Keyboard Remapping...Learning To Live With The T530/X230 Keyboard..

[olex126]

Hi Gang.

I still have plenty of older Thinkpads with the "regular" keyboards...One of the drawbacks (to me) of the newer-x*30-style keyboards was the lack of a Page-Back key....kept hitting Page-Up and getting nowhere fast!

I remapped the right-hand Control key of my T530 & X230 to perform that function using Keytweak: https://keytweak.en.softonic.com/

I hardly used the Page-Forward key of the *20-style keyboards, so didn't bother remapping anything to it.

I'm actually starting to like the key-stroke action of the new style... I tried the keys on a few non-Lenovo laptops at Costco the other day, and the totally flat keys left me unconvinced of the new chicklet-style keyboard. However, the Thinkpad designers heve left enough gentle curve in their keys to make it an almost-pleasurable typing experience. I figured I can adapt to the new placement of the various Home, Page-Up, Page-Down, etc keys, but the lack of a Page-Back key was a real deal-breaker for me.

Now I can maybe start using this keyboard without gritting my teeth and cursing the Thinkpad Gods.....Grrrrr....

Regards.

Dave

[Vopu]

Hi Dave , Probably you are aware but
What OS are you running ? I can see key mapping works but have you tried (left) ALT + (Left) Arrow for Page Back , (left)ALT+(right)Arrow for Page Forward. I find this much easier.
Dont use ALT Gr(graph) (EMEA & ASIA ) right of spacebar if you dont want Landscape to portraid mode for tablets
If US layout you should have 2 ALT's only anyway. And right can also be mapped as you wish
Regards
Vopu

[atagunov]

...another reason to fit a classic keyboards to T530

[olex126]

Vopu.

Win 7 Ultimate on the T530...Yep, I tried the Alt-arrow combinations for awhile, but it requires two fingers and I'm lazy enough to want to use just one!!

Dave

[olex126]

Atagunov....

"another reason to fit a classic keyboards to T530 "....

Yep, it's on the list of "Most Important Things To Do And I'll Get To It Real Soon Now!!".....Somewhere within:

1. Finishing up creating the perfect 365XD from three not-so-perfect 365XD parts machines... Computer Room Table Section # 1A

2. Finishing up creating the perfect 385XD from two not-so-perfect 385XD machines... Computer Room Table Section # 1B

3. Finding the proper oddball screen for a T23... Computer Room Table Section # 2A

4. Completely removing the absolutely, positively most disgustingly sticky surface I've ever run across from an otherwise-functional 701C... Computer Room Table Section # 2B

5, Installing a NOS UXGA screen in a partially dis-assembled but still functional A31p... Computer Workbench Section # 3A

6. Installing 2 (newly arrived) fans in both an X220 and X220T... Computer Workbench Section # 3B1 & 3B2

7. Re-arranging the placement of the soldering station and the Bench power supply... Computer Workbench Section... Corners 1 and 2??

8. Re-configuring my X230's hard drive that crashed my Kodi program AND its' backup on another partition... Living Room Shelf #1

9. Checking out each of 35 older less-than-5Gb IDE hard drives for reliability and compatibility with the aforementioned Thinkpads...Computer Room Shelf #' 1

10. Total inventory count of Thinkpad spare parts ... Computer Room Shelf #'s 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15...ad infinitum

11. Install Coreboot on a spare X60

12. Finally, check out specs on a contemplative P50 purchase..,

WHEW! Just thinking of all the work to be done and listing it all down has made me so tired I think I'd better take a nap

Regards.

Dave

P.S....Oh yeah...Replace the standard T530 keyboard with a spare from a *20 unit !!!

[RealBlackStuff]

Slightly OT:
Sounds just like my old "home-office" in USA used to be, before we sold up and moved back to Ireland.
Currently I'm using our guestroom, where I installed a simple "workbench", a 6-ft. folding table like this:

I have taken off one table leg and mounted that (short) side with 2 hinges to the wall.
When I'm finished with my business, I clear the table, lift up the side with the table-leg, fold the leg, fold the table and push it up against the wall, where a simple sliding bolt like this holds it in place.
That table folds out over the [3-ft.] single bed along that wall.
It leaves enough space [3-ft.] to place a chair next to the bed, allowing me ample room to work.

Which makes our guestroom usable again.

4. Completely removing the absolutely, positively most disgustingly sticky surface I've ever run across from an otherwise-functional 701C... Computer Room Table Section # 2B

How about wrapping it in some vinyl, like this: https://i.redd.it/ijkokjmh3no51.jpg

[olex126]

RBS...

That table solution is ingenious!..Going to see if I can rig up something similar. Thanks for the tip

As for the 701C and its' "melting" tacky covering, I'm going to use your credit-card method and slowly scrape off the offending gunk...it is so bad that to even hold it against your body leaves black greasy smears on any piece of clothing that it touches. (It wouldn't surprise me if at some point in the past, someone has tried (and failed) to chemically fix or remove this coating....never with all the Thinkpads that I've handled have I seen one this bad.)
There are no major scratches that penetrate through the coating, so the final outcome should be good....But any idea where one would procure that vinyl covering? It looks (as my Mother used to say when I, as a little gaffer, was all dressed up for Sunday School...) "pretty snazzy"!

Thanks. Regards.

Dave

[Vopu]

Hi Alex126,
I have seen people using magic eraser to dry/wet clean and wet polish , May be ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08QWEFcdzM8
or
If it is really in a terrible condition there is also something called Plasti Dip .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plasti-Dip-Mul ... 665&sr=8-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC-AJzBbN_c
Hope that helps
Vopu

[TPFanatic]

For a short while I used Sharpkeys on my 6 row computer: I remapped the PgUp and PgDn to the Browser Back and Forward, Printscreen to Menu key, and messed around with the upper right cluster to restore Printscreen, PgUp, and PgDn at the expense of F11, F12, and Insert.

It was still garbo compared to the 7 row I swapped in later. I will never settle on Lenovo's 6 row so **30 with the 7 row is the end of the line for me.

[UMPC2024]

I had also done the PrtSc to Menu/Application Key since I can't live without that one. I never understood what the Insert button did, so that became my PrtSc. It was also real shame they got rid of the NumLock overlay on the keys on the right side. Back when my keyboard was still fresh and it had the coating, my ring fingers would literally drag on the keys, leading to some pain when writing lengthy reports. Then I got a T410 and starting collecting "below" *30 series, some of which are not internet connected and used as word processors.

And ah yes, the infamous list of "Most Important Things To Do And I'll Get To It Real Soon Now!!". Too many things to do, so little time.

[olex126]

Vopu...

The coating on the 701C is so sticky and tacky that it would probably "load up" the Magic Eraser to where it would soon become filled with this guck and become useless. Methinks only a physical careful scraping of the coating will be effective. There don't appear to be any major blemishes under the coating, but if I come across any, I may use the Magic Eraser in the final stage.

TPFanatic...

I'll try Sharpkeys and see how it compares...but you are correct, there really is NO replacement to the 7-row, at least in my most humble opinion.

Thanks guys. Regards.

Dave

[RealBlackStuff]

But any idea where one would procure that vinyl covering?

Do a Google with: best vinyl wrap for laptop

This VViViD brand is made in Canada: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=VViViD&ref=b ... 8114693011

"Pretty snazzy" look