Customer Reviews

IBM Enhanced USB Keyboard

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This keyboard is not exactly a mainstream keyboard and you probably won't find it in a retail store.

It's a very nice keyboard though. It has two different angle positions besides just being flat. Plus it has a nice wrist rest. And if you like quick key buttons, the programmable top buttons are very nice, especially for the calculator. It's usually kind of baried in Windows.

Another great thing about this keyboard is the touch and feel. It responds quickly, yet lightly and it is quiet. The dual USB 2.0 ports are nice as well. More common now, but when this first came out, it was highly unusual. Unfortunately, the keyboard brand is now Lenovo instead of IBM, but other than that, cosmetically it is pretty much ideal and the black is very nice. I don't use the back/forward buttons very much, but when I have it was a nice touch.
The media controls have kind of a firm feel, I wish they were softer, but they work very well. The mute button is very handy too, especially when browsing sites with embedded music that you don't expect.

We have 3 of these keyboards in my family, I can definitely recommend it. I don't however recommned IBM/Lenovo's mice with the little up/down scroll button.

Oh, also the positioning of the USB ports might not allow big flash drives, etc.

I got this keyboard wanting to get something a little different and a little quiet compared to what I'd be able to get at a local Best Buy for example if I were to just walk in and pick up any shiny keyboard.

That said this keyboard is rock solid. The feel combines some of the old school elements of the old clacking IBM keyboards with a new feel. It looks like a kind of retro device, but all the elements at the top are new in terms of functionality. Also on the 'new' side is the keys themselves. Being an IBM / Lenovo device the keys don't have that classic IBM clack clack sound, but are instead pretty silent and slick. That may or may not be a good thing depending on how much of an IBM follower you are, but otherwise it's something I like.

Overall I can recommend this to anyone looking for something different, and fans of the old IBM keyboards of the past. Definitely not entirely retro, but otherwise a very solid keyboard with modern conveniences.

I've had this keyboard for over a year now and I am quite satisfied with it. I am not overly particular about keyboards but I have come to enjoy this one. The size and feel is great- there is little or no flex in the keyboard and the keys are responsive and feel very reassuring. The internet back and forward keys work well and i use them often. its set up just about perfectly so that you can wrap your left fingers just below the media and internet nav keys and use your thumb to control them all. The Access IBM button is great for use on a Lenovo box, but since I'm using mine on a laptop, it would be wonderful to have a function key that mimicked the fn controls on a notebook (in my case, fn+f4 renders sleep, etc). I got it in a set with the Lenovo mouse with the non-rolling scroll control and while it takes getting used to, I have come to use it happily as well. It should be noted, however that while most everything functions properly with this, some things don't like using it. I can get around it if i need to by plugging in any other common wheel mouse and then the Lenovo control seems to work fine from there on. While this is a hassle, I've only encountered 2 individual programs that wouldn't recognize this and they were not common. Overall, the keyboard is a great addition to my Lenovo computing family. Oh and the usb hub doesn't do a great job with supporting pretty much anything that doesn't run on its own external power source (low bus power supplied)

Not exactly a stealth keyboard, but good tactile feedback - which I prefer as a touch-typist and decades-long fan of the classic IBM 101 keyboard.

Has a lot of intriguing extra function buttons, which I haven't gotten around to investigating yet (and probably won't -- except for the handy volume controls!)

My previous keyboard started to have problems so I looked for something like the old IBM keyboards which are beautiful . I found this newer Lenovo offering and decided to purchase it . I'm quite happy with it, not the least because it costs about $80 less than an actual IBM keyboard and feels about the same . It makes less noise, so people around me are happier since I am a noisy clickety-clack typist ( so I'm told ). My fingers can find all the keys easily and the black color complements my black Lenovo T60 laptop and monitor . The 'mute' button works on my current Debian 6 / Gnome 2 desktop and I just discovered some USB slots on the rear of the keyboard that will be handy .

As for negatives, there are few, but I suppose the key strike might be a *tad* too soft. I don't know how you could get it perfectly between too soft and too hard like the IBM keyboards , though . Generally, I'm happy with this keyboard . I wish I had bought this first before I bought a cheap $20 small USB Logitech keyboard at BestBuy a few weeks ago . That was too small , too cramped . This one, just right !

If your work on computer essentially based on mouse moves and if you have only a little to type on, this is a 5 star keyboard even saves you from excessive mouse moves. This is only a 2 star keyboard if your work on computer essentially based on writing.

I bought this keyboard because of the info I found on Amazon reviews and on several forum boards about how quiet it is. I was specifically looking for a quiet keyboard and was willing to put up with the retro-clunky look of this one to get quiet. Well, surprise. This is probably the most clackity-loud keyboard I've ever used. The noise actually goes well with the retro-clunky look. Regarding that look, this thing is so fat at the backside that it does not slide into my standard keyboard tray without first collapsing the little elevators in back. I always have those up on my keyboards as I find it uncomfortable typing on a flat-to-the desk keyboard. Bottom line: If you like a noisy keyboard hat looks straight out of 1984, go for this one. I'm still looking for a quiet keyboard.

If you think you are going to get a quality IBM keyboard for this price, think again. This is a cheap keyboard in IBM black to make you think it's something it's not. I just removed this keyboard from the system I was using it with, because I finally got fed up with retyping the dropped characters. I'd return it if it weren't used. If you are a good typist (I'm a fast touch-typist), do yourself a favor and buy a quality keyboard instead of junk like this.

I bought this keyboard and mouse directly from Lenovo with an X61 with Ultrabase and monitor. The mouse worked but the keyboard did not. After 2 replacement keyboards Lenovo agreed, reluctantly, to allow a return with refund. There are no instructions with the hardware describing how to set up the keyboard. The detailed instructions I got from the support desk at Lenovo did not work either.

I read online for a good quiet keyboard and it pointed to this keyboard. So I ordered one, and it is the loudest keyboard I ever used.

dónt buy it if you want a little quiet keyboard