tactile feel, the better.
December 18th, 2008 10:38 am
I own three USB UltraNav keyboards (two fullsize, one travel), and I like them a great deal, HOWEVER, I do think they are too lightweight. I’ve added some weights (metal fender washers, actually) to mine to keep them from easily wandering around my desk. The adhesive used on the rubber feet is also quite weak, and should be replaced with something stronger. None of my keyboards made it a year without loosing one or both of the front bottom corner feet.
I think a wireless version would be quite good for HTPC applications. I know I’d certainly give it some serious thought if it were available. You’d need to leave a wired version in production as well, tho.
Above all else, the feel of a proper ThinkPad keyboard must be preserved.
I’m also a fan of the old bucking spring keyboards (now produced by Unicomp). I have their trackpoint keyboard (the EnduraPro), and I like it. I stopped using it for one simple reason…it’s trackpoint was 2 button only. If that keyboard had a 3 button trackpoint and forward/back buttons with the arrow keys, it would be perfect.
December 18th, 2008 10:38 am
All, I just updated this post to include links to our web page where you can buy these keyboards. They are both on sale right now with a significant discount. Hopefully those of you who did not know we make them and are intrigued will buy one. Thanks!
December 18th, 2008 10:54 am
From my perspective the quality and layout of the keyboard are the only things that really matter. Extra buttons are of no concern (well, mute is something I use on notebooks occasionally, but I’d probably use it more often if it toggled the sound status with all the applications).
I don’t understand the logic of having the touchpad when using an external keyboard (as opposed to trackpoint), but I might be biased because I never use it anyway.
I’d go with Eric’s suggestion that you don’t go wireless only if you add that feature.
If it’s wireless, plase make it compatible with bluetooth. Adding dongles is cluttering and just awful. I know that there are situations when it can’t be helped, but at least making it so that it’s not necessity would be good enough.
Please keep Windows keys far from it. (Personally, I have a number of type M keyboards, and switching to any external keyboard with Windows keys is out of the question, no matter how practical having a wireless option would be in some cases.)
December 18th, 2008 11:24 am
I have the current external ThinkPad keyboard without number pad. The concept is great but Laptop Mechanic is right, it is so flimsy and light weight it gets pushed out of place too easily on my desk and it feels flimsy to type on. Make it feel more substantial and I would buy the new one easily.
I’d also love it if there were some additional hotkeys that I could program with various macros in Excel.
December 18th, 2008 11:37 am
Hi,
I used this keyboard several months, but got back to my cheap OEM-Logitech-keyboard.
The typing quality and overall build-quality was just not that of a thinkpad. And when I’m typing faster on a X40-keyboard (with small Umlaut-keys) than that fullsize-keyboard, something must be wrong.
Also, the keyboard was looking fine when it arrived, but some weeks later all the keys were “blank”, it’s just not feeling got touching it.
Usually, I would have changed the keyboard, but they’re incompatible with the ones from thinkpads.
I miss the Trackpoint here, and I would switch to a Space Saver II-keyboard, but it’s nearly impossible to get them in Germany.
For me as a Linux-user, I was happy not to have the Windows-key, just more space for Ctrl and Alt.
So, what do I want? I would like to have a new Space Saver II-keyboard, available even in Europe.
Or the Ultranav-keyboard compatible with that from thinkpads.
Btw: the X300-keyboard is the best one I ever typed on.
December 18th, 2008 11:46 am
@David Hill:
I think the uniformly overwhelming request is for wireless version. Is it in the plan, and if so, timeframe?
December 18th, 2008 12:01 pm
Please make sure there won’t be input latency !
December 18th, 2008 12:26 pm
HCI (Human Computer Interface) is one of the key differentiate factors in computer hardware these days. The Thinkpad keyboard and Trackpoint are already best-of-class, but can still be improved to meet ever-changing modern needs.
1. The TrackPad should be made multi-touch.
2. The TrackPoint should get 3D mouse capabilities.
I’ll expand on point 2…
Enhancements could be made to the TrackPoint making it a 3D mouse by integrating additional axes of control such as pan, zoom, rotate, and til – similar to the 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator.
This would be a significant productivity boost for anyone working with 3D programs like Google Earth or CAD, and could provide enhanced control over 2D programs like Photoshop (panning, rotation of images).
December 18th, 2008 2:16 pm
How do you guys decide on final design? This thing is beautiful, yet my Advanced Dock for ThinkPad t60p (so I can run dual monitors at work) is perhaps the ugliest piece of technology ever produced. (Maybe it’s a different group?)
I love this keyboard more than I loved the ‘butterfly’ keyboard on my original ThinkPad (which is still one of the greatest ideas in technology).
I’d add wireless and jettison the pad — if we’re spending for a TrackPoint, we likely don’t want the pad.
Great work!
December 18th, 2008 4:27 pm
I use the 1996 Trackpoint keyboard model @ work… I bought it used and its still going strong. I love the Thinkpad keyboard, but since I have one I’d never need a Travel Keyboard
I miss the old server rack sized ones; no numpad, but more importantly no UltraNav; I appreciate that you have to make your products appeal to the largest audience, but unfortunately, I consider a Touchpad (and the shape of the resulting keyboard) a dealbreaker.. I’d really love a brand-new low profile desktop keyboard… the model from 2001 or so is probably what I really want? lol… thanks anyway for everything trackpoint and thinkpad related, also, cat’s tongue > all other caps.
