Thinkpads Forum

I just received my T61 with a chicony keyboard. I'd like to purchase the NMB.

Where do i go to buy?
Can i order from Lenovo?
How much does it cost?
What is the part #?
Will Lenovo let me exchange my current new board for the NMB?

you can buy off the IBM site. (not lenovo)
i believe the ALPS is like $125-ish, so the NMB should be around there.
i heard its $65 or so for one with korean letters.

dont have the part number handy, but you can find it on tabook i think.
and no lenovo wont let u exchange.

Anyone with a T61 have an NMB?
How do you like it?

No T61, but have experience with all keyboards (Alps, NMB, Chicony), they're consistent in their own way.

The part number you're looking for is 42T3109. Call IBM parts at 1-800-765-5944 for inquiries.

I have a NMB keyboard on my T61p and like it alot more than the Alps one I have on my T61. I also have an NMB on my T43, so maybe I'm just used to it. The Alps keyboard is alot more clickety, while the NMB board seems more springy and not as loud.

ryengineer wrote:No T61, but have experience with all keyboards (Alps, NMB, Chicony), they're consistent in their own way.

The part number you're looking for is 42T3109. Call IBM parts at 1-800-765-5944 for inquiries.

the correct part number is 42T3143 and correct phone number is 800-388-7080.   42T3109 won't pull up in the system (it gets substituted with 42T3209, which is an alps) and the 800-765-5944 number is for issues with the website itself, even though the maintenance parts site says otherwise.

You'll get transferred if the phone number is not appropriate and 42T3109 is a valid part number, it won't show up on IBM parts while consumers search, but it does for employees. I can confirm it.

800-388-7080 (options 2:1:1) is the direct phone number for IBM maintenance parts in mechanicsville, PA.   42T3109 incorrectly substitutes in the parts system as 42T3209, which is an alps keyboard, so i am providing the correct part number; 42T3143, as confirmed in the parts system.   the T61/p HMM and MIGR both show the incorrect part number.   this is a known issue in the parts department.

the original poster is not an IBM employee so i am providing him with the proper channel and part number for a consumer, regardless of what you or i can look up as an employee.

I sent an email to the parts department in the afternoon to verify things out and to make correction in case of an error. I will report back again.

There is no reason for me not to trust you, but since I am not aware of such error in the system so I can't say yes to something I have no knowledge about.

this is the correct part number MIGR page for T61/p keyboards:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 67916.html

i can confirm this first-hand as the japanese NMB keyboard currently installed on my T61p is FRU# 42T3169.

kathy buffington made this discovery a few weeks ago and that's how we finally figured out how to get the keyboard i needed.   tech was no help because they have the incorrect MIGR/HMM info just like the rest of us.   i'm not sure who to contact about fixing the T61/p MIGR page and HMM though -- all i know is that the parts department is now (somewhat) aware of the problem.

i blame the newbies from lenovo.   seasoned IBM employees would never make a mistake like this.

STRYPER wrote:Anyone with a T61 have an NMB?
How do you like it?

I have one and I love it...very quiet and a pleasure to use....I used to have a chicony which was more clickity (is that even a word?) and had a more rock hard feel to it at the end of the keystroke..nmb has a more cushioned end feel

Hello fellow thinkpad experts,

I have posted about this rumor in the T4x forum (NMB topic).. I have heard from someone that the NMB keyboard is no longer produced in thailand; it is made in China.. Is this statement true? Sorry for asking this question and i hoped someone can support this statement.

**To thread OP**
The NMB keyboard feels good in my hands. (My R52 has an original Thai NMB keyboard) Don't drool...!

another thing I read about is that lenovo is rebranding chicony's as nmb's when ordered through warranty parts...so you have to be careful about that....the only way to really tell is if you look under the KB and see blue spongy things...versus plastic that looks like a forward or backwards back slash

Yes, NMB keyboards (U.S. version, at least) are made in China. Look at this thread, click on the first picture, and look at the top image. You'll see a "Made in China" on the sticker on the back of the NMB keyboard.

RonS wrote:Yes, NMB keyboards (U.S. version, at least) are made in China.

currently all NMB keyboards are made in china, regardless of language.

but the big question is ...is it legal for lenovo to rebrand chicony's as nmb?...that's like sticking a CK logo on a hanes t shirt..which is often done in flea markets

eyecon82 wrote:but the big question is ...is it legal for lenovo to rebrand chicony's as nmb?...that's like sticking a CK logo on a hanes t shirt..which is often done in flea markets

i've had four NMB keyboards come across my desk in the last month and all have been original NMB.   two of these keyboards were made in 2006 and the other two were from july and august of 2007.

as far as legality goes, all parts orders contain "new or certified used parts" according to IBM's/lenovo's policy so it would be extremely difficult to raise legal issue against something so minor.   if you place a parts order through the parts department and receive a rebranded keyboard then simply call them to rectify the situation.

When you purchase a NMB..you receive a NMB...however the rebranding problem comes warranty replacement. There have been many, many instances (found on NBR) when people specifically asked for the NMB kb as a replacement, they received a rebranded chicony...ill see if I can find some sources

here's one

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthr ... hicony+nmb

another

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthr ... ost2138260

i understand the issue at hand.   however, it's not up to the customer to decide what is a suitable replacement -- rebranding or not.   if your original seagate HDD fails and you request a hitachi, you may or may not get it.   same goes for an LCD, SODIMM, or any other component which has multiple FRUs.

the rebranded chicony keyboards, afaik, only happened for a short time when NMB was low on stock and everyone kept calling in asking for NMB to replace their factory keyboards.   at this point i would deem it a non-issue and one that doesn't need any more time spent dwelling on it.

like i said, IBM/lenovo makes no promises when it comes to warranty replacement parts.   and, all new parts orders through the parts department may be new or serviceable used parts.

Sorry for reporting late, I had received a response few days ago, according to the investigation done by lenovo there was no error in the FRU. I was informed one of the mentioned FRU is for R61 and the other for T61/p, the keyboard is the same i.e. NMB in both cases, the only distinction is the sticker for the FRU numbers, both are swappable as well.

erik wrote:

RonS wrote:Yes, NMB keyboards (U.S. version, at least) are made in China.

currently all NMB keyboards are made in china, regardless of language.

erik,

My NMB keyboard was made in Thai. I can post a pic for you to see if you want. I always thought NMB keyboards are made in Thai??

ryengineer wrote:Sorry for reporting late, I had received a response few days ago, according to the investigation done by lenovo there was no error in the FRU. I was informed one of the mentioned FRU is for R61 and the other for T61/p, the keyboard is the same i.e. NMB in both cases, the only distinction is the sticker for the FRU numbers, both are swappable as well.

none of the T61 FRU numbers that we looked up were in the system as of three weeks ago and the R61 numbers came up as substitutions.   granted, that was three weeks ago but i've never had an issue finding the R61 numbers in the system where the T61 numbers were hit-and-miss.   either way, they should be the exact same keyboards.

NS wrote:

erik wrote: currently all NMB keyboards are made in china, regardless of language.

erik,

My NMB keyboard was made in Thai. I can post a pic for you to see if you want. I always thought NMB keyboards are made in Thai??

how old is your keyboard?   every NMB keyboard that has crossed my desk in the last few years has been made in china.

@erik,

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9008/dsc00059er8.jpg

^My R52 keyboard made in thailand.