Thanks for the cardboard backing tip, I had the trackpoint button problem too and that fixed it! Someone should definitely add that to the official wiki page when they get the chance.
You are right on the layout of the classic Thinkpad keyboard is fantastic and is the closest to a desktop keyboard, however after using this new X230 keyboard, and I rather not go back.
I don't know... I have both X220 and X230t. For me, both keyboards have good enough feel, however in terms of layout I much prefer the X220. The difference is probably only noticeable if you're a heavy user of Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys - e.g. a software developer
About to attempt this on my X230T once the shipping from China arrives. Pro-tip: You could've used a JIS japanese layout keyboard. Not only it's pretty much the same (save for the missing key between left Shift and Z) and cheap at about 30€, it also looks cool and, most important, it has 4 keys that are unused in a normal european layout, that can be remapped on any OS that supports remap features, like Linux or Windows.
Actually, I'm doing a keyboard change in my X230 Type 2325 and this just randomly popped up in my recommended XD. I'm getting a backlit keyboard installed into it. Hope the installation goes well! old laptop parts are pretty hard to get in India. I'd love to get some hardware tips for my thinkpad Edit: Well, it turn out I got a normal keyboard! atleast two of my broken keys have been replaced
If you are changing the non-backlit keyboard with a backlit keyboard the swap should be no problem since they both have the same "new" keyboard style. As far as I know it is a simple swap without any other modification (such as BIOS or taping contacts) needed. Good luck and have fun with the new keyboard!
Thank you for subscribing! I think it is not possible to use the backlight of the X230 keyboard even though it should fit mechanically into the X220. Remapping of the Fn keys is also not possible. But I am not 100% sure on that.
I really like your video, but I want to ask that if I buy an x220's palm rest with a fingerprint option so that I can still use fingerprint without any problem?
Great video. I think I have the similar issue with you (video 3:00). You mentioned the problem with the mouse buttons. Could you show me the step-by-step guideline to solve the issue? I don't quite understand what you said. (I am stuck with the issue and don't exactly know how to solve it) Thank you.
Thank you! This issue exists because the contacts right beside the tape's contacts are pushed away from the tape. A thinner tape would help here. Also check if the tape does only cover the contacts it should (see link in the description). I additionally placed a piece of cardboard between the gray rubber and the metal clamp (3:10) to put more force onto the ribbon cable (after shooting the video). I hope I could help you with that!
Hello from Brazil. Thank you for this satisfactory video, I followed the procedures following the video and documentation and everything went well. My BIOS is version 2.74 G2ETB4WW and EC 1.14 G2HT35WW, I did not update to version 2.75. And everything went well. In my case I enabled the battery patch, very simple, just run this command (make patch_enable_keyboard clean) before (make patched.x230.img) after that you will have an image of the EC with the keyboard and battery patch active. Thanks.
Great job, I've decided not to get an ips monitor for mine because of what I heard about extra battery consumption. I'd still love to hear turns out for you. Also, have you looked into any speaker modification?
Thank you! Until now, I did not notice a remarkable drop in battery life, but I'll keep an eye on that. A speaker mod also is very interesting and I have planned to do that someday :).
On the daily basis I use elementary OS which should get an update to ubuntu 20.04 in a few months. This will run perfectly on your X230 :). (alternatively: Pop OS, Ubuntu Budgie, Fedora)
Hi, thank you! It actually is a danish keyboard I found on eBay (Germany). It's a challenge to find one with the preferred layout that has a reasonable price.
The USB stick boots some sort of DOS, actually, then flashes the firmware. The system then reboots to finalize the flashing. It doesn't matter which OS you have installed, but you need Linux to create these EC update images. This can be done without installing Linux, just download an Ubuntu image and flash it to a USB stick using e.g. UNetbootin. Boot from the Ubuntu USB stick and use this system (that exists only in RAM) to do the steps described in thinkpad-ec instructions. Would be handy if someone would just host pre-built images.
@@classicdome9347 wow thanks for responding my comment, btw i am curious about the performance if major spec was modified such as does it work with 18xx MHz DDR3 RAM while basic ram speed is 1600 MHz?