December 18th, 2008 4:51 pm
i bought one of these, it was awesome… but it turns out that it is missing the windows keys, so i returned it. wtf were they thinking? If they made one of these with IDENTICAL layout to the thinkpad t61p keyboard i’d buy it in a second, no matter the cost. but the fact that they left off the windows keys is mind bogglingly frustrating.
product designer #1: I have a great product idea, lets make an external version of our laptop keyboards, make the layout identical, it will selll like mad.
designer #2: great idea, but have you considered leaving off keys so that its *almost* identical, close enough make any thinkpad owner constantly bump the wrong key when looking for the windows key?
designer #1: perfect! lets ship it
December 18th, 2008 6:25 pm
@vitriolix: the external USB Thinkpad keyboards were designed several years back and they *do* match the then current Thinkpad keyboards perfectly — Thinkpads didn’t get Windows keys until the T60 series. Many of us here [me included] *hate* having the stupid Windows keys mess up the perfectly symmetrical (and nicely sized) ctrl/alt key configuration of the older Thinkpad series keyboards.
December 18th, 2008 7:00 pm
I love this keyboard and have been using it for about 5 years. I like the USB port which I use for thumb drives exculsively. I disabled the trackpad because it was always accidentally moving my cursor around. I use the volume up and down keys several times per day but the labelling is too small to be seen clearly, and they are the same shape.
December 18th, 2008 9:04 pm
I also own one each of the travel and full size external keyboards. I also bought them specifically because of the touchpoint, which I love using on the dekstop. I never use the touchpad, but might plug in a real mouse or a pen-tablet accessory from time to time. The travel keyboard is nice for right-handers because it lets such an accessory be nearer to the typing position. On the other hand, I like the full size version not in order to use the numeric keypad but because it is wider and sits comfortably on my lap, whereas the travel one is too narrow and requires clenching my knees together. I would probably prefer a travel layout with extended borders so it would sit on my lap, but have the typing area centered!
While I bought them for the touchpoint, I realized it would be nice to transition from desktop to notebook with the same key layout. However, the following caveat diminishes this effect:
I also want to complain about the lack of quality control. My two external keyboards have unpleasant feel and inconsistency between keys in the middle versus the periphery. I have to nearly pound on the periphery keys to make them register. This is in sharp contrast to the many Thinkpads I have used over the years, which have a very consistent and light touch and which I can type on for hours without fatigue or frustration (X20, X22, X24, X40, T40, T41, T42, X200).
December 18th, 2008 9:13 pm
I wish the alt key and the key to its left were slightly to the right so they would both be easier to access with the thumb.
If you add a windows key, please make it the same size as ctrl and alt. Since alt and the key to its left need to be more to the right anyway, adding a windows key would probably work out well.
I wish I could remap the Fn key.
I own 3 of these keyboards, 1 with IBM logo, 2 with Lenovo logo.
The one with the IBM logo feels better and functions better than the other two. The last one I bought often does not detect a mouse press, even though I physically feel the trackpoint button clicking, it doesn’t do anything, I have to press hard for it to work.
Some of the keys also tend to twist a little bit and then start squeaking, if I twist them back, they stop squeaking. The one with the IBM logo never does that.
If you do design a wireless version of this keyboard, please continue selling a wired version as well. I would buy a wireless version for one computer (HTPC), but for all my other computers (home, office, lab), I want a wired version.
I really like the back/forward buttons above the arrow keys, but I wish they sent their own key codes instead of alt-left/right, so I could remap them.
December 18th, 2008 9:27 pm
oops, I meant Thinkpad logo, not Lenovo logo.
Also, I don’t care about the touchpad, as long as it can be disabled completely as it can be now.
The trackpoint and its 3 buttons are perfect as is with the included bowl tip.
Although it would be nice if the driver option to simulate mouse wheel by doing middle-button drag would just send standard mousewheel events to the system instead of trying to send scroll events to the current application (especially useless when using Synergy to control another computer).
It should also allow a normal middle-button press if you don’t drag (middle-button click to open links in new background tabs is a must!).
Thankfully linux allows me to simulate mouse wheel using middle-button drag perfectly and still allows regular middle-button click, so I just hook up the keyboard to a linux system and use Synergy to send the keyboard/mouse events to my windows systems.
December 18th, 2008 11:01 pm
To add to Dwight’s comment: …and some of us would be willing to pay extra just to have a current gen Thinkpad without Windows keys.
December 19th, 2008 2:18 am
Please give me an option to connect the trackpoint and keyboard to computer with two separate USB ports. Composite device does not with well with the dedicated keyboard USB port of USB KVM.
December 19th, 2008 3:51 am
I want one – WIRELESS!!!! Pretty please!!!
December 19th, 2008 9:48 am
[...] die Neuauflage des Keyboards einzureichen. Wer etwas dazu beitragen kann, sei über diesen Link auf den Blog verwiesen. Und kaufen kann man die Tastatur tatsächlich auch, nämlich [...]
December 19th, 2008 10:26 am
[...] commenters have pointed out, it’s probably on Flickr because it was posted on Lenovo’s Design Matters blog today. That’s not to say we wouldn’t take a wireless version of this bad boy in a [...]
