Dell cripples its latest business laptops with 'casual' keyboard layout

vermaden

vermaden

"A picture is worth a thousand words", so here are the details:

Dell Latitude E6*10 (E6410/E6510/...):
Dell-Latitude-E6510-01.jpg


Dell Latitude E6*20 (E6420/E6520/...):
dell-e6420-keyboard.jpg


In other words ... no more 'classical' navigation keys layout like that:

[INS] [HOM] [PGU]
[END] [PGD]

With that 'improvement' Dell business laptops became 'just another laptop' instead of a real ThinkPad rival, if You want to get real Dell business laptop, then E6*10 series is last of the models to have *REAL* business keyboard to work with, the newer models are just toys, move on (like ThinkPad EDGE to be precise).
 
At least they're still there. Try looking for those keys on a MacBook Pro.
 
SirDice said:
At least they're still there. Try looking for those keys on a MacBook Pro.
Click to expand...

If I would have to choose between that crippled Dell E6*20 and Macbook Pro ... I would not wonder for a minute and choose a Macbook Pro (even if I hate the Mac OS X keybindings thru).

I will just stick to ThinkPad T series I think or older Dell Latitude models.
 
I've got my MBP quite some time ago and I'm still not used to missing those keys.
I can never remember if it's Fn + left/right/up/down or CMD + left/right/up/down or Alt or Alt+Cmd.

Drives me nuts.

That's the only drawback though, easily fixed at home by using a full sized external keyboard :e
 
I have used MBP for about a year at work, also with 'classic' IBM PC keyboard only, I also struggled with the shortcuts, especially with text editing, have gone back to FreeBSD and Dell Latitude E6400 on which I still am very happy (and very sad at the same that Dell also went the 'marketing' way instead of the 'right' way).

Its generally very strange decision for me because Dell already had such 'series' named Vostro, almost business laptops with 'casual gaming/multimedia keyboard', why they made that decision is a big enigma for me. Look at the Lenovo on the other side, they introduced the ThinkPad L/SL/EDGE series of laptop while even improving their flagship ThinkPad T/X keyboard (bigger ESC/DEL keys).

I think that a big shoot in the knee for Dell.
 
tingo said:
At least those Dells have a pointing stick, not just the horrible touchpad that almost nobody uses (oh, come on - admit that you are using an external mouse).
Click to expand...

I use touchpad, I have tried to use pointing stick on my E6400 but I removed the stick from the keyboard, but I also did not liked the 'stick' at the Lenovo X300 that I had, I am just a 'touchpad guy' if it comes to laptop, but mouse is a nice thingy ;)
 
Seems trivial to me. I find it more annoying when keyboards have the Fn key where Ctrl should be, or their enter key taking up the space where the pipe/backslash key should be, or a small backspace key. Small right shifts are also pretty annoying.
 
aragon said:
Seems trivial to me. I find it more annoying when keyboards have the Fn key where Ctrl should be
Click to expand...

At least these two ThinkPad laptops allows to switch using a BIOS option ;)
 
The new location of page up and page down is actually the most amazing innovation I've used on a keyboard in a while. I constantly switch between up/down and pgup/pgdn while programming or reading. Also if you don't like them, remap them to something else useful.
 
willpower101 said:
Also if you don't like them, remap them to something else useful.
Click to expand...

Ok mate, then find me 6 keys with 3 x 2 layout on top of the new Dell keyboard that I can remap into proper INS/DEL + HOME/END + PGUP/PGDN layout ...
 
vermaden said:
Ok mate, then find me 6 keys with 3 x 2 layout on top of the new Dell keyboard that I can remap into proper INS/DEL + HOME/END + PGUP/PGDN layout ...
Click to expand...

Code: 
[-] [=] [Backspace]
[[] []] [\]
:p
 
vermaden said:
Ok mate, then find me 6 keys with 3 x 2 layout on top of the new Dell keyboard that I can remap into proper INS/DEL + HOME/END + PGUP/PGDN layout ...
Slurp said:
Code: 
[-] [=] [Backspace]
[[] []] [\]
:p
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Hmm, I didn't really think about it for people who actually want those keys back.
Nor where they would go :p

I think of it more like.
I never need quick access to insert.
Delete is already in the location that I need it for quick access to.
And pgup pgdn are in a great location where I can use them all the time without having to kinetically learn an alternative hand position to find them.


I think if I wanted something similar, I'd leave delete and insert alone and map either:
Alt+pgup/pgdn >> home/end
or Ctrl+up/dn or Ctrl+L/R >> home end.

I dunno. Just a thought.
 
Kinesthetically* (wth autocorrect) On my old lappy I find myself always fumbling around in the dark for pgup/pgdn cause they are horizontally where + and Enter on a numpad would normally be. :p
 
Alt+pgup/pgdn >> home/end or Ctrl+up/dn or Ctrl+L/R >> home end.
Click to expand...
On a first thought ... not bad idea, but if You use GEANY or EMACS where a lot shortcuts require ALT or CTRL as modifiers, then ... ;)
 
ramonovski said:
I tought the clit mouse was a ThinkPad exclusive. That might be the worst navigation tool ever.
Click to expand...

I much prefer the clit mouse over a track pad. You never run out of real estate (it sucks when, say, you're dragging a window and reach the edge of the pad). On my old IBM R51, I even prefer the clit mouse to an external usb mouse. With the clit mouse you don't even have to move your hands from the home row.
 
I did. I even zoomed in for a closer look. Maybe I just don't use the keys you're missing? Everything I want seem to be there. Don't get me wrong, if you don't like the keyboard, I'm not trying to sell you on it, I'm just saying that, for me, it looks like it would do the job.
 
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