@@SatriawanHariyanto I've installed 16GB of 2133 MHz RAM (HyperX Impact) and it works at full speed, according to HwInfo. It's just a bit faster than the 1600 MHz RAM, though. I wouldn't recommend specifically hunting for faster RAM, unless you can find it at a good price. In my case, I just wanted to throw money at this X230 I just bought.
Mmm, the best one is arguably the X220 one (same as X210, T410, T420, W510, W520) :) Which is why it's being installed into an X230 in this video. I've used both X220 and X230 keyboards heavily, and have to say both have pretty good typing feel. The X220 keyboard wins in terms of layout, that extra 7th row is a big deal if you're a heavy user of Home/End/PgUp/PgDn/Delete. Also, the X220 keyboard has the F1-F12 keys separated into groups of 4, making it less likely to use a wrong one. A couple of things I did to make life easier / reduce finger fatigue - remap Right Ctrl to Delete, and remap CapsLk to Right Ctrl (on Windows, this can be done by using SharpKeys or KeyTweak).
I love that this can be done but as someone who has used both keyboard versions I really do think this is an awful lot of effort to replace a keyboard that is still honestly incredible with the older one which is slightly better. The stock X230 keyboard is still better than any keyboard found on any non-thinkpad laptop, and even some desktop keyboards I have used. I guess "building an almost perfect thinkpad" just isn't as compelling a youtube series though.
You aren't wrong. In my example however, I have X220 keyboards handy and don't have any X230 one, so this can still be useful depending on the use-case.
I've done it on two X230t, there are no additional complications. You can use the same keyboard. You can also use an X220t palmrest and/or keyboard bezel. If using both, the keyboard doesn't need any modifications besides isolating the contacts (which some say is optional).
Never use keyboard backlight on my work MacBook, sometimes use ThinkLight on the X220 when I need to illuminate something but don't want to turn on the big lights
Thanks for the cardboard backing tip, I had the trackpoint button problem too and that fixed it! Someone should definitely add that to the official wiki page when they get the chance.
I wish this video was available when I did my keyboard swap. Good job :P
Thank you! :)
You are right on the layout of the classic Thinkpad keyboard is fantastic and is the closest to a desktop keyboard, however after using this new X230 keyboard, and I rather not go back.
Yeah, both types are really good keyboards! :)
I don't know... I have both X220 and X230t. For me, both keyboards have good enough feel, however in terms of layout I much prefer the X220. The difference is probably only noticeable if you're a heavy user of Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys - e.g. a software developer
About to attempt this on my X230T once the shipping from China arrives.
Pro-tip: You could've used a JIS japanese layout keyboard. Not only it's pretty much the same (save for the missing key between left Shift and Z) and cheap at about 30€, it also looks cool and, most important, it has 4 keys that are unused in a normal european layout, that can be remapped on any OS that supports remap features, like Linux or Windows.
hello mr heidegaff, i want to do this with am X230T too. hows your doing?
Underrated channel. Subscribed bro.
Thank you very much!!
Very clear guide. And relaxing music
The classic dome is the best but the rarest dome! Many people do not know about its existence.
PS Good job with keyboard.
Actually, I'm doing a keyboard change in my X230 Type 2325 and this just randomly popped up in my recommended XD. I'm getting a backlit keyboard installed into it. Hope the installation goes well! old laptop parts are pretty hard to get in India. I'd love to get some hardware tips for my thinkpad
Edit: Well, it turn out I got a normal keyboard! atleast two of my broken keys have been replaced
If you are changing the non-backlit keyboard with a backlit keyboard the swap should be no problem since they both have the same "new" keyboard style. As far as I know it is a simple swap without any other modification (such as BIOS or taping contacts) needed. Good luck and have fun with the new keyboard!
@@classicdome9347 Thanks! 🙂
May I know which keyboard did you installed and if you have the link? I dont want to get the Alps by mistake
Great video, subscribed! I have a x220 with classic keyboard, but would prefer backlit keyboard, is this possible? Thanks
Thank you for subscribing! I think it is not possible to use the backlight of the X230 keyboard even though it should fit mechanically into the X220. Remapping of the Fn keys is also not possible. But I am not 100% sure on that.