December 19th, 2008 12:45 pm
[...] and now is your opportunity to share what changes you would like to see in this keyboard. Head over, take the survey, and post a comment! “Lately we’ve been thinking about how we might [...]
December 19th, 2008 4:58 pm
I use a IBM Space Saver II on my desktop workstation. I think this is the perfect style keyboard because it has a TrackPoint (w/ middle button) and a small overall footprint (no num pad). It is also raven black with red/blue accents so it matches things well. Further, because it has no touchpad it is less deep than the Ultranav boards.
I would like to see it go in one of two directions in the future.
Return to buckling spring. This is a superior IBM/Lenovo keyswtich technology and could serve as a differentiating feature in the market. I considered picking up an old model M, unfortunately the selection that suits my needs is limited. Most model M’s are white and lack TrackPoints (I find this very valuable as I keep my keyboard in a tray and the Trackpoint saves me several seconds on most tasks because I don’t need to leave the keyboard to move the cursor). The model M13 was just about perfect, however it is in very short supply, extremely expensive >$300 if/when it shows up on eBay, and does not have the center scroll button or winkeys (I do like win+R, win+D, win+E, and other shortcut combos). A modern buckling spring keyboard in black, with a TrackPoint and either with or without a numpad is something I would happily buy for my desktop or docking station.
The other alternative I would like to see is a wireless solution, preferably bluetooth. The SpaceSaver II (particularly the slightly reduced size USB model) would be the perfect keyboard for either a Home Theater PC or a cable less accessory to a ThinkPad. The small size, long range, and integrated pointing stick would make it superb for using from a couch or similar position as it fits perfectly on your lap. Current wireless keyboards are inadequate for this as the separate mouse and numpad makes them unwieldy for lap use.
I know it has been mentioned before on this blog that TrackPoint technology constantly drains a token amount of power and is thus not ideal for wireless devices. However, I think a charging dock for the keyboard and/or a sleep timer on the TrackPoint would be an acceptable solution to this problem.
Adding a bluetooth module to a Space Saver II is actually a project I am interested in pursuing myself. I have an extra USB (and also PS/2) Space Saver II keyboard that I would like to modify for bluetooth (or RF if need be) for use with my PS3 because my current Logitech cordless desktop is inadequate (too big, and too short of range). However, I have been unable to find any guides or resources online for making your own bluetooth peripherals (is this possible?).
December 20th, 2008 12:16 am
Thanks the author!
December 20th, 2008 9:18 am
I would love to see a wireless version so I can use the trackpoint with my HTPC. For a desktop workstation a numberpad is a must but for HTPC applications I would prefer the smaller one.
December 20th, 2008 10:55 am
I forgot one thing in the survey that’s been mentioned here in comments – please include Windows keys, at least the “Win” key. Context menu one is not that necessary. You could even mark them as “Special”, since they also function as “Command” keys in Macs.
December 20th, 2008 4:01 pm
Please add a Windows key, if only to be consistent with what’s on the notebooks (I mean, it needs to be a bold decision one way or the other). Amazon indicates major variations in quality of these, please look at that also. And have these ready in time for the T510 release! Pricing is high, if you lowered price a tad (but keep them expensive enough to make a good profit – e.g. Apple), more people would buy them and you’d make more profit overall.
December 20th, 2008 4:06 pm
Also: I think the wrist rest idea is stupid. All you need to do is do is exactly what Apple is already doing – take out the keyboard (and just the keyboard) and make it an external modular piece.
I *really* hope you don’t waste miles of desk space to fit a trackPad in there. The only people using those are ones ignorant of ergonomics and they would be sticking an external mouse into the system regardless. Again, also look at Apple – they have the best trackpad in the business and still saw enough sense not to actually stick it underneath their keyboard.
Lastly, take it upon yourselves to make intelligent design decisions and not be too driven by (what can often be poorly described, mine included) customer opinions. If Apple took that route they’d be dead right now. You’re more Apple than HP or Dell, it’s your distinctive trait, push the envelope on your own terms instead of bending over too much when thinking about how to design your next products.
December 20th, 2008 11:38 pm
Offer a version without a TrackPad, get rid of the Windows keys. If you make a wireless version, including a tuner so that I can use the same keyboard on multiple computers would be nice.
December 21st, 2008 12:24 am
Make it (low latency) wireless, get rid of trackpad, win keys and fn key (or at least switch fnkey’s position with ctrl), keep your excellent build quality, bundle with well designed wireless low latency mouse and I will be your client once again.
December 21st, 2008 9:21 am
I own the version without numpad, and I like it a lot. However, I’d suggest you drop the “previous page” and “next page” grey keys as they are useless (and even occasionally annoying).
December 21st, 2008 11:50 am
Make it (low latency) wireless, get rid of trackpad, win keys and fn key (or at least switch fnkey’s position with ctrl), keep your excellent build quality, bundle with well designed wireless low latency mouse and I will be your client once again.
December 21st, 2008 1:19 pm
Exchange trackpad for wireless, please. I am willing to pay premium for quality products
December 22nd, 2008 7:32 am
Please remove all windows crap keys , and the trackpad and put in a wireless adapter (pheraps even bluetooth is ok).
I will buy it for sure.
December 22nd, 2008 2:53 pm
wow, you guys really want to lynch the poor lil trackpad! some of these comments are worse than the emacs vs vi flames
cant you just disable it? differnt people have different prefernces. an external keyboard is likely to be used by your guests who might better off with a trackpad (or too ignorant as some of you would put it)
Maybe lenovo should offer one without a trackpad but i suspect these comments are more of a vocal minority.
