Precision M4400 Owner's Lounge

Backlit or regular keyboard?

 

@joystik - assuming you're running vista, go to the power options menu (in control panel) and go to the advance power plan properties for your current plan. You can set min and max processor use for the plan on battery and AC, so if you take the clock to 100% min 100% max it will always run at it's max clock speed.

 

Pitrs81

My first keyboard was solid as a rock. On my replacement laptop it was quite wavy and bouncy. I just asked for a replacement keyboard board and now the keyboard is back to the way it was originally. (Laptops perfect also i'm not messing with any thing) It was a very easy swap out.

I might also try taking your current keyboard out and try putting it back in as a quick and an easy test. I could not tell a difference by looking at the 2 keyboards. There must be a slight difference in or shape or thickness that makes the keyboard sit more flat. Either way i could not tell from looking at them.

 

How do I turn off palm detection...it's driving me nuts....thanks!

 

Thanks for sharing! Dell support will be here tomorrow to swap the palmrest and its touchpad. If it is no better, I will probably return it too. I have tried Vista and W7 as well, same thing on both. Support seemed pretty convinced its a defective touchpad. We'll see. I'll post an update after I get it swapped.

N

 

I may have figured this out. I found that something (I assume power management) was setting the led refresh to 40Hz, which was very noticeable to me. Changing it to 60 has solved my problem (at least at the moment). I'll have to dig into what was changing it.

 

It's the backlit. So should I ask Dell for replacement?

 

My basic keyboard was uncomfortable and wavy too.
Then i ordered the Backlit Keyboard and it was much better, so i thougt its an issue of the keyboard type. but some posts up people say they got keyboards replaced with same type and got better quality...
so i dont think its an issue of basic and backlit, but different quality in general.

i would ask for replacement.

you can change the keyboards very easily.
just clip out the small bar with the volume control with a knive, loosen the small screws. then you can pull out the keyboard in direction to the display.
the keyboard-contacts are under under the touchpad. (wide plugged contacts, no worry about that!)
details can be viewed at the service manual from dell support page.

 

I think Dell will probably send some technician to change the keyboard, but thank you for nice sumarize.

 

I'm sorry, I don't have the ALPS driver installed anymore, so I can't give an exact guidance.

Maybe someone else here could do that?