Switch Mode for Fn/Ctrl Keys: Follow-up
Thank you so much for all the comments we received about Switch Mode for Fn/Ctrl Keys.
Having this kind of user feedback is a gift.
We are moving forward on the most popular option, “enable swapping through the BIOS setup utility.” As you can see here, by changing the BIOS, you can enable the switch. The default is set at “Disabled”.
The BIOS screen: Fn and Ctrl Key Swap [Enabled]
We plan to offer this in all future ThinkPad models, including the over 10 models that we are currently planning. While we really regret that we were unable to use some of the great ideas that we received, such as a BIOS update for our current products or switching the Fn and Ctrl key caps, we will continue to keep these ideas in mind as we move forward. Thank you for your understanding!
November 4th, 2009 at 18:10
i really like this feature thank you
November 5th, 2009 at 01:30
I read this with very mixed feelings. It also leaves me with more questions than answers.
1) *WHEN* will this be available? It’s been 3 months since you first mentioned it, and people have been clamoring for it for years.
2) Do “Future” models include one I buy tomorrow, e.g. the ones it’s possible to buy already – X200, T500, T400(s)? What about the just released SL410/510?
3) Anything for the poor IdeaPad owners? (Not me, but I care on general principle).
If #2 is ‘no’, then I think Lenovo has made a grave error.
Just a few months ago, I bought my first laptop. It was a hard decision, and one of my biggest reservations about ThinkPad was the keyboard layout. I ended up deciding on the T400s because I prefered the newer keyboard/touchpad, and a not-insignificant factor in this decision was the fact that you had just made your blog post about considering the Fn-Ctrl swap. I was also excited about the Windows Enhanced Experience that was written about, since I was eager to get off of Windows Vista ASAP, since Lenovo was offereing the free upgrade.
Flash forward to today. I had to shell out a lot more than just media-mail shipping for this “free” upgrade to Windows 7, and it turns out it’s not possible for me to get the fully Enhanced Experience. Not even if I were to shell out more $$. And that doesn’t even include the fact that new owners can’t do a fresh install of Windows 7 and keep the EE. If you’re going to tell me that because I bought the shiny new model 5 months before the next set of models (supposedly for Jan/Feb 2010), I can’t get this extremely useful update, I think that’s unacceptable.
I picked Lenovo/ThinkPad because I’d heard your service was top-notch, that you cared about customers, and treated them well. If these are the kinds of corner-cutting, penny-pinching tricks Lenovo is going to play, then I’m incredibly disappointed. Many of the things I was excited about on this laptop will have been stolen from me (still waiting on the X18-M G2…, though that’s not Lenovo’s fault), but too many and I snap.
Unless I’m misinterpreting something, or I see some impressive changes, you’ve lost a customer. And not only me, but anyone who asks me for recommendations about laptops (many family/friends).
November 5th, 2009 at 02:26
So do “future” ThinkPad models means future versions of the existing T400/X200/W500/etc, or is this only new, forthcoming ThinkPads?
November 5th, 2009 at 03:50
This is great for all those people whom just joined the thinkpad family, but for old thinkpadder this is probably one of the features that is not going to be utilised.
But still more option is better than no option.
Kudo to Lenovo.
November 5th, 2009 at 03:51
THANK YOU!!
November 5th, 2009 at 07:18
Wait a second! There will NOT be a bios update for the current products? That doesn’t help me…
Guess I had my hopes up for nothing.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:53
Thank you! This BIOS option is critical to many users of thinkpads. I would have cancelled my order if I hadn’t see this blog. Several people said they cancelled their lenovo orders because of this; see http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T4.....td-p/36012.
November 5th, 2009 at 14:26
This is much appreciated. Thank you.
November 5th, 2009 at 14:33
I want it on my old T43 too. If BIOS update is not available, could you make it in a software like keyboard customize tool?
November 5th, 2009 at 15:15
Why not physically swap the location of the keys to match almost every other notebook on future products?
November 5th, 2009 at 15:17
Why can’t this be implemented onto older models? (Like the not so old T400)
November 5th, 2009 at 15:36
Hi there, nice addition but I don’t understand why you will not update the bios on older laptops, eg I have a ideapad s10e and I can not get used to this fn-ctrl key arrangement.