December 22nd, 2008 3:26 pm
It would be great if you had a version with a detachable (or simply separate) number pad; it sometimes comes in handy.
And, well, ditch the trackpad.
December 23rd, 2008 3:40 pm
pixelfairy: it’s a matter of price. Cost of trackpad may be similar to cost of bluetooth chip.
This way product gets much better but price tag stays on the same level. Win-win situation – for Lenovo and for customers.
December 23rd, 2008 4:48 pm
Personally I mostly use some of these “IBM SpaceSaver II” keyboards here…
http://www.kyrsoft.com/hardware/hardware.html#keyb
…since they are of much better build quality than the above Thinkpad like keyboards, do need less space and since I don’t like touchpads at all.
Things I would like to see for renewed ThinkPad Travel USB keyboard versions would be:
- better overall build and key quality
- keys with no-wear coating and lettering
- no touchpad, a trackpoint is all one needs
- a better, reworked and more ergonomic palmrest area
- a separate free placeable numberpad (so I can place this where I want and only use it if needed)
- beside USB also wireless bluetooth versions
- adjustable backlighting (see the Logitech Illuminated keyboard)
- it should be usable for various desktop computers too
- more flexible usable software drivers, especially for a trackpoint working in cooperation with external mices
December 23rd, 2008 6:50 pm
@vkyr: if the devices show up as seperate pointing devices any modern gui will just detect and use them unless you specifically tell it not too.
so far it looks like a keyboard with detachable palmrest/trackpad and detachable numberpad. the illuminated keyboard would be great for projectors / home theaters.
December 25th, 2008 5:43 pm
The ideal external keyboard would be one that accepts standard Thinkpad T6x replacement keyboards. the existing Lenovo Travel keyboards just do not reproduce the feel of an Alps or original NMB keyboard. and no touchpad, get rid of that.
December 25th, 2008 7:21 pm
Please consider standardizing the keyboard. Add a Windows key and reposition the Fn & Ctrl keys. I would buy one. Corded is fine.
December 27th, 2008 1:58 am
Release a wireless edition of 8835/8845 ?
This is what I desire ?
December 27th, 2008 12:26 pm
Could do with out the trackpad. I would prefer to keep it usb as it would just be hooked up to my dockstation.
December 28th, 2008 6:32 pm
It is unbelievable that all these windows people think that windows key is somehow a standard now … what standard is it ? If that crap is everywhere these days it doesn’t yet make it a standard. Given the way Lenovo is moving, there will likely be a windows key and “Content menu?” key which I never understood, but given all the international layouts is it really that hard to keep the optional original layout keyboard, with large ctrl and alt keys, on both ultranav and thinkpad. And in case you decide to do that, a trackpad free panel would also be very nice. Thank you.
December 28th, 2008 6:38 pm
Phil, great idea by the way, some kind of a “KeyDock” that accepts thinkpad keyboard and an “optional” trackpad module and maybe a wired/wireless switchable module would be amazing. Some extra weights to add would also be nice.
December 29th, 2008 11:19 am
Have had almost all versions since the M13 raven black version from the mid 90’s. the newest usb ultranav travel keyboard might not be the sturdiest but it gets the job done nicely.
Take the keyboard up to T40/60 NMB quality level, add bluetooth, loose the touchpad, add some weight for sturdiness and put on some decent rubber feet, and that would be the perfect keybord for a lot of years to come.
If the new apple wireless travel keyboards didnt have a different keyboard layout than the thinkpads im used to, i would have bought that in a second…
January 1st, 2009 10:44 am
I own one Travel UltraNav USB.
The good: its size is perfect for in most bags, it’s USB, it has a trackpoint, it is flat, and it has the same layout as the ThinkPad keyboards. Oh, and it comes with a very nice protective sleeve.
The bad: keys that grind against eachother, and an inconsistent feel. It has the look of a ThinkPad keyboard, but certainly not the feel.
My initial UltraNav USB was replaced by the supplier, who acknowledged that it was bad quality. The replacement, while better, is still not as good as the keyboards in ThinkPad computers.
January 2nd, 2009 9:56 am
I completely agree with Anon646 and MarceloR. To cite Anon646: “Anyone who wants a TrackPoint external keyboard probably isn’t using that touchpad anyway.”
Don’t try to please everybody because that’s usually not possible.
January 2nd, 2009 10:08 am
I have the unit with the number pad.
Three major disappointments:
1. The rubber feet comes off. Repeatedly.
2. The unit felt light and flimsy. Even with the feet attached it slid around my desk enough to be annoying. The while unit flexes when I am typing on it.
3. The keycap lettering wears off quickly – like those on my thinkpads.
I would not buy another in a hurry. Unfortunately.
January 5th, 2009 1:27 am
[...] commenters have pointed out, it’s probably on Flickr because it was posted on Lenovo’s Design Matters blog today. That’s not to say we wouldn’t take a wireless version of this bad boy in a [...]
January 5th, 2009 9:41 am
What about this keyboard? How much will it cost? http://gizmodo.com/5123151/len.....-the-block
January 7th, 2009 7:30 am
Yeah! Not only the red stripes are back – but also the different shade of grey for the function/extra keys!
