Three-screw and four-screw 14.1" T42 keyboards

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Edward Mendelson · #1 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Sat May 20, 2006 2:33 pm

Briefly, my question is: what is the part number for the Thai-manufactured NMB US keyboard for the 14.1" screen ThinPad T42 that uses four screws?

Here's the background. I got my new 2379-series T42 yesterday, with one of the newer Chinese-made NMB keyboards, and I thought I would replace it with a spare Thai-made NMB keyboard that I bought for my older 2373-series T42. That older keyboard wouldn't fit - and luckily I didn't force it very far before I realized the old one took three screws, while the new machine uses four.

Is there a Thai-made NMB four-screw US keyboard for a 14.1" T42? And if so, does anyone know a part number for it?

Thanks again to all.

Hanson · #2 Post by **Hanson** » Sat May 20, 2006 8:38 pm

39T0519 (new FRU) a.k.a 08K5044 (old FRU)

Edward Mendelson · #3 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Sat May 20, 2006 11:31 pm

39T0519 is the Chinese-made one that came with my machine.

It seems from other threads that 08K5044 is the older Thai-made version. Is this correct, do you think?

Hanson · #4 Post by **Hanson** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:46 am

Edward Mendelson wrote:39T0519 is the Chinese-made one that came with my machine.

It seems from other threads that 08K5044 is the older Thai-made version. Is this correct, do you think?

Not true. Refer to this ebay posting http://cgi.ebay.ca/IBM-THINKPAD-LAPTOP- ... dZViewItem

Edward Mendelson · #5 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Sun May 21, 2006 12:35 pm

Hmm... they're probably using the same part number, because the one on my machine definitely says "Made in China."

pae77 · #6 Post by **pae77** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:18 pm

There was another thread on this recently. Apparently, there are no more Thai manufactured NMB keyboards. They are all made in China now. The Chinese NMB feels pretty much like the Thai one to me.

ipark · #7 Post by **ipark** » Mon May 22, 2006 3:50 pm

my t42 came with a 39T0581 FRU KEYBOARD UNIT 14 CHICONY - US ENGLI. i don't like it, especially compared to my friends nmb.

pae77 · #8 Post by **pae77** » Mon May 22, 2006 5:05 pm

Once again, just to be clear, the NMB made in China is very different than the Alps and Chicony keyboards. I can't tell the difference between the Thai NMB and the Chinese NMB.

Edward Mendelson · #9 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Mon May 22, 2006 5:55 pm

Since I started this off, I might as well add that I've spent a few days now with the China-made NMB keyboard, and it really is as good as the Thai-made ones. No need to be unhappy about this one.

ipark · #10 Post by **ipark** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:32 pm

I called IBM's hardware support and they are going to send me the Chinese keyboard. I currently have a Chicony and it's horrible compared to my friends NMB. So if what Edward says is true about the Chinese keyboard feeling similar to the Thai one, I will be happy.

ipark · #11 Post by **ipark** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 7:24 pm

So I got the keyboard in today. Man that was some fast shipping! anyways, I was checking the keyboards out and the kb from China (FRU 39T0519 ) does actually feel alot better. It also has the blue rubber things underneath the actual keys just as the keyboards made in Thailand had.

ipark · #12 Post by **ipark** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:10 pm

So I've been doing some comparing with the new keyboard I received, and I have mixed feelings about it. The new keyboard I received is the one made in China (FRU 39T0519), and the keyboard that came with my TP is Chicony (FRU 39T0581).

Although the feel of the China keyboard is better in terms of feedback and sound, the keys seem to flex from left to right while the Chicony keys do not. For example when using the Shift key, if I press the key towards the edge (which I usually do) instead of the middle, it will not register half of the time. Even still I prefer the China made keyboard over the Chicony.

I also noticed that the China made keyboard's trackpoint sits up higher than the Chicony, where as the trackpoint on the Chicony is flush with the keyboard. Anyone else notice this inconsistency with the trackpoint height levels?

I wonder why Lenovo stopped the production of Thai NMB keyboards?

sugo · #13 Post by **sugo** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:26 pm

ipark wrote:I wonder why Lenovo stopped the production of Thai NMB keyboards?

At the end thinkpads are assembled in China. Considering labor and shipping cost, I would guess China will be cheaper for NMB to make thinkpad keyboards.

christopher_wolf · #14 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:57 pm

sugo wrote:
ipark wrote:I wonder why Lenovo stopped the production of Thai NMB keyboards?
At the end thinkpads are assembled in China. Considering labor and shipping cost, I would guess China will be cheaper for NMB to make thinkpad keyboards.

Not only that, but NMB was, unless IBM/Lenovo paid more, the one who would have traditionally decided where to build the keyboards. So they probably moved it themselves to China.

theclaw · #15 Post by **theclaw** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:49 pm

I got a made in china NMB replacement keyboard for my Thinkpad Z61m which isn't so excelent as others claim, a wrote a more detailed description about this issue, see http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=251378

Three-screw and four-screw 14.1" T42 keyboards

Three-screw and four-screw 14.1" T42 keyboards

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