Thinkpad USB Keyboard 55Y9003: YAY or NAY?

[cy630]

Is the current wired Thinkpad USB keyboard Model #55Y9003 any good?

I've sifted through dozens of reviews by people who swear up and down that:

A) They've used Thinkpad's their entire life and with the exception of the case being light it's as good as you're going to get.

AND

B) They've used Thinkpad's their entire life and not only is the case light it types nothing like a Thinkpad keyboard.


So... I think what everyone agrees on is the case is light But is the typing experience that far off? Would you be better off going with something like a Siig Aluminum? On one hand scissor switches are a dying breed - and there are very, very few keyboards anymore that use these (I'm not a fan of chiclet). On the other hand $55 is a lot of money to gamble on something being good.

I live in Illinois and the biggest keyboard warehouse near me is Fry's and they do not have it - though they do have the Siig Premium. I tried that keyboard and it seems high quality but there doesn't to be enough 'springyness' and the switches need a bit more distance.

Any help anyone can impart can be appreciated!

[ZaZ]

I recently bought one and thought it the construction was a bit flimsy.

[lead_org]

I got two of them. I have to say having used the new ThinkPad USB compact keyboard that uses the 6 row design, the old ThinkPad USB keyboard isn't that particular good in terms of typing. It is far too light, and the keyboard tactility is pretty poor.

[yak]

This keyboard is basically a case for a T400s/Tx10/Tx20 keyboard so the key mechanism/travel is the same. I even replaced it with a T410 keyboard at one point to get rid of shining keys.

The problem is that in a ThinkPad, the keyboard is supported by the whole machine whereas here it's just a rather thin sheet of plastic. This makes the keys a bit mushy, especially if you open the feet at the back (there's a rubber feet in the center that supports the keyboard only when the back feet are closed).

Being the tinkerer I am I reinforced mine with several metal rods (from an old dish rack). This made it noticeably better. It's still not perfect though.

Personally I'm looking forward to trying the new compact keyboard (right now it's still not available here in Germany). It's supposedly sturdier and I also want to start getting used to the new layout because it looks like that's what my next ThinkPad will have...

[Summilux]

I'm using one of them everyday on my machine, and I haven't noticed major differences with the one I have on my X220.

Given Lenovo's choice to imitate Apple, resulting in the island keyboard and other disasters, I have bought 2 more AZERTY units of this #55Y9003 that I am storing for future use. I may buy even more, since this island keyboard thingy is poised to last for a long period of time, certainly.