I really like that! But just one question: Does that mean that those two things will make a comeback on regular ThinkPads as well? I know that the stripes are already on the X and SL series. But I hope they will return for the other series as well, and of course also the grey keys!
January 7th, 2009 9:23 am
Klaus. here you can find a better picture: http://cache.gawker.com/assets.....entre2.jpg
January 7th, 2009 12:10 pm
Believe it or not….this wireless/trackpoint subject is the reason why I signed up for updates on this blog and is the reason why I continue to follow it. There are are so many users out here who started out on a thinkpad who love the trackpoint and are waiting for a good wireless/trackpoint keyboard ….but the USB ultranav keyboard doesn’t really cut it. What good is a travel keyboard it you must mess w/ a USB cord? When IBM finally sells a wireless/trackpoint keyboard….I’ll buy a couple right off the bat for work and home.
They better hurry though…..the wireless keyboard I currently use has me learning how to use touchpad w/ scroll. For the same money, I bought this keyboard over the ultranav USB…wireless was the deciding factor. Sorry Lenvo…if you don’t hurry it up…more users are going to go this direction. (http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-W.....amp;sr=8-6)
January 7th, 2009 2:55 pm
just spent an hour looking for a keyboard that is 1) wireless, 2) trackpoint…nothing exists. trackpoint keeps your fingers on the home keys, thus speeding computer interaction. rechargeable would be nice too. if logitech made a rechargeable dinovo with trackpoint i would buy it in a heartbeat irregardless of price…i still may try the dinovo out if no other alternatives…need something to use with my new 25″ touchsmart…a truly revolutionary machine unto itself…but it comes with a wireless keyboard and separate wireless mouse.
January 8th, 2009 12:49 pm
I’ve been using the Space Saver II Keyboard for years. New ones are getting harder to find, so I bought a spare a few months ago.
The Space Saver II has an incredible advantage over your current ThinkPad keyboards: It is much more compact, thanks to no Touchpad (just trackpoint), no numeric keypad, and minimalist design.
Please make a USB version of the Space Saver II.
A wireless Space Saver II would make a killer media center keyboard.
I just found this blog post, and your survey has apparently expired.
January 13th, 2009 6:10 pm
I didn’t see the survey in time, but please read my comment nonetheless?
First, a few /essential/ things.
1. All of us spend 80+ on the ThinkPad keyboard because we love the tactile/auditory feel. However, the external version is not nearly as good as on my T43. It’s a step above the standard keyboard, but it’s unacceptable that this keyboard is advertised as an external ThinkPad keyboard while having such relatively poor keys (see Amazon reviews, this seems to be a pretty consistent response).
2. The trackpoint is a must. The keyboard cannot be advertised as an external ThinkPad without it. I don’t mind the touch pad, but i wouldn’t mind if it were eliminated to make a more compact keyboard. However, I would much appreciate if the bottom edge of the keyboard could be made straight. This would make it much easier to store away. That said, I do appreciate that the keyboard does extend a bit at the bottom for it makes a convenient palm rest.
3. Windows key: The Windows key is essential for me. I launch all my programs using the Run box which is conveniently brought up using Windows + R. I also use Windows + E, + D, and + Shift + M. If the Fn key remains, there isn’t enough room for a Windows key and just provide a keyboard customizer utility to remap the right Alt to be a Windows key. If the Fn key is done away with, I think there is enough room on the bottom left to include a Windows key in the standard location.
4. I like the current location of the Ins/Del/Home/End/PgUp/PgDown array of keys as well as the arrow keys+browser keys. It makes for a much more compact layout and I can reach all the keys much faster. Please do not change this portion of the layout.
Now a few optional things that would be nice, but I don’t really find essential.
1. It would be nice if the keyboard were wireless.
2. A USB 2.0 hub would also be nice, but considering all the now standard presence of USB ports on the front of cases, it’s not all that necessary.
3. Lighting would also make for an awesome looking keyboard, but with the two ridges on the F and J keys, I don’t really need to see the keyboard.
4. A detachable NumPad. I really like the NumPad when entering data, but I don’t use it that often. It would be nice if I could save deskspace by putting it away when I don’t need it.
January 14th, 2009 6:58 pm
So my thinkplus keyboard with ultranav and numpad arrived today.
The key action is nice, but still not as good as I remember from my old thinkpad R50 (I have an X300 arriving in a week or two, so I’ll be sure to compare the two). There is a slight mushiness to the keys, which I attribute to the flex in the keyboard.
I think the missing element is the lack of a metal backplate. I haven’t tried the new perforated backplate keyboard on current thinkpads, but I think that the thinkplus keyboard needs more support in the middle. Maybe even something as simple as adding a third rubber foot in the middle might reduce the flex and improve the tactile response.
Other than that, it is quite a nice keyboard, only not up to par with the real article. Lack of Windows key is a little disappointing (since all current thinkpad models ship with the Win key anyway), but I remapped the ScrlLck key to Win key in the registry. There are some nice touches, though, like the trackpad being recessed just enough that you don’t brush against it when typing. Two thumbs, and looking forward to even better versions in the future.
January 15th, 2009 2:48 pm
So, after a day of using the thinkplus, I have decided to return it.
