Which keyboard is better: Dell Precision or HP Elitebook workstation?

I asking about the newest versions of the M4600 Precision and the HP 8560w Elitebook. I'm particularly interested in the backlit keyboard versions.

I've heard that the last Precisions (pre-M4600) had "mushy" boards. Has that improved??

And the latest Elitebooks with their "chicklet" style boards leave me kind of cold. Like pounding on an iPad almost. I like some feel and feedback from the keys. Thinkpads have spoiled me, I guess.

 

I really liked the M4400, while not a fan of the chiclet keyboards. IMO the M4400 is 99% as good as the T400. Never tried the newest version so far though, so I'm not sure how accurate it would be concerning the newest generation.

 

Have you used or seen the latest Elitebook keyboards? If so, how would they compare to the Precision?

 

M4600/M6600 keyboards are okay. I cannot stand HP chicklet's keyboards (Elitebook, Pavilion) or just chicklet keyboards in general. If you are looking for a 15.6" mobile workstation, why not consider the W520? But you won't get M4600's RGBLED + IPS screen.

 

That's exactly the point: no IPS on today's Thinkpads. Otherwise, I like Thinkpads, I've owned two and my son just bought one, his first. Their overall build-quality and reliability are excellent, I like their keyboards and their utilities are top notch in my book (though in fairness to HP and Dell I have no real experience with either). I like the looks of the "metal" on the Precision and the Elitebooks better than the black carbon-fiber of the Thinkpads, although that makes the Thinkpads lighter, a good thing. So, if the W520 had an IPS screen, I'd probably be there and forget the rest. Since IPS is now only in Dell and HP, I am looking for which is better for me.

Btw, when you say the M4600/M6600 keyboards are OK, how do they compare with a Thinkpad? They look in photos to be more similar to Thinkpads than Elitebooks.

 

Here is my rundown on the situation. The M4600/M6600 keyboard is equivalent to the design used in the Elitebook 8540w/8740w (I had a 8740w for a while). The design was a semi-chicklet with a rubberized texture on each keys and the end result is a not-so-shabby keyboard and it is not that bad to use on both systems. The 8560w/8760w revision keyboard though is pure chicklet so it is a pain to type on if you are fast touch typer. With that said, I still prefer the ThinkPad keyboards as those are always built with pure ridigity and they still haven't pull any tricks with chicklet hybrid. It is just a good laptop keyboard, even better than the M6500's, which I saw was the best Dell laptop keyboard the company ever made.

 

Only x220 has an IPS screen, and far too small for most people. ThinkVantage software is the best out there, and their keyboards while falling in quality from the T60/T61 era, are still good. They just feel more "plasticky" and cheap than the older keyboards. Trackpoint is still far superior to HP's and Dell's.

The new E series Latitudes and Precisions have that metal exterior that makes them feel more durable, albeit it does feel heavier than the previous generation D series. Dell also offers better value than HP or Lenovo. Dell's keyboard is worse than ThinkPads, but not much comparing to new style ThinkPad keyboards (T410/T420/T510/T520/W510/W520). Dell's keyboards have a mushiness but you get used to it. I would call up Dell to custom build an M4600, you might get it far cheaper than off Dell's site or Outlet.

 

the keyboard on the m4600 is very similar in terms of feel to the m4400 generation. it has a much more "silky" button press motion, unlike the harder press needed on the thinkpads and elitebooks. personally i prefer the feel of the m4400/m4600 keyboard especially because it requires less force to type so i can type with less effort.

however, i prefer the keyboard layout on the thinkpads. i'm also still getting used to the offset keyboard/touchpad because of the included numeric pad.

 

Have you used any new Latitude? The Precisions are very similar to the Latitudes, the squishy feel. It is okay for typing fast, you get used to the keyboard really quick.

After owning my Z61t's for 6 months, I am still getting used to the switched Ctrl and Fn keys as I am constantly using my ThinkPad for work, Logitech G11 for gaming, Dell L13 for multimedia use. But still my favorite keyboard is the ThinkPad. The newer ThinkPads, they are closer to Dell but I never would have enough money for a new ThinkPad so I guess the winner would be Dell..

 

Thanks, guys. I think I will have to try out each one in person to see for myself. The 8560w will be arriving soon to my current corner of the earth, and the M4600 is already here, so I just have to track one down.

