keyboard palm-rest too small?

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superiorlobe · #1 Post by **superiorlobe** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 4:38 pm

Is the palm rest on the X40 a bit cramped? I'm not talking about the keybaord itself -- I'm talking about the space where you rest the heel of your hand. I have heard it is cramped.

plucky duck · #2 Post by **plucky duck** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 9:58 pm

For me the right hand is more than enough, but the left hand could use a bit more real estate.

To compensate for the lack of space, I find that I rest the heels closer and my fingers are more curled, where as on a regular 14/15" laptop the fingers are more flat resting.

budder · #3 Post by **budder** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 12:42 am

I voted a tiny bit small, but really, it doesn't matter to me. If they could cut another inch off of the front, I'd be all for it. Even with my X40, I think it's too big and heavy. I want a Sony U3 for actual portable use.

superiorlobe · #4 Post by **superiorlobe** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 11:55 am

I have decided not to buy the X40 due to the cramped palm-rest space. I stand 6'4" and I have hands that can palm a basketball, so I am pretty sure from what I have read that I will find the keyboard cramped. Of course it is impossible to know for sure since you can't actually look at one, but my confidence is pretty high. Most people are voting "just barely" and I am taller than most people and have bigger hands than most people.

Sounds like this computer is designed for small japanese executives, not tall American executives.

By the way, I will mention here that this issue annoys me a bit. The Averatec 3225 is a 12.1" ultra-portable and has more than adequate palm-rest space. The main consideration with ultra-portables should be weight, and size should be second.

If the computer were 1/8th of an inch thinner and had 1/2 inch more palm-rest space, it would not suffer "curled-typing-fingers" syndrome (which I have experienced, and which I can't stand).

The single most important consideration in laptops is ergonomics. If you have blazing speed, wonderful wi-fi, a massive hard disk, and yet you can't see the screen or your hand keeps falling off the side of the machine, you will pretty soon feel like throwing it against the wall.

People are impressed by specs, but they actually use the keyboard.

A thinner laptop with slightly more depth and the same width would be a lot smarter. The Japanese aren't going to complain that the palm-rest space is too comfortable, but the Americans sure are going to complain when they can't fit their hands on the stupid thing.

This is also the reason, by the way, why I used to be unable to drive Japanese cars -- I couldn't get my legs under the steering wheel. So no matter how attractively priced or how many nice features, I just wasn't ever going to buy one. After a few years the Japanese got smarter and began making slightly bigger cars. There are still a few that are cramped, but the situation is not as bad as it used to be.

The world needs to go through the same process in regard to ultra-portable laptops. Why simply discard the entire population of the earth that stands over 6'2" ????

pphilipko · #5 Post by **pphilipko** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 7:30 pm

superiorlobe wrote:I have decided not to buy the X40 due to the cramped palm-rest space. I stand 6'4" and I have hands that can palm a basketball, so I am pretty sure from what I have read that I will find the keyboard cramped. Of course it is impossible to know for sure since you can't actually look at one, but my confidence is pretty high. Most people are voting "just barely" and I am taller than most people and have bigger hands than most people.

Sounds like this computer is designed for small japanese executives, not tall American executives.

By the way, I will mention here that this issue annoys me a bit. The Averatec 3225 is a 12.1" ultra-portable and has more than adequate palm-rest space. The main consideration with ultra-portables should be weight, and size should be second.

If the computer were 1/8th of an inch thinner and had 1/2 inch more palm-rest space, it would not suffer "curled-typing-fingers" syndrome (which I have experienced, and which I can't stand).

The single most important consideration in laptops is ergonomics. If you have blazing speed, wonderful wi-fi, a massive hard disk, and yet you can't see the screen or your hand keeps falling off the side of the machine, you will pretty soon feel like throwing it against the wall.

People are impressed by specs, but they actually use the keyboard.

A thinner laptop with slightly more depth and the same width would be a lot smarter. The Japanese aren't going to complain that the palm-rest space is too comfortable, but the Americans sure are going to complain when they can't fit their hands on the stupid thing.

This is also the reason, by the way, why I used to be unable to drive Japanese cars -- I couldn't get my legs under the steering wheel. So no matter how attractively priced or how many nice features, I just wasn't ever going to buy one. After a few years the Japanese got smarter and began making slightly bigger cars. There are still a few that are cramped, but the situation is not as bad as it used to be.

The world needs to go through the same process in regard to ultra-portable laptops. Why simply discard the entire population of the earth that stands over 6'2" ????

that sounds a bit racist...wouldn't you agree?

Txiasaeia · #6 Post by **Txiasaeia** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:03 pm

Why not buy it and return it if you don't like it? IBM has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, after all! Heck, buy a refurbished model (so it will ship quicker) and test that out!

plucky duck · #7 Post by **plucky duck** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:50 pm

Don't discount it yet. If you like it enough, you should at least give it a second consideration to at least try working on one first and then if you don't like return it within 30 days.

I was dead set on not getting a laptop with a trackpad at first. The little stickpoint mouse I told myself wasn't for me. Now I actually prefer the precision of the stickpoint mouse over the trackpad. That's why I'm actually OK going with an X31.

Same with the screen size and resolution. After going to 15" SXGA+ I thought I wouldn't go with anything less. Now here I am with a 12.1" XGA.

It's about compromises, a give and take relationship, if you will.

With a 30-day return, what's there to lose?

superiorlobe · #8 Post by **superiorlobe** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 5:03 pm

I decided to go with the T41. I just got it today and it looks good. I put my hands on it, and it feels just right. However, it is not even a fraction of an inch too big.

So even the T41 palm rest is just barely big enough for my hands. It is big enough. But any smaller at all and it wouldn't be.

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