The main culprit is input lag. When I break 80+wpm, it becomes obvous that the output from the keyboard is not keeping up with me. It’s still catching all the keystrokes, but the on-screen display lags my input, making it hard to catch typos. And gaming is of course absolutely impossible on the keyboard.
If I leave the keyboad idle for a while, it also seems to take longer than usual to register keystrokes.
A similar problem seems to afflict the latest das keyboard: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=909
On top of that, the key action is not very good at all. Some of the smaller keys are very fussy about registering – Ins, Home, PgUp, PgDn, Arrow keys, and several other keys squeak when pressed. The keyboard also seems to be a bit fussy about how you press the keys. Unless I apply a force exactly perpendicular to the surface of the keys, it doesn’t always register.
I’m very disappointed that the keyboard did not live up to my expectations of it. A $130 list price keyboard emands perfection, yet the thinkplus is not even adequate.
On the bright side, my X300 has shipped, and I’m hoping it is free of these issues, as it will be used mainly for coding and writing.
January 24th, 2009 8:01 am
Here’s what, in form, a new keyboard design should be aiming for, perhaps not as radical with the mouse click buttons: http://type-in-style.com/
From what I understand the patent for the Trackpoint should be running out within a few years, are we going to have to wait for someone else to make a decent keyboard?
February 1st, 2009 5:17 pm
I have owned two of these and I love the feel and functionality. I found it really hard moving from the small displacement feel of the Thinkpad keyboard, which I love, to the larger displacement of standard desktop keyboards. I also like the compactness. And of course, I can’t do without the trackpad.
However, here’s a suggestion based on my experience: IMPROVE THE QUALITY!!!
These keyboards fall far short of Thinkpad quality. Specifically:
1) Both of them lost rubber feet due to poor quality glue, while they were still a few months old;
2) One of them has a left Trackpad button that is out of tolerance, requiring a hefty push to make electrical contact; it was like that since new.
February 4th, 2009 12:37 pm
Update to my comment 3 (17 Dec 2008) above: the driver problem of not being able to disable the touchpad on an external USB keyboard (with the aim of leaving only the TrackPoint working) has been FIXED by a Synaptics/Lenovo driver update available for download from Microsoft Update. (Curiously, the ThinkVantage periodic update check ran just a few days ago, and reported no new downloads relevant to my configuration; but I went to Microsoft Update and it suggested the correct driver update, which works. Maybe ThinkVantage’s scheme for detecting relevant updates needs examination?) The external keyboard (or any other TrackPoint keyboard) really only works correctly when the touchpad is disabled, so trailing thumbs don’t accidentally move the cursor while typing. Much better now.
February 8th, 2009 3:19 am
I don’t think the design of the keyboard could be made any better unless you got rid of the trackpad. I really think having it there takes away from the minimalist design.
Perhaps if people really need a touchpad, you can make the region a detachable module that dovetails into the keyboard, sort of like the thinkpad ultrabay. This can open up other possibilities like a detachable solid state drive, fingerprint reader, Windows sideshow display, etc.
February 11th, 2009 4:14 am
I think most HTPC user with thinkpad experience are waiting for wireless (bluetooth) version of this keyboard. X31/X41/X60 keyboards with rechargeable battery is enough. better with backlight.
February 13th, 2009 2:18 am
Here’s what I would love to see in the keyboard, in order of priority:
- Wireless (bluetooth)
- Improved build quality (same quality as laptops)
- Windows key (same layout as laptops)
- Remove touchpad
When are you planning on making and releasing this new and improved UltraNav? Not soon enough…
March 1st, 2009 7:21 pm
I have several external Thinkpad keyboards of the M4/PS2 variety. Personally, I think they’re still too big.
I’ve passed on the UltraNav Travel keyboard, because it has a touchpad and a palmrest, and I’ve read accounts that they keys just aren’t up to Thinkpad standards. If you must include those features, make them OPTIONAL – have the palmrest and pad break-away from the main keyboard.
Please, Lenovo, would you field-test your keyboards will real typists before you market them?
March 2nd, 2009 8:31 pm
So glad I finally found this blog! I’ve written to Lenovo multiple times about when an updated version of this keyboard might come out or if they’ve received other inquiries about the same features I’ve been asking for.
I’m with Charles and a few others regarding new features listed below. These are pretty much the only factors that have prevented me from buying multiple Thinkpad keyboards. I have an old IBM Thinkpad T43 and a Lenovo T61 and I love the keyboards!!
Here are the features I’d like to see in the next release:
- Wireless (bluetooth or 2.4GHz like Logitech has been using. This would work great for HTPCs, The XBOX 360 or Sony’s PS3)
- Improved build quality (same quality as laptops…read the reviews on Amazon)
- Windows key (same layout as laptops. This is a must since Windows isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and I’m sure a lot of us have gotten used to some of the Windows key shortcuts)
- Remove touchpad (Don’t care much for the touchpad, but love the TrackPoint…I never have to take my hands off the keyboard)
I hope the features above make it on the next version. If so, you have a buyer here ready to buy multiple ones for the office and at home.
Thanks!!
March 16th, 2009 3:58 pm
Please switch the FN and CTRL key positions. At least allow users to switch them in BIOS. This alone has stopped our firm from ordering hundreds of ThinkPads.
Allowing a BIOS switch would take your engineers 1 day of coding. The result would be thousands of additional sales.