How difficult is to issue a new bios that gives you the option to change this?
November 5th, 2009 at 15:59
I know I’ve seen this somewhere before. It annoys me to no end when switching between two different notebooks. Heck, even my G15 gaming keyboard gets me sometimes (lower-leftmost keys are a separate group of “G” keys).
November 5th, 2009 at 17:23
Wonderful! I like this feature too!
November 5th, 2009 at 18:24
Why were you unable to produce a BIOS update for current models? This is worthless. Typical corporate decision: “it is a feature that people actually want – let’s make them upgrade to get it.”
November 5th, 2009 at 18:38
I really hope you will release an update for past T series. I own a T500 since june 2009 and love it but this “inversion” is a pain to me.
November 5th, 2009 at 19:07
Will the Fn and Ctrl Key Swap be available as a BIOS upgrade on current models, specifically the W700?
November 5th, 2009 at 19:36
Please make this also available on already sold devices as bios update. At least for current models (like the T500)
November 5th, 2009 at 20:40
Well, good news I guess, but why is Lenovo unable release a BIOS update for current products? Is there an explanation at least? Some of us at the community forum have been fighting for this feature for over a year.
November 5th, 2009 at 20:56
Great!
November 5th, 2009 at 21:45
why you are unable to put this on T61 for example?!
November 5th, 2009 at 23:19
Wait, your not offering this as an update to people who own Lenovo laptops like the previous R and T models?
November 6th, 2009 at 00:16
I’m really surprised it took so long for you folks to realize that this was a problem. When I first got a Lenovo laptop [X60 Tablet] I almost returned it out of frustration with the Function key. I did like every other aspect of the tablet, however, and eventually got used to it. I am now a Lenovo fan, but it almost didn’t turn out that way…
November 6th, 2009 at 00:20
i would love this feature on my Ideapad y530, so keep it coming guys, and dont forget about keeping slightly older laptops up-to-date!
November 6th, 2009 at 00:23
Why not make it available as a BIOS update? This shouldn’t be that difficult, and not doing so is a slap in the face to all your current customers…
If this is the kind of support for existing products that I can expect from Lenovo, I think my next laptop will come from someone else…
November 6th, 2009 at 00:37
Does anyone else find it funny and a bit ironic that the title of the previous post is “Good Design is for New Products”? As a user of a company provided Dell Laptop, and a personally owned Lenovo ThinkPad, I constantly find myself pressing the wrong button when attempting to use shortcut key combinations.
Lenovo recognized the flawed design and released a solution. Too bad this good design is only for new products.
Please let current owners flash their BIOS’s with this update too. I’ll be the first to test it on my T61.
November 6th, 2009 at 01:26
plain GREAT idea; too bad I can’t make it with my T41! I still have my T41 that performs greatly for my needs. Pkus point: I LOVE it’s NON panoramic screen size!… MOst softwares taking screen space vertically
My netbook’s 10″ is about HALF of my T41’s 14″ screen… Who sait we are ONLY watching movies on or laptops???
If it was THAT simple to switch panoramic versus classic display – as with the Fn and Ctrl keys….
Keep up. Lenovo!
I am saving-up for my next T400s… unless something even Better happens before X-mass?
November 6th, 2009 at 02:07
I must agree, this is a very helpful option, which I’m sure many are thankful for!!!
November 6th, 2009 at 02:32
At some point I’m sure I’ll own a ThinkPad with this feature, I can assure you I will leave it set at the default setting of disabled. Thats just me though :smileyhappy:
As I wrote previously; this can only be a big plus for Lenovo. As I said, I wont use it, but thankyou Lenovo for listening. KUDOS !
November 6th, 2009 at 03:39
Please provide this feature for existing models (T400s).
Without discussing if having Fn on the very left is a better layout (which might well be if you were just “inventing the keyboard”), i find that changing some well established layout is a really stupid idea…. we already have an unbearable number of absolutely stupid and unnecessary keyboad variations (think US,UK layouts and its variations) to keep adding new ones!
November 6th, 2009 at 03:55
You may have just won yourself a new customer. If I were to buy an x200 Tablet in the near future, would it have this option?
