Dell E6400/E6500 problems thread

I'm talking about the same issue as well. However, I can confirm to you that excluding the Arrow keys, using any other combination of keys in a RTS, FPS, or even a racing sim like GRID, can work with WASD, and other keys.

 

Have you tried the A05 BIOS? I noticed it included a flash update of the keyboard controller - might have changed the n-key rollover behaviour?

 

The issues I had been having with the multiple keys has been fixed in the A05 BIOS for me. It now works as expected. Pressing the next key while holding the previous will STOP the previous and start the next one. This should have been the behavior from the beginning IMHO.

 

yes, but it comes down to how big the issue is. if i have basic problems (keyboard is basic for me) on a new laptop that i do not have on my old nx6125 i will think twice about buying it. however from what i have read, it seems the latest bios update solved the issue. so maybe i will get one (in about two months). i hope that most software related bugs are solved until then (and not many more pop up )

by the way: does anyone have the 64 bit vista without the random lockup problem? because i would like to move to 64 bit with my new laptop...

 

What did you decide to buy....Lenovo or Dell?

 

I have none of the issues you mention on my E6400. My previous E6400 also did not have any of those issues (it was exchanged because it was overheating).

My new E6400 had a stuck pixel -- Dell agreed to change the screen (hint: that's good service...). The screen with the stuck pixel was Samsung, the new one is LG. The Samsung has slightly better viewing angles, the LG has slightly better contrast. Both screens are very good for one-person view, but two or more people watching a movie will not enjoy.

I am very, very happy with my E6400. T500s and MBP 13''s from work colleagues have less features and slightly worse build quality (nothing to brag Dell anyway, just want to dissipate those rumors that Thinkpads are kings of build quality which are not true nowadays IMO).

I game on my E6400 every day. I play both Trackmania United (a racing game) and America's Army 3 (an FPS), among other games. I never noticed this keyboard issue you talk about. Also, if I press C and then press D while still pressing C, I start getting D's on the screen, i.e., I have a "normal" behavior. Maybe my keyboard is special? It is the non-backlit keyboard.

 

Same here - although my keyboard is the backlit one.

 

mines backlit, dosent have the problem either. running vista 64

 

Works fine here.... I press C hold C and then press D...
I get ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccddddddddddddddddd... which is normal.

If I press both simultaneously... which is kinda very hard, I get cd or dc most often... but we need a precise machine to actually do this this properly.

These multiple key press is common since the early keyboards. because they don't use a real circuit board with a circuit design which allows the keyboard work no mater how many keys you press at the same time.
The problem with this is that it makes the keyboard MUCH more expensive to produce, much thicker, let a lone heavier. The very early keyboard (pre-PS/1 plug, if I am not mistaken) where designed that way, actually.

Since few people use 30 keys simultaneously or pressing the 2 shift key at the same time to write using capital letters.. the current design is what is used. If it's not the keys "C" and "D" it's will be some other key, there are no escape.

I had no system level issues with my system. The only problem I had with with the rubber pads that squish to minimum, which render them useless, which result in marking the screen with transport and permanently mark the screen frame. However I did fit the problem by adding a peace of small and thin black plastic, under each pad to prevent further marks. My marks on the screen frame are minimal... But that is just cosmetic, and the up side of this system and warranty service, makes it up for it.
Other than that, I have no real complaint. I don't mind the touchpad... never had a real issue with it.. but then I only use it onlight computer usage.. I tend to use the mouse. But that is all. I am genuinely impressed with this system.

 

This was actually resolved in a keyboard BIOS update a looooong time ago. Someone just replied to this thread, which was almost a year old, and brought it back from the dead with a question that doesn't even pertain to the thread...