Regards,
Brian W. Chung
SVP
SSARIS Advisors LLC
March 27th, 2009 1:39 am
I just bought one with the numpad to complement my thinkpad system. My experience with it in less than a week:
- The first keyboard I got had faulty Trackpoint buttons, the buttons must be press hard for it to register.
- So I went back for an exchange, the 2nd one (which I’m currently using), is better, but not without it’s faults. The right trackpoint button won’t register if you click it on the corner and the center scroll button need to be press with slightly more force than the others for it to register.
- And just yesterday, the “M” key suddenly became “squishy”, it still registers but when you hit the key, it feels like a stuck key, and it produces some sound when pressed.
For it’s price, I expected a keyboard without faulty buttons. And I hope Lenovo will improve the quality of it.
March 30th, 2009 12:44 pm
How do I add your RSS feed to my reader? I could do with a little beginners help
March 31st, 2009 7:22 am
I’m a little late for the survey, but my ideas to make the perfect external thinkpad keyboard:
1) Use the platform only to mount a standard-thinkpad keyboard, so you can replace the keyboard itself without buying a whole new unit.
2) Make it wireless via bluetooth and add a Micro-USB-port to allow quick attachment if the battery goes down (and also load it). Micro-USB because it’s supposed to be the future standard for any USB-device with active power (all mobile phone vendors plan to use Micro-USB for charging, will also be an EU-standard).
3) Make it smaller – drop the touchpad.
June 10th, 2009 10:30 am
Please add a windows key. The lack of a windows key is a huge hindrance for those who use keyboard shortcuts.
August 18th, 2009 9:24 am
[...] can also only hope that Lenovo has listened to the cry of its customers for a wireless version of this keyboard. It would be perfect for controlling my Lenovo powered home [...]
August 25th, 2009 3:22 am
Well I would be oh so very happy if Lenovo would get their act together and make this keyboard wireless.
If battery life is the problem, then:
- Put in a high power lithium rechargeable
- Improve your trackpoint technology
This keyboard will absolutely corner the market. All other wireless keyboards look like junk. Now, I made the same comment as above earlier, but my post was deleted! I’m sure it’s because I mentioned a different maker, so I won’t do that again. The good news is that this means someone is actually reading the comments!
Please get this keyboard released with wireless!!
September 2nd, 2009 1:27 pm
[...] in December of last year I posted a blog and related survey on Design Matters concerning our in market external ThinkPad keyboard. [...]
September 5th, 2009 3:39 pm
[...] Computers and Accessories, he turned to his blog for one source of his user testing. He used his blog to ask users what they thought of the currently existing line of products that IBM offered, and [...]
September 6th, 2009 8:53 am
[...] year when Lenovo’s UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it — there’s a new version in town, and it [...]
September 6th, 2009 9:10 am
[...] year when Lenovo’s UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it — there’s a new version in town, and it [...]
September 6th, 2009 12:42 pm
[...] year when Lenovo’s UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it — there’s a new version in town, and it [...]
September 6th, 2009 11:07 pm
[...] year when Lenovo’s UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it — there’s a new version in town, and it [...]
September 7th, 2009 1:36 am
[...] year when Lenovo’s UltraNav keyboard made a (re)appearance on Flickr because the company was soliciting feedback on how to make it better? Well check it — there’s a new version in town, and it [...]
September 9th, 2009 6:40 pm
can someone help me with drivers for the UltraNav PS2 travel keyboard i know my next gen desktop will not have PS2 ports
will the drivers pick up the keyboard if i use a PS2 to USB adapters or a USB port replicator that has PS2 ports
thank you
4theposter@gmail.com
September 9th, 2009 6:53 pm
can someone help me with drivers for the UltraNav PS2 travel keyboard i know my next gen desktop will not have PS2 ports
will the drivers pick up the keyboard if i use a PS2 to USB adapters or a USB port replicator that has PS2 ports
thank you
(4theposter@gmail.com)
November 24th, 2009 6:28 am
I bought 14 IBM Ultranav Travel keyboards (89P8500) off of ebay for ten bucks each new, enough for the rest of my life. These are PS2 with the keyboard that is the same as my IBM R52. I use a ZIO USB adapter, and these work great via USB on both my R52 and Z60T, and also with my two old destops, one of which is Windows 98se and the other XP. I use an Airlink USB 4-port KVM with no problem.
I do wish that I could shut the touchpad off on the external Ultranav as I can brush it accidentally on occasion, but some far I haven’t found a solution other than this. I experimented with putting something on top of the pad, and finally found some thin felt padding used for speakers and other things that is only about 1mm thick. I cut a piece out shaped like the pad, and used some thin glue-tape under it and now I have a disabled pad, though I had to make this just for one keyboard permanately.
I had taken the external PS2 Ultranav apart to see if I could just unplug the pad (it was a job to figure out how to take it apart properly), but when I did it disabled the trackpoint too, which I didn’t want. Remember that with so many new keyboards I am prepared to sacrifice one with my Frankenstein experiments.
My only wish would be for a switch to turn the pad on and off as everything else is just fine. I don’t object to the pad, as when standing and websurfing and not typing, it’s fine to use. I would never want a keyboard again that did not have a trackpoint. I also have two IBM marked M13 black TPII keyboards that I bought new off of ebay about 10 years ago for 30 bucks each, a gray/green IBM Industrial TPII M13, and a Unicomp M13 and Endurapro to boot. The Endurapro is functionally like the M13s, but the case is no longer of the same quality that the orginal M13s. The Endurapro does have the windows/menu keys which so many seem concerned about, but I would prefer to not have them given a choice.
