Librem 16 form factor poll

Hardware Librem 16
1

Please share your opinion in this unofficial poll suggested by @irvinewade
so just maybe Purism can better match production with expectation. Time is of the essence.

  • No ethernet jack! I want a thinner profile (and maybe one more USB port).
  • I want a fragile “jaw” ethernet jack that doesn’t increase profile thickness.
  • I want a sturdy normal ethernet jack.
  • I don’t care.
0 voters
  • Let’s be thin and light! USB-C ports only. I can buy a hub to use USB-A.
  • Forget the hub! Give me some USB-A ports!
  • I don’t care.
0 voters
  • I want a spill-resistent keyboard because I eat and drink close to my laptop.
  • I want a normal keyboard because I’m not planning to spill anything.
  • I don’t care.
0 voters
1 Like
2

I want a keyboard that has a mechanical feel and a trackpoint.

7 Likes
3

I think you mean one of those “pencil eraser” mice in the middle the keyboard? Like this…

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/keyboards-and-mice/keyboards/4y40x49493

Personally I prioritize spill-resistance and I hate anything that gets in the way of my typing. But this is a poll so I have nothing against your stated preference. Looking at the numbers above, maybe we really do want 2 keyboard SKUs, probably at slightly different prices. So be it if the poll continues to indicate that.

1 Like
4

Yes. You’re the first I’ve heard complain that it gets in the way of typing. For me, the touchpads get in the way of typing. I usually use an external trackball, but sometimes even those can’t be easily used.

2 Likes
5

Personally, I prioritize parts availability/replace-ability. I use my devices a long time. For example, while I keep my keyboard pretty clean, after a while it’s just too much work to clean it. For me, $35 and 30minutes install time will get me a brand new keyboard (about once every 7 years).

1 Like
6

Now that you mention it, I’d rather not have a touchpad (or a trackpad) at all. Mini mice are very portable and permit a larger keyboard or embedded controller panel. But I think you have a point that trackpads are actually the less annoying of the two. Touchpads are frustrating because they don’t clearly separate left/right/middle click and sometimes interpret gestures in unexpected ways. Probably everyone has a different opinion on this, and it’s not a deal killer in any event.

3 Likes
7

The problem is that spills can leak everywhere, not just the keyboard. Spill-resistant keyboards are virtually indestructible and protect everything else under the hood, as well. Not that I’d argue against replace-ability, but both types of keyboard would be available as replacements.

2 Likes
8

I’d also vote for user replaceable keyboard. Moreover, I’d like to see more keyboard layout options. My preference is no numerical keypad but instead full size distinct Home, End, PgUp, PgDown, Delete and arrow keys. Personally I like the layout which Keychron calls 80% layout.

1 Like
9

The photo in a post on the original topic appears to show that there is no numeric keypad.

Past experience suggests that the volumes just aren’t there to justify keyboard options.

1 Like
10

While that’s true, it is not my experience — it’s a low probability event that I don’t worry about (or it’s possible that the keyboards I’ve used [e.g. Thinkpads] are designed to isolate small spills to the keyboard). I’ve been using my personal laptops and desktops for 30 years. I’m pretty gentle with my hardware, but:

  1. I’ve had lots of laptop keyboards have issues (complete keyboard death, dead keys, keys no longer attaching) but I’ve never had a spill that affected the MB.

  2. For laptops the issues have been: fans (replace) + heat sink (reapply thermal paste), case and/or hinges (replace case), screen (replace screen), keyboard (replace), USB port (replace daughter board), batteries (replace), RAM (I’ve had one 4GB RAM stick die).

Because of this long experience, I’ve chosen machines where such replacements are not only possible (parts) but are easy (design = paying a bit more to get the “business version”), I’ve found it easy and inexpensive to keep a laptop running almost indefinitely.

Laptops where the screens and/or keyboards are glued in are a non-starter for me. Laptops where I can’t easily get a replacement keyboard and fan+heatsink are a non-starter.

1 Like
11

All those bother me a lot with every touchpad I’ve tried to use except Thinkpads, which have (sometimes including middle) separate buttons. The buttons integrated into touchpads seem to be getting worse, with with mechanical feedback almost completely gone. I also almost always disable touchpads because I always end up accidentally triggering all kinds of untintended actions, even with palm suppression enabled.

Probably too late for the Librem 16, but I strongly prefer 16:10 display aspect ratio to 16:9.

1 Like
12

To your point, I wonder if it’s possible to have a spill-resistant keyboard that isn’t glued down. I’m pretty sure this is indeed possible, as it’s all just a big rubber membrane that fits through holes in the case, and at most is sealed in place with removable adhesive around the perimeter. Maybe someone here knows better.

1 Like
13

Agreed on the separate buttons. Ideally I’d like separate buttons that are also spillproof. The whole touchpad gesture thing is totally unintuitive and difficult to even discover.

+1 for 16:10 because it provides space for a thin control panel along with a FHD or 4K video.

1 Like
14

And for anyone worried about USB-C vs USB-A: I just remembered that you don’t even need a hub. There are cheap solid-state dongles that will convert USB-C into USB-A. Like the size of a nickel.

1 Like