Lenovo Y460 Keyboard Replacement

I've had this Y460 for over a year now and have (basically) been enjoying it quite a bit. Screen is really nice, it's a good size and weight, and it gets the job done, the job being: to surf the internet. There are only a couple of problems: it gets too hot (which is not usually a problem because it's on a cushion on my lap) and the keyboard is terrible. The keyboard's problem is that it's bilingual. You have to understand that in Canada, laptop makers are equipping these bilingual keyboards on almost all their laptops: the ones that seem exempt are more of the professional and business series stuff, so basically anything over $1000. For those more inexpensive models, we get a bilingual one.

What does this mean? Some of the buttons are changed around, which I can deal with, for the most part. But they made one grave error, that I can't forgive: they've shrunk the left shift button down, and pushed it further to the left. This key is the key that I use for capitalization every. single. time. When they move it, my decades of habit are ruined and I can't type properly. It's made typing very difficult, with a lot of mistakes. It's slowed me down but over the past year I've gotten pretty used to it.

When I first got this laptop I contacted Lenovo to see if the modified keyboard was on it: they assured me it wasn't, but I was obviously talking to someone who didn't know anything. I received the laptop and the funny keys were there; however, returning it would be a pain, and there wasn't any better option at the time. I even called them up to try and replace it, but it was a no go.

So the other day it popped into my head and I went looking online to see if I could buy a replacement US-layout keyboard. Turns out we have a guy in Ottawa selling them for $32. The others were all coming from Hong Kong, presumably where they are made. I placed my order and it arrived just a few days later. The switch is very easy: replacing keyboards on laptops is probably one of the easier things you can do on it. Flip the laptop over, take out the battery and remove seven screws. Flip it back over and the bezel just above the keyboard can be flipped up. This is always a scary part as you feel like you're breaking the plastic clips that are holding it there. A flathead screwdriver is a good idea here. The keyboard then slides out easily - although do it slowly as there is a thin ribbon that connects it to the motherboard. Flip a switch, pull it out and the other goes in just as smoothly. Snapped everything back into place and I was in business.

And now I have my regular, traditional keyboard back. And typing this up on it is much easier. Here is a comparison shot: the top is the old, bilingual one and the bottom is the US layout.