It’s funny, I prefer the Cats-Tounge TP cap on the Thinkpads and the M13s, but on the external PS2 Ultranav I prefer the dome.
December 6th, 2009 10:23 pm
I don’t know If I said it already but …Hey good stuff…keep up the good work!
I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)
A definite great read..
December 27th, 2009 2:17 pm
I so want a wireless version of one of these. I have been looking and looking and looking and I simply cannot find the keyboard I want anywhere. This is exactly what I want – in a wireless version – and with the ability to disable the trackpad. There are no wireless keyboards in existence that have a trackpoint. None, zero, zippo. Are patents preventing this? Please Lenovo, give us one of these!
March 31st, 2010 3:11 am
Regarding the people having problems with the IBM PS/2 Ultranav keyboard, here is a fix I came up with:
1st of all, compiling the following info was definitely not easy, so please don’t take it for granted. A search on the internet will show that others have also had a hard time finding for a driver for this keyboard.
I went through a **LOT** of searching, and trial and error before I found a way to get around this issue of the hard-to-find driver for the IBM PS/2 Ultranav keyboard. Looking for the drivers for this keyboard was not straightforward, it was more like a rookie detective looking for vague clues, and stumbling around forever until I found something that worked.
A few key notes about the IBM PS/2 Travel Keyboard with UltraNAV, which led to finding suitable drivers:
The keyboard part number is 89P8500, and the model # is SK-8840.
A search on the internet shows that “IBM keyboard SK-8840″ leads to about 4 times as many hits than than “IBM keyboard 89P8500″.
The keyboard has “travel” in its name, but model # SK-8840 seems to be marketed more towards rack mounted console kits, not travel.
Looking for info about the rack mounted consoles (which include this keyboard) ended up being more helpful than just looking for drivers for the keyboard itself.
Now, about getting this Ultranav working:
Just a note about keyboard fuctionality (before driver installation):
1. The Fn + F4, Fn + F5 and Fn + F7 key combos, and volume up/down, mute buttons did not
need drivers, they worked fine right from the beginning.
2. The “Access IBM” button did not work, and the Ultranav application was missing in the mouse properties.
Loading the following drivers/programs fixed the missing “Access IBM” and Ultranav functionality.
Note:
I wrote the following step-by-step instructions while running on WinXP.
I have very little experience with Windows Vista and Windows 7, so I don’t know if these instructions (or drivers for that matter) will work for Vista or 7.
Install the Ultranav application:
1. Download the “Think/Travel USB Keyboard with UltraNav TrackPoint/TouchPad” driver:
(Yes, I know it says “USB”, don’t worry about that.)
Go here: http://download.lenovo.com/ibm.....02us13.exe
(note: The above link above is actually from this page: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/supp.....MIGR-60649, and it shows that the driver is for a USB keyboard, but it *WILL* also work on the PS/2 keyboard.)
a. Run the q2kyb02us13.exe file
b. Accept the license agreement
c. click “next”
d. make a note of the default file path that is displayed (or choose your own)
e. click “next”
f. click “finish”
2. Update the mouse driver:
a. Go to control panel
b. click “mouse”
c. click on the “hardware” tab
d. highlight the PS/2 compatible mouse
e. click “properties”
f. click on the “driver” tab
g. click on “update driver”
h. choose “No, not this time”
i. click “next”
j. choose “install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”
k. click “next”
l. click on “Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install”
m. click “next”
n. click “have disk”
o. click “browse”
p. direct it to the file path that you made a note of earlier, in step 1d.
(that directory should contain two files, which are named SynHid.inf and SynTP.inf)
q. click “open”
r. click “ok”
s. Verify that “Synaptics PS/2 Port Pointing Device” is displayed
t. click “next”
u. click “finish”
v. It will prompt you to reboot. A reboot at this point will activate the Ultranav
application.
Activate the blue “Access IBM” button (next to the Esc key on the keyboard):
1. Download the “IBM Keyboard (PS/2) with Integrated pointing device” driver:
Go here: http://www-947.ibm.com/systems.....nd=5000019
a. Unzip the “un_ps2_drivers.zip” file
b. Run any *one* of the three following files:
(any one of the folowing three will work, it is not necessary to run more than one.)
Setup.exe (it will be where you unzipped “un_ps2_drivers.zip”)
or
Setup.exe (in the “KEYBOARD” folder)
or
SKcoinst.EXE (in the “INF” folder)
c. click “next
d. It will prompt you to reboot. A reboot at this point will activate the “Access IBM” button.
Note:
During my testing, this Ultranav program worked with the keyboard plugged into the PS/2 ports on the motherboard, but did *NOT* work when the keyboard was moved to a USB to PS/2 adapter. Apparently, the Ultranav drivers do not recognise USB connected PS/2 ports.
When the keyboard is plugged into the USB to PS/2 adapter, the trackpoint and trackpad will work, but the Ultranav program doesn’t load on bootup.
March 31st, 2010 3:19 am
4theposter, I tried the PS/2 Ultranav keyboard using a USB to PS/2 adapter.
With that setup, the trackpoint and trackpad did work, but the Ultranav application and “Access IBM” button did not.