I really like your video, but I want to ask that if I buy an x220's palm rest with a fingerprint option so that I can still use fingerprint without any problem?
Thank you! You can buy a palm rest with a fingerprint option. It should work fine. I do not have one to verify though.
Great video. I think I have the similar issue with you (video 3:00). You mentioned the problem with the mouse buttons. Could you show me the step-by-step guideline to solve the issue? I don't quite understand what you said. (I am stuck with the issue and don't exactly know how to solve it)
Thank you.
Thank you! This issue exists because the contacts right beside the tape's contacts are pushed away from the tape. A thinner tape would help here. Also check if the tape does only cover the contacts it should (see link in the description). I additionally placed a piece of cardboard between the gray rubber and the metal clamp (3:10) to put more force onto the ribbon cable (after shooting the video). I hope I could help you with that!
Hello from Brazil.
Thank you for this satisfactory video, I followed the procedures following the video and documentation and everything went well.
My BIOS is version 2.74 G2ETB4WW and EC 1.14 G2HT35WW, I did not update to version 2.75. And everything went well.
In my case I enabled the battery patch, very simple, just run this command (make patch_enable_keyboard clean) before (make patched.x230.img) after that you will have an image of the EC with the keyboard and battery patch active.
Thanks.
Great job, I've decided not to get an ips monitor for mine because of what I heard about extra battery consumption. I'd still love to hear turns out for you. Also, have you looked into any speaker modification?
Thank you! Until now, I did not notice a remarkable drop in battery life, but I'll keep an eye on that. A speaker mod also is very interesting and I have planned to do that someday :).
Great videos!
Where did you get the Danish layout keyboard? I have trouble finding just that locale for cheap..
Thank you! It was listed at eBay Germany (used).
I like that intro
Thank you! :)
Can you custom the keybord with a back light for this model
What Linux distros you are using?? And also any recommendations for X230 having 4 gb of ram .
On the daily basis I use elementary OS which should get an update to ubuntu 20.04 in a few months. This will run perfectly on your X230 :). (alternatively: Pop OS, Ubuntu Budgie, Fedora)
@Vek What you're referring to as "Parabola linux" is infact "Parabola GNU slash Linux *dash* libre."
Hi, where did you find the German keyboard, I can't find it anywhere. Really nice video!
Hi, thank you! It actually is a danish keyboard I found on eBay (Germany). It's a challenge to find one with the preferred layout that has a reasonable price.
Hi got x230 from my brother. But vga port on x230 rusted. How to clean it? Any ideas
See my answer on your other comment :)
@@classicdome9347 😄 ternyata
lenevo why did you have to name 50 products x230
Hello Classic Dome, can i ask about how did you do the BIOS configuration? Do you have a step by step tutorial for that?
eh.. what application of piano is that ? love it so much
Thank you! I used the virtual piano you can find here: recursivearts.com/virtual-piano/
How x230i can swap to x220 keyboard?
Will the USB that was created with Linux work on a Windows X230?
The BIOS update is installed before even booting into the operating system. It will work with every OS, but has to be created with the use of linux.
The USB stick boots some sort of DOS, actually, then flashes the firmware. The system then reboots to finalize the flashing. It doesn't matter which OS you have installed, but you need Linux to create these EC update images. This can be done without installing Linux, just download an Ubuntu image and flash it to a USB stick using e.g. UNetbootin. Boot from the Ubuntu USB stick and use this system (that exists only in RAM) to do the steps described in thinkpad-ec instructions. Would be handy if someone would just host pre-built images.
Thank you!
One of my frustrations about the x220 was its lack of backlit keyboard, a shortcoming addressed in the x230.
Does the feature " think light" work in linux os?
Hi, thank you for the comment! The ThinkLight works in every OS since it is controlled by the EC of the Laptop.
@@classicdome9347 wow thanks for responding my comment, btw i am curious about the performance if major spec was modified such as does it work with 18xx MHz DDR3 RAM while basic ram speed is 1600 MHz?
@@SatriawanHariyanto Interesting question. I would guess that the difference would only be very small or not noticeable :).