November 6th, 2009 at 05:20
is there any indicator if key swap enabled? maybe status led? or the key use a backlit?
November 6th, 2009 at 06:48
Of course they won’t offer it on everything, then they’d cut down on sales because you wouldn’t upgrade to a new model that let you do it. They have a vested interest to see you upgrade, so stringing you along with something like this is in their interest.
November 6th, 2009 at 15:18
Dear readers,
Forthcoming ThinkPads will have BIOS with the Fn and Ctrl Key Swap function. We expect the feature will be available in next gen products within a couple of months. It’s difficult to answer this more specifically, since this feature is currently in development phase.
November 6th, 2009 at 15:23
@Arimasa I realize you can’t furnish much in the way of details, but could you please explain why doing this is so difficult? Being a programmer, I’m having a lot of difficulty understanding why this task should take more than half an hour for anyone familiar with the code.
November 6th, 2009 at 19:26
I assume that part of the difficulty is in the wiring of laptop keyboards. IIRC, the Fn key is actually hardwired and slightly different from all the other ‘normal’ keys.
November 7th, 2009 at 09:20
Hi Lenovo,
thank you for the effort.
I was just wondering why only the new models should get this option, as it would be obvious that you could “correct” the borked keyboard layout in the first place, therefore not need the bios option !
On the other hand, my T500 would really need this kind of attention :>
It’s christmas soon, and I have been a good boy, please be generous with a fellow customer
November 7th, 2009 at 10:12
Tnank U! Thank U a lot!
I was waiting for that feature for 3 years. Now I’ll buy yr laptop.
November 7th, 2009 at 13:03
yamato please give full sized Ctrl key, or atleast provide it is as an optonal keyboard which can be selected at time of purchase. get rid of the windows keys and give full size keyboard
November 8th, 2009 at 22:18
I believe it would be too much work, time, testing and finally costs, to implement this for many past Thinkpad models too. For sure there are also a lot of internal BIOS and hardware differences etc. between older and actual Thinkpad model lines, which in turn would make an implementation for all (including past Thinkpad models) then an overall complex task.
Thus I would more realistic expect to see this Fn/Ctrl key switch mode BIOS function started to be implemented for actual and future products. With an emphasize here also on *actual* products.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:53
Could you explain why you are (regretfully) unable to offer a BIOS update for existing models?
November 11th, 2009 at 01:40
I wish some company started making LENOVO-compatible keyboards where Fn and Ctrl are swapped with each other…
Will LENOVO make this BIOS available for the models they are CURRENTLY making, such as, e.g., ThinkPad X200?
When will this new BIOS be available?
My X200 tablet is just sitting under the desk, waiting for this BIOS update (or to be sold)
November 13th, 2009 at 04:12
Too bad… I need a new computer soon, so I can’t wait for Lenovo’s next revision of laptops. Maybe my next-next computer will be a Lenovo.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:06
Thanks for this improvement. But i really like the current ‘Fn Ctrl’ key position. It’s really useful especially when my eyes are too busy to look for keys…
November 13th, 2009 at 21:44
Another long-time programmer who has been waiting for this option for years. I’ve become accustomed to the extra mental hassle of first placing my finger on the Fn key, then sliding it inwards to the Ctrl key, each and every one of the hundreds of times I use a Ctrl + key combination over the course of a day’s work, but it’s a constant little annoyance and internal mental distraction. Man, have I been waiting for a way to switch those keys.
While I’m taking the time to post this, let me also express my surprise to learn that there are a good many people who prefer the Fn key at the outside corner. It seems to me that almost everyone must use the Ctrl + key far, far more often then the Fn + key combination.
November 19th, 2009 at 08:39
I love fn ctrl! One thing is the placement of the fn key itself, very easy to find without looking when activating the thinklight or when I’m walking past my pc and want to put it to sleep (due to the space between F4 and F5, fn+F4 is almost as easy as fn+Page Up). The other thing is having the ctrl key moved far enough to the right that I don’t have to bend my wrist to hit it. I have very small hands, and from the usual touch type position I can reach ctrl simply by bending my pinky, while using middle finger for X or index finger for C/V. Hitting ctrl on a lesser computer (with the ctrl-fn layout) requires bending my wrist uncomfortably (and making C/V unreachable to that hand) or pulling my hand closer to myself and really stretching the fingers apart to hit ctrl + V with the same hand, both techniques dramatically reduce typing speed.
