Getting rid of the windows key on new thinkpad models?!

[citizen024]

Are any of the keyboards from the older models (eg.r/t/x4# series) compatible with the new ones from lenovo, preferably without doing tooo extreme hacking.

Im truly alergic to having a windows key, and if theres no solution ill be forcet to wotk with legacy hardware untill it becomes soo outdated that ill be forced to giveup the trackpoint and switch to mac:(

There must be some solution, i refuse to have M$ branding on any TuxPad of mine..

[whizkid]

I'm sure a solvent or a good knife will do the job. Since you're no doubt also allergic to having Windows on the machine, Gnome and KDE can still make good use of that key.

[RealBlackStuff]

You can also stick a small picture of Billy Gates on that Windows key and 'hammer' on it,
like you'd want to kill the sucker..
Or get another keyboard and swap that offending key for a matching other key.

[mattbiernat]

nothing against MS here but i don't like it either. post some solutions here...

[dhutch]

I removed the time logo from this keyboard with a knife some solvent...

Its not noticable from a large distance, but its certainly not pritty.

As the lettering is basicaly the same stuff as the actaull plastic, the technique is basicaly to mechanical removed the bulk of it with the knife, and then 'smudge it around a bit' with the solvent.


However i wouldnt try that on the key of my new thinkpag if i could afford a new one!!



Daniel

[ryengineer]

Newer thinkpad keyboards come with a Windows sticker key as opposed to the key itself on older series, it can easily be removed with a sharp nail.

[citizen024]

@ryengineer: nice to know its only a sticker on the new ones:)

but the button would still be useless, when the original layout was absolutely perfect. i use every single function on my T42, combinations of ctrl/alt/? render that button iritating and obsolete, on the original layout i can press ctrl+alt only using my little finger, with the windows key there that wouldnt work (yes i use keyboard shortcuts loads).

Seriously, is there no keyboard from a older modells that would fit the new thinkpads and work with minimal hacking.

Maybe someone here has the resources to check it out, (any one working with tech support where theres thinkpads and spare parts???????)

[davidspalding]

Are any of the keyboards from the older models (eg.r/t/x4# series) compatible with the new ones from lenovo, preferably without doing tooo extreme hacking.

Im truly alergic to having a windows key, and if theres no solution ill be forcet to wotk with legacy hardware untill it becomes soo outdated that ill be forced to giveup the trackpoint and switch to mac:(

There must be some solution, i refuse to have M$ branding on any TuxPad of mine..

On my RHEL5 workstation, the Window key can be mapped to do something useful. YMMV.

[dr_st]

Seriously, is there no keyboard from a older modells that would fit the new thinkpads and work with minimal hacking.

No, there isn't. Get over it. Use some program to map the Windows key to behave like Alt, if you want to press Ctrl+Alt with one finger.

[ryengineer]

ThinkVantage Keyboard Customizer Utility can be of your assistance in remapping.

[davidspalding]

On my version of the Keyboard Customizer Utility, the Thinkpad Windows can be mapped to only one of the various shift, control or ALT keys. Alas, not more than one.

[w0qj]

Try the KeyTweak, a freeware, to remap your Windows Key for some other function.
http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/

It makes changes in Windows Registry.
In fact, after using it to make changes, you can uninstall it.
No RAM memory footprint whatsoever!


I've previously used the KCU (Keyboard Customizer Utility), and it was sometimes sluggish, and upon startup, you have to wait until KCU to run before you can use it. Not that convenient.

[Roadster]

Seriously, is there no keyboard from a older modells that would fit the new thinkpads and work with minimal hacking.

No, there isn't. Get over it. Use some program to map the Windows key to behave like Alt, if you want to press Ctrl+Alt with one finger.

Although the original poster may appear to be a little overly zealous over the "Microsoft" thing, there is a very practical reason for not wanting the Windows key on the Thinkpad keyboard.

While playing some FPS games (e.g., Half-Life), there is often a need to hit the Ctrl key to crouch under objects while moving forward, which requires you to hit the W key and the Ctrl key simultaneously. Given the location of both of these keys on the left hand side of the keyboard, I try to hit both keys with different fingers of my left hand. Unfortunately, I often find myself hitting the Windows key by accident and having the entire game disappear into the background, while the Start menu appears. Needless to say, this can be pretty aggravating when you are in the middle of intense gameplay. In circumstances like these, it would be really nice to have the Windows key removed altogether, placed in another location, or simply re-mapped to something more innocuous.

[ulrich.von.lich]

Yes if you play games the windows key could be quite annoying. I play Warcraft III on battle.net and the windows key is the No.1 hero killer.

Otherwise I can live with it, the windows key is pretty handy in Vista (Win + 1, 2, 3 etc). However I haven't discovered any use of the key (Document key?) between right alt and ctrl.

[davidspalding]

Unless something's different on yours, the "document" key between the right Windows key and right CTRL key is a "context menu key," which is like right-clicking in some instances.