Keyboard Bulge

I just received my M11X yesterday and while it is a beautiful little machine, I noticed immediately that the keyboard was raised up on the left side of the machine.

I thought at first that it was normal, because it is focused around the WASD area, however upon further research from this community website, I have read that some have this issue while others don't.

Do you think the latest builds of the M11X are redesigned like this, or is this a serious flaw that I should have Dell address?

I am heading to PAX East this weekend and Alienware has a booth, so I will bring this along and ask them about it.

Thanks for any responses.

 

How noticeable the bulge is? I doubt it is redesigned to be like this, since, frankly speaking, I doubt that Dell bothered with redesigning anything at all. Most probably it is just an isolated issue, e.g. whoever assembled you laptop did not seat your keyboard as intended.

Again, most probably you can fix it yourself if you wish - in some cases it reportedly was enough to press the keyboard firmly (yet carefully) downwards to make it click into place. You can also remove the keyboard and check if everything is all right underneath.

But then - you will be absolutely right to point it out and request the laptop to be replaced with a new one - you have the right to get a PERFECT laptop, you should be satisfied with what you buy - and it is Dell's business to arrange it.

As to the serious flaw - it is something other than the keyboard hehe... I hope you won't ever have to face the real "cocktail cherry" the m11x hides.

 

Thanks cortomaltese for the feedback. Visually it is very noticeable. I would say it is at least 4, if not 5, mm difference between one side to the next.

I actually did try pushing down on the keyboard at first, thinking something was not locked into place, but there is no give when I push and I don't want to try harder for fear of breaking something.

Other issue because of this is that the screen, when closed, clearly rests on the keys instead of resting on the rubber pad.

 

Ouch, that's definitely way too much! You can still try to fix it yourself, but of course they should replace it, it is unacceptable.

Screen touching the keyboard is a far more widespread issue - I think most m11x's are mildly affected by it, so it is recommended to use the protection cloth every time you close the lid - it effectively prevents the screen from being scratched or smudged. But I am not talking 5mm here of course.

 

Contacted Dell, after about an hour and 8 people later, they ordered a new one and will overnight it when it is complete. I just have to send the other one back when the new one arrives.

You know, if Dell really wanted to save money, they should fix their customer service. I swear, people are there just to transfer you.

 

Lol yeah, no kidding. But at the same time, I've also read that because of their bad customer service, people are getting upgrades if they have to send their machine in for a replacement. I'd love for my C2D to crash, have a bad customer service experience, then they send me a loaded i7

 

Just wanted to follow up on this in case anyone searches for the same issue.

I contacted Dell/Alienware and they sent me a replacement PC. Lo-and-Behold, more problems. The replacement had a huge dip in the middle of the keyboard unlike the huge bulge from the first one. Also, they screwed up the personalized plate and changed my name to "M11X"

Called them up and told them not only was the keyboard defective, the order was incorrect.

Was told to contact Tech Dept. Was then told to contact SRS Dept. Was then told to contact Tech Dept. again or fill in an unresolved issues email from within their website. I picked the later because no one could help me for over an hour on the phone.

So now I am waiting for some response from Dell/Alienware. If it is not a new PC being sent to me, I will contact their finance department and tell them I will refuse to pay for a defective product that they processed incorrectly.

The shame of it all is I always wanted an Alienware PC....I guess be careful what you wish for.

 

mine is "warped" too. i have no proof to back it up but i think it is intentional. when inspecting the KB when i had my entire M11x appart there is no warpping anywhere but the keys infact where at different heights. the fact that MANY users notice this in the same points on the KB leads me to belive its meant to be that way.

i also inspected my bros R2 and 2 of my friends R1s. they all had it in the same place to the same degree of height (1 or 2 mm)

 

Mine was also warped. Turns out they dont seat the keyboards all the way when they built these things. Push on that side down with a little bit of force, it should click down into place.

 

+1

i've taken apart my unit several times and can confirm that the keyboard clicks in at 2 points on the left and 2 on the right.

 

both sides of my m11x r2 keyboard was up some which didn't bother me a bit, But after reading this thread and saw cortomaltese talking about you can fix it your self and push down on the keyboard were its warped a bit and both sides made a click and my keyboard is fully even now I always thought it was just made that way lol

Thanks cortomaltese

But ya you do have too push down a bit for it too click in place.

 

The dipping issue has been discussed before. It's basically a design flaw. It has to do with the 2 screws holding the keyboard in place under the battery compartment. Basically once they are tightened all the way it pulls the keyboard downward, causing the dip. It's more noticeable at the G-H key area because there is a gap between the chassis and the bottom of the keyboard. The other screw (by J-K keys I think), has a little plastic tab between the chassis and keyboard that compensates for the dead space.

A simple "fix" would be to just loosen the screws a bit so the dip by the G-H keys is not as noticeable. Loosen them a tad and inspect the keyboard. When finished cut a little piece of masking tape and cover the screw head so it doesn't move. You can also use a bit of thread-locking compound but I wouldn't since that stuff can get really hard, making it difficult to remove the screw in the future.

Another thing you can do is put something between the chassis and keyboard to fill in the dead space. A piece of folded tape, or a piece of a credit card perhaps. I wish I had pics to show what I'm talking about, but I returned my M11x.

 

i had issues like this after a tech replaced my right speaker. one day i decided to slip a penny in between the outer edge of the laptop and the outer side of the keys and pushed down. worked for me! i guess it wasn't seated properly. i wish i could recall who on this forum initially suggested the idea of pushing down on the keyboard to reseat it. i didn't have luck just mashing the keys hard, and i probably wore some plastic bits out doing it that way... so try a coin or something.

 

I first suggested it. It happened when the tech replaced my hinges, the sides were bulged out. I simply pressed down on the side of the keyboard (press firmly but slowly, but whatever works really), and it snapped back in. Problem solved. Did I get any reps for this? Nope, but oh well.