Thinkpads Forum

Hi, could someone with experience with both X40 and X60/61(s) please compare the keyboards? Most of all, I would like to know how hard it is to press the keys. On my X40, the force required is quite high (uncomfortable for me), while on some other Thinkpad (maybe Z6x), it was much lower, though still higher than on cheap notebooks.
Thanks!

pktr5 wrote:Hi, could someone with experience with both X40 and X60/61(s) please compare the keyboards?

I just compared the X's I have. X41, X31 and X60s.

The X60s feels very much like the X41. The X31 is softest of them and gives me the same pleasant feel as an old 600X.

I would say they are all good though.

Thanks for the information. Does anyone else have similar experience? The hard-to-press keyboard on my X40 still annoys me (even after a year of everyday usage) and I wonder if upgrading to some of the X6x series would help... Also, is there a significant variance among keyboards in different units of the same model?

X60 keyboards have a newer and smaller connector (like in the T6x series), so I'm pretty sure that won't fit. Is the keyboard you mentioned from Chicony? - I have made best experiences with NMB keyboards on different machines, maybe you should give it a try.

Here you can find a list of FRU numbers:
X40/X41 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 53666.html
X41t (also fit/are the same) http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 59985.html

I've got an X40, an X60s, and an X61s.

The X40 keyboard seems like it's a bit more rigid, i.e. the keyboard itself seems slightly more-firmly anchored to the chasis. This makes sense, considering that it uses 6 or 7 (I can't remember which) screws to attach to the chasis, whereas the X6x use four. It's a minor difference though, and pretty much impossible to notice unless you use both within minutes of each other.

As far as key response is concerned, the activation force of the X6x keyboards seems to be slightly lower, whereas the travel seems to be a bit greater. This means that the X40 gives me a stiffer feel.

Personally I prefer the X40 due to said feel, but others may well prefer the X6x for the same reasons. I don't think there's any major quality differences between the two -- it's really just a quesiton of personal preference IMO.

personally felt that x40 is better

I have two X41's and two X61's and I honestly can't say the keyboards are substantially different. Of course they all feel slightly different due to differing wear levels and probably different manufacturers, but in a blind test I don't think I could tell you which is which.