Are the keyboards worth it?

[Lauren]

Hi,

I'm looking to get a laptop at the end of the January and am pretty much sold on the T42 (14" XGA, 40GB), the other option being the Fujitsu S6120 (13", 60GB). My main reason for choosing the IBM would be the keyboard, as I'm an English student and so (unfortunately) the majority of the time the computer will be used for essay writing. The advantages of the Fujitsu are the larger hard drive, reduced weight, and I have heard many good things about their screen. My present laptop is also a Fujitsu and it has served me well.

So, am I making the right decision? Also, I live in the UK and does anyone know shops that stock these computers so I could see them in person?

Thank you

[raisindot]

You are absolutely making the right decision by going with the Thinkpad if you're going to be doing lots of typing. I've owned and used many different laptops over the years--Toshibas, Compaqs, Dells, to name a few--and nearly all of them use the cheap, "flat" keyboards that are horrible to use.

Then there's the Thinkpad keyboard--ahhh, heaven. Big, upraised keys, fabulous touch, highly responsive--I wrote two novels over a three year period riding in a commuter train using my original Thinkpad 365 and, later, a i1200. Heaven!

The other advantage of the Thinkpad is that it's the only brand still using the "keyboard nipple pointer," which, for me, is a lot easier to use than a touchpad.

Recently I strayed from the TP pad and bought a Dell Inspiron on a whim because work was offering a great discount. HUGE mistake. The keyboard was a piece of junk and the touchscreen was a nightmare. And the thing weighed 8 pounds. I returned it and immediately bought a T40 on Ebay--Great keyboard, nipple AND touchpad, excellent battery life--and only 5 pounds.

If you're going to be typing with a notebook keyboard, then the TP is really the only choice you want. It's worth the extra $$$.

Jeff in Boston, MA, USA

[Roland]

IBM ThinkPad keyboards are really the best, no doubt about this.

But since one year I also use Fujitsu notebooks P2120 and...brand new... a P7010M), because they are much more smaller, lighter, include really everything, have a longer battery life and beside ThinkPads (FlexView) a similar excellent display (ClearView).

After using now Fujitsu's notebooks I am as before happy with them but the build quality and keyboard is not satisfying me. Being a member of the LEOG-Fujitsu forum (www.leog.net) I already read a lot about such issues.

So finally I love to work with both IBM (give me the feeling to work with a reliable "real" computer) and Fujitsu (nice design/state-of-the-art options and good price...compared to IBM).
If you need a really reliable and robust computer for your important studies with the best human engineering for long working days I clearly would choose an IBM (what I have done for my companies work...and our employees are more or less free to choose the notebook).
If you have to save some money and would like to get the latest of technology for a good price I would choose Fujitsu (what I have done for private fun and entertainment, internet etc.).

BTW: Most of Fujitsu's notebooks have both, the Track Point and Touch Pad (like IBM TP's) so there is no difference...

Hope this helps a little...

[Lauren]

Thank you! Both your replies have been very helpful and generally confirmed my view. While the features of the Fujitsu are appealing I think that if I went for it I would regret it. Now I just have to finalise which model to go for

[aceyx]

one more thing i love about the thinkpad keyboard is that the ins/del, home/end, pageup/down keys aren't off in weird locations to the right.

i always end up hunting around trying to find them on other computers i use, and i find that those people generally don't use the buttons since they're not as intuitively placed.

i have no idea how the fujitsu keyboards are laid out but that was a big selling point for me.


also, i find i work much faster with the trackpoint since i don't have to move my fingers from the keyboard.