Year ago I brought Thinkpad X220, and fall in love with that keyboard. Then I got cheap x61s and T60 and they have even better keyboards.
But why I write this?
Key mechanism
Today I went to a computer and electronics store. And just try some keyboards in laptops...
First what hit me was key stroke. Old laptops has very deep stroke. And its good. I love to feel that I'm just click. My fingers is not accurate and it good to know I pressed a key. New ones... keys are less stable, and it easier to accidentally click.
Old-New 1:0
Keyboard layout
Img 1. Microsoft surface pro keyboard
As you can see we got small gaps between keys, and its good option. It harder to make mistakes.
And under the keys in the new keyboard do not fall crumbs.
Old-New 1:1
Text navigation
If you writing long text you probably use keys like PgUp PgDn Home and End.
And as you can see lot of small laptops don't have those keys. Like my old HP mini 210 has this block as Fn+Arrow.
In old Thinkpads this block is like in PC keyboard. And its great. Even more in X220 and T420, big Delete and ESC are pretty conformable to use
Img 2. T420 keyboard
Old-New 2:1
Functions keys
Hey, who ever use keys like F1 F2...F12 ? well Maybe all of you know that F5 mean refresh, Alt+F4 mean close window and so on. If you use IDE to write programs, you have lot of shortcuts to control it under Fx keys.
How it looks in Microsoft surface you already saw. But most common example is...
Img 3. Apple keyboard
Idea to put additional strip of touch screen is great. Relay I think how to add that into my X220 but I got nothing. But keyboard is not thing I like to watch, I want feel it. You know writing without looking on keyboard is great skill. In conclusion this concept is good but next to and not instead
Fx keys.Old-New 3:1.5
Laptop control
We talking about laptops, those computers need buttons what you do not see on PC. Like "hibernate", "WiFi control" or even "power".
Img 4. Asus ZenBook
I have no problem to use
Fn key, but things like power up or sound control is relay better on separate buttons.Old-New 4:1.5
Conclusion
The conclusions I leave to you, I would still like to ask what you think and why this could happen?