Chicony Keyboard Quality

I've read reviews saying that Chicony was the worse of keyboards, but they were all from 2004-2006. I've also read that Chicony keyboards' quality has increased.

Is this true? Or ALPS and NMB are still better options?

 

Probably few of us have had the opportunity to compare current models at the same time. I have an Alps and I really like it. Works great for me, and so far no problems.

 

I have a Chicony keyboard and I love it. The tactile feedback is fantastic.

It doesn't matter which keyboard you get because ALPS, NMB, and Chicony make better keyboards than the rest of the notebooks out there. So basically, you're comparing the keyboards from top-tier, if that makes any sense.

 

Yep, it doesn't matter which one as long as it's a thinkpad keyboard, means the best keyboard you can get.

 

Does the Chicony make a lot of noise? I've heard it's the "clickier" of the three... Is this true? Because I'd like to have the most silent keyboard.

Do you Chicony users think the keyboard makes too much noise?

 

I don't think it makes too much noise. But it is pretty clicky yes. If you wan't a silent keyboard, then ALPS would be the one for you.

Personally I prefer the Chicony's 'click' because it'll allow for wear without getting mushy too quickly.

 

OK. Thanks for the input.

 

Yes Chicony is "clickier", but it is good for those who type fast. I personally find that the NMB keyboard slows my typing down a bit, but on the other hand it is quieter.

 

Heard the ALPS is the "perfect" trade-off. But then again, I'll stick with my Chicony.

 

either ALPS or Chicony. As long as thinkpad keyboard. For sure will give u a different feeling than typing on another notebook

 

nmb seems to be the brand that most thinkpad buyers chase after, however this opinion is purely subjective....i personally have an nmb keyboard and love it

 

I have had the opportunity to use all three. I have used each for at least a period of 3+ months. In fact today I swapped back to the NMB after using the Chicony for the past 3, and the ALPS for the 3 before that. I LOVE the NMB. I prefer it because the keys seem to hit a softer base, and because it is quieter. There is nothing more annoying than being somewhere quiet and feeling like you can't type away because your keyboard is so clacky. Though I think that all the keyboards are of good build quality, I'm glad to be back to my NMB!

Some other posters have mentioned that the ALPS is the perfect middle ground. I agree, it is slightly clackier, but still provides a somewhat softer touch than the Chicony. Still I prefer the NMB, but could live with the ALPS. I will avoid the Chicony in the future. Just my personal preference.

 

I think I have an NMB (blue pads underneath) but this thing is still pretty "clacky". Whoever the manufacturer was on old IBMs was much better than what's being offered now. The travel distance on this keyboard (and any other new keyboard I've used) is too short and it feels unresponsive. I find myself mis-keying a lot more these days.

 

Agreed, it IS still clacky. I don't think it's any clackier than any of the older ThinkPads I have used. I think it's hard to avoid being somewhat clacky. We have 6 Chicony, 5 ALPS, and 15 NMBs here at the office (all T61 or T61p). The NMBs are noticeably quieter IMO.

 

I used to have a chicony...it wasn't bad...it is not has good as the NMB i have currently..but it is still one of the top keyboards in the notebook market...

keep in mind...when comparing nmb, chicony, and alps, it is like comparing mercedes, bmw, and jaguar....they are all good in certain ways and suck in other ways

 

I was able to compare the NMB and the Chicony keyboards back-to-back and I prefer the Chicony hands-down over the NMB.

here's a link to the extensive differences I noticed between the two. Read the thread all the way through, it should give you a good idea about the differences

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2770447#post2770447

 

I have also had a chance to compare chicony and nmb first hand...nmb is much better IMO...the end feel is much more soft than the chicony, in which, the end feel seems as hard as a rock

chicony is also a little bit more louder and "clickier" than the nmb, so if most of your use is in a quiet setting such as a library, i would prefer a NMB

 

Arlab - what I hope you have gotten from this thread - especially the last few posts, is that keyboards are kinda like women - its a touchy-feely kinda thing and is extremely subjective as to which you like better. Seems moot - if you order from Lenovo, you are going to get the one you get - and the difference clearly isn't worth paying for an exchange.

 

Yes, that's the conclusion I came to.

 

Well said.

Whether it is worth paying for an exchange or not is also subjective, but worst case scenario, you get the keyboard of your choice (NMB/Chicony/Alps) of eBay or a cheap reseller. I've seen prices from as little as 30$ US and up.

 

How can I tell wich Keyboard my T61P has? Also if I want to order a new one wich are the PN for all of them?

 

Go here to find out the manufacturer of your system parts: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/s...=/partslookup/partsLookup.vm&sitestyle=lenovo

The numbers you need are in your email in the electronic receipt invoice. It looks something like this:


Of course I'm not going to totally expose my serial #.

Once you get the FRU# for the keyboard and LCD, look at the post below here to match it.

 

14.1" T61p FRUs

15.4" T61p FRUs

How to tell what type of keyboard you have

Edit: Dammit, Arki

 

Your post is still useful.

 

For those who want to be completely sure of which keyboard their ThinkPad has, see this thread with pictures of the 3 different keyboards:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=44310&highlight=nmb+chicony

Apparently sometimes the FRU might say one thing, but turns out the actual keyboard might be re-branded. Hence, the need for physical detection at times.

I checked my NMB keyboard this way before even looking up the number.