@@SatriawanHariyanto I've installed 16GB of 2133 MHz RAM (HyperX Impact) and it works at full speed, according to HwInfo. It's just a bit faster than the 1600 MHz RAM, though. I wouldn't recommend specifically hunting for faster RAM, unless you can find it at a good price. In my case, I just wanted to throw money at this X230 I just bought.
@@GenePavlovsky wow i did not expect it will work, btw nice info
What software are you using for the virtual piano?
I used the virtual piano you can find here: recursivearts.com/virtual-piano/.
@@classicdome9347 nice, thank you
I'm interested in a keyboard swap and mod after getting another X230 one day.
Thank you for your comment! If you find a keyboard or have a donor machine and like the classic keyboard more, it is definitely worth it :).
X230 keyboard !!
The best keyboard in the Universe!
Thank me later!
I thank you now for the nice comment :D.
Mmm, the best one is arguably the X220 one (same as X210, T410, T420, W510, W520) :)
Which is why it's being installed into an X230 in this video.
I've used both X220 and X230 keyboards heavily, and have to say both have pretty good typing feel. The X220 keyboard wins in terms of layout, that extra 7th row is a big deal if you're a heavy user of Home/End/PgUp/PgDn/Delete. Also, the X220 keyboard has the F1-F12 keys separated into groups of 4, making it less likely to use a wrong one.
A couple of things I did to make life easier / reduce finger fatigue - remap Right Ctrl to Delete, and remap CapsLk to Right Ctrl (on Windows, this can be done by using SharpKeys or KeyTweak).
Where do you buy the classic keyboard
I bought it on eBay :)
@@classicdome9347 I bought one too. But after I install the keyboard it says: key stuck 46. I dunno what to do
what is the title of the intro sound???
The song is called "No.9 Esther’s Waltz" from Esther Abrami.
I love that this can be done but as someone who has used both keyboard versions I really do think this is an awful lot of effort to replace a keyboard that is still honestly incredible with the older one which is slightly better. The stock X230 keyboard is still better than any keyboard found on any non-thinkpad laptop, and even some desktop keyboards I have used. I guess "building an almost perfect thinkpad" just isn't as compelling a youtube series though.
You aren't wrong.
In my example however, I have X220 keyboards handy and don't have any X230 one, so this can still be useful depending on the use-case.
Can I use electrical tape instead of masking tape?
Yes I think so :). The thinner the better though.
Good job, a very detailed video, I'm about to buy an x230 but it's hard to buy a classic keyboard in my country :'(
Thank you! I'm happy you liked the video. I hope you find a classic keyboard eventually. Maybe try buying a defect X220. Good luck :).
@@classicdome9347 why don't you upgrade your screen to 13.3, that make the x230 look like a 2020 laptop :)
@@sonluonghoang8154 The "X330" mod is definitively on my to-do list, but I guess not in the near future. :D
@@classicdome9347 haha, also the quadcore cpu and type - C charger, but all of those things are kind of expensive
@@sonluonghoang8154 exactly :D
name of that song intro please :D
do you have one for the x230t?
As far as I know the keyboard of the x230 tablet is compatible with the one used in the x230. Nevertheless, I do not have one.
I've done it on two X230t, there are no additional complications. You can use the same keyboard. You can also use an X220t palmrest and/or keyboard bezel. If using both, the keyboard doesn't need any modifications besides isolating the contacts (which some say is optional).
Anyone here has a suggestion fix for my X230 chiclet with a non responsive right arrow key below the PgDn key?
I know your comment is 2 years old but I encountered the same problem. F12 as well won't work.
Thanks! My new style keyboard is buggy, so I'm replacing it with this one! :)
Thank you for your comment! It will be worth the swap :).
how to ruin a x230 downgroading it to a non-backlit keyboard
That's another way to put it xD
Never use keyboard backlight on my work MacBook, sometimes use ThinkLight on the X220 when I need to illuminate something but don't want to turn on the big lights
Once tried backlight keyboard - would never go back.
imagine needing to look at your keyboard at all
type more
Honestly, I like the 230 keyboard a lot more