This would be a leap for me, having only owned Thinkpads until now. With all other components being equal, it comes down to the screen -- I really prefer an IPS -- and the keyboard. I know the Thinkpad keyboards have dropped down a bit, being more "plasticcy" now than before, but my son's T410 is still solid and definitely usable. If either the M4600 or the 8560w can come close, then it will be the winner.

Thanks again, Star Forge, Tsunade_Hime, and afhstingray for your input. It gives me something to watch out for when I do hunt down and FIND these bad boys!


OOTM

 

Sorry, I forgot to include the inestimable sgogeta4 for your comments! You got the ball rolling in this discussion. Thank you!

 

No problem. If only I got a new generation laptop to give you more info on it. I've been looking into it for a while now but I most likely will wait a bit more before I update my laptops.

 

The 16:9 change has me sticking with older models, as my requirements aren't insanely high to warrant Sandy Bridge and beyond. And until manufacturers go back to 16:10 or 4:3, I'll always hesitate buying a new notebook...only 16:9 notebook I own is my Latitude 13.

 

If I wanted the ultimate laptop keyboard I would just get a KBC Poker

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EIXk3Ayok_A?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width='425' height="349">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjDuXSvcgQQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width='560' height="349">

I type quite fine and like the chiclet keyboard on my G73 but am spoiled by having nice mechanical keyboards for my desktops. So the Poker looks like the best fit for latpops with its ultra light weight & size, removable usb cable and reasonable cost and it can come with any of the current cherry mx mechanical switches.

I think I will be getting one soon with the Cherry MX Reds and do a review of it.

I half admit I want one just because MX Red are VERY hard to find and this is one of the few keyboards you can get with them and its almost half price of the others. But I also half want it just because indeed it is an ideal pack in your bag laptop keyboard.

 

Same here (knocks solidly on wood). As inspired as I am by the new Sandy Bridge babies, the computer they're wrapped in makes a big difference. I tend to keep my machines for a long time, so it's got to be good from the get-go. Hopefully, if my present rig holds out, I'll have some time to sort out the possibilities.

Ain't it the truth. The 16:9 ratio really stinks. It feels like a third of the screen in missing. The 4:3 ratio is best. 16:10 is barely acceptable.

Interesting. Seeing the guy type takes me back about 12 years, when I was still hammering away on generic keyboard and my old desktop. This is something intriguing to think about.

Thanks for posting it!!

 

QFT. I still have not gotten used to the distorted 16:9 feel on my M6600. It feels so much more natural when using the 16:!0 RGBLED on my old M6500.

That is a nice keyboard! However I don't think I can afford the price tag... Mechanical Keyboards are at least $100 USD a pop for the crappiest one.

 

Wait a minute. You've got an M6600 after you had an M6500, and you say you cannot afford $100 for a nice keyboard ??

What happened, are you in the stock market??

 

4:3 is great, but 16:10 is more natural, especially for ultraportables. Old school x series ThinkPads had a distorted keyboard due to the 4:3 screen nature (backspace was short). 16:10 x series ThinkPads (X200, X201) had a normal keyboard layout, though SXGA+ to WXGA+ is a pretty big pixel loss.

 

Dell is giving me the M6600 as a warranty replacement to my M6500. I didn't pay a cent for it! So yes, it is hard to justify for me to spend a Franklin on a keyboard.

I'd wish I can simultaneously own both a M6500 and a M6600.

 

I've not used an ultra-portable for any length of time, but, yes, I can see the advantage of 16:10 for the sake of the keyboard. My T60p's keyboard is completely natural, all keys are regular size, Enter and Backspace are larger than the rest, as is Tabs, Caps Lock, and the Shift keys. All in all very usable, and it's on a 15" 4:3. I think for larger than ultra-portable, the 4:3 is still the best. But I think I may be just whistling to myself on this, as it looks like 16:9 might be here to stay, though *many* people do NOT like it. <sigh>

 

Lol, keep 'em both. Yes, that would be nice. But, really, if you're getting an M6600 as free replacement, and you really don't care for the built-in keyboard, why not go for the mechanical. In my mind that's easily worth the upgrade you're getting in the 6600 for 6500 swap. Small price to pay. But if the keyboard of the new model is as decent as people say, an auxiliary keypad might be unneeded. Personal choice.