Dan, as you see, even though I use ctrl far more often than fn I still prefer the fn ctrl layout as it makes ctrl more easily accessible to me from the touch type position, while fn is the easiest key to find when not touch typing.
(Now if someone could provide a tall male scandinavian with hands of a proportionate size instead of something that looks like they belong on a 13-year old girl I would be willing to consider going ctrl-fn
November 21st, 2009 at 23:58
DO YOU NOT VALUE YOUR CUSTOMERS AT ALL?!?
PLEASE MAKE A BIOS UPDATE AVAILABLE FOR ALL MODELS! IMMEDIATELY!
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:06
It’s not nice you are not releasing a BIOS patch for this. My T500 is 1 month old, I am not buying a new laptop for this.
Please, make it a BIOS update or at least build it into the Windows software.
Please.
November 27th, 2009 at 05:28
PLEASE provide an update for atleast the last generation (t500) thinkpads.
December 5th, 2009 at 05:28
What’s the use in doing this for all new Thinkpads what about the one I have just bought which has the CTRL key stupidly deprioritised for the Fn key – if the reason is what the blogger above said viz that he can walk past his computer and put his “thinklight” on or something that is just silly compared to how much the CTRL key is used. Lenovo I am not impressed. Apple here I come – one of these days…
December 6th, 2009 at 10:48
New owner of of Y550, Dec 2, 2009. Hope you offer an update for this problem. Otherwise I really like it.
December 8th, 2009 at 04:34
I hope they do made this an update for older systems. I can’t be that hard to do. Or at least someone please hack the bios with this change.
December 20th, 2009 at 04:11
Would it be possible to integrate this on older models?
December 21st, 2009 at 11:55
Guys, here man create a way to swap fn ctrl on IdeaPad (Y550). Test it gogo!!
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Id.....220#M16501
January 5th, 2010 at 19:41
I just got a Lenovo T61 laptop at work, and I just can’t stand it! I press the wrong buttons all the time.
Please make an update to all previous models so that we can swap Fn and Contol into their proper places. Thank you.
January 7th, 2010 at 07:04
I think the only possible solution is described here
http://forum.notebookreview.co.....p?t=272046
I will try something like this to my SL500.
January 8th, 2010 at 06:55
This should be enabled by default or even better – have the physical keys placed properly.
You are the ONLY manufacturer that has this wierd layout, admit that you made the wrong decision some years ago and correct it. You are teaching your users the wrong layout and you are loosing customers who are trying thinkpads for the first time.
January 12th, 2010 at 00:21
I’ve resolved the problem for Lenovo IdeaPad Y550. See this forum topic:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Id.....d-p/184220
I think I can modify BIOS for other Lenovo laptops too.
Also owners of other Lenovo models can try Sharpkeys utility to remap FN and CTRL keys (http://sharpkeys.codeplex.com/)
Some Lenovo Y450 owners say that this utility did the trick for them.
January 12th, 2010 at 08:45
Does anybody know, if the Thinkpad Edge 13 have the BIOS tweak to swap the Fn and Ctrl keys? Thanks.
January 13th, 2010 at 05:37
Great news that you are finally putting this in!
It would be VERY useful to prospective customers if you could tell us when the laptops with the bios update will be available so that we know what to buy
January 15th, 2010 at 04:41
Please provide for all laptops. I bought a W500 two month ago and the ctrl. key at the wrong place drives me crazy!
January 20th, 2010 at 03:44
Just bought a t400s and this option is apparently still not available, at least on that model.
February 3rd, 2010 at 16:46
At the moment I’ve resolved FN-CTRL problem for the following Lenovo laptops:
IdeaPad Y550: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Id.....d-p/184220
IdeaPad Y450: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Id.....d-p/198369
ThinkPad T500/W500: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-.....d-p/199664
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T4.....d-p/199662
February 3rd, 2010 at 22:29
Why do you disrespect your old, loyal customers by not providing this to all models?