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Fn keys are proportionately smaller as the are cramming 17 key where Apple crams  14. The arrow keys are proportionately smaller to make room for a Windows only key which frankly the Eee PC omited. The "Delete", "\", Return", and right "Shift" are proportionally larger.

As for as the iPhone's KB I'll get back to you if I ever find a phone sized KB that I don't loathe & despite. Hell, I long for larger keys on my dumb cell phone and cordless phones.

Mr. T wrote:

But anyway, Vista is actually more rescale-friendly.  RI and font smoothing in Vista are more advanced than they are in OS X.  Well, actually, RI is incomplete on both platforms, but in Vista it's a user-accessible feature and many newer apps support it.

From what I saw the proper control panel is buried in BS in Vista but frankly I didn't mess with it long enough to matter. A real issue with that statement is a lot of people don't like Vista and thus downgrade losing RI. I will definitely concede the applications aspect of RI support. In Leopard, the few that support it do so brilliantly but not nearly enough do. Under Tiger (there are a few Leopard haters too) vs XP Tiger most definitely has the advantage and we won't even get into Leopard vs XP. Still RI doesn't change the fact that higher resolution is best viewed  when you have the physical real estate to take full advantage of it and operating  as if it were otherwise will only tire the eyes.

Way to miss the points.

The typing keys are still smaller just proportionally so and thus will still affect typing for a statistically significant group of users, You are right that I'm not gonna wish for a phone with full size KB, (Lord know I tray to avoid phone with any size KB) but a mobile computer (AKA Laptop) is another story.

Due to preferential differences and MS's propensity to bury stuff in BS that RI advantage for a Windows system can't be relied upon at worst and has visual ergonomic limitations at best. Especially since phone UI designers often (but not always) make considerations that Laptop OS UI designers do not (like fonts scaled to a moderately viewable size on screen by default).

ScifiterX wrote:

significant group of users,

??? we have a "significant group of users" diagnosed with gigantism ???

I have large hands and have no problem using the keys of the hp

In the picture I looked at, it looks like the letter keys are the same size, but that the long keys on the leftmost column are shorter than normal.  But for argument's sake, let's say that that the shorter keys only compensates for half of the 8% difference, which implies that the letter keys are 4% smaller than normal -- then so what?  I think you're blowing this wwaaaaayy out of proportion.  You're getting a laptop that'll fit in a large pocket.  You could take this thing places you'd never dream of taking a larger laptop, and all it'll cost you is 4% smaller typing keys?? I cannot emphasize enough how mild of a compromise that is.  Maybe that's not a compromise you're not willing to make.  But for people interested in an ultra-compact laptop, I doubt you'll find a single person unwilling to make that 4% compromise.

Last edited by Mr. T (2008-06-10 6:07 pm)

ScifiterX wrote:

Large as in long or large as in thick? There is a difference. You get someone with sufficiently thick digits and they are more prone to encounter issues on a small keyboard. Additionally, you get someone not particularly nimble with their hands and they are more prone to encounter issues on a small keyboard. Lord forbid you have both issues.

large and thick... I don't know many people with larger hands ... neither does my girlfriend ... like I have difficulty finding work gloves that fit; large.

mrreet2001 wrote:

like I have difficulty finding work gloves that fit; large.

I have that issue too but length is men's small/women's large and thickness is mens large. (They don't exactly make those.)

Again, I just find it peculiar that you're so adamantly bashing something that --1-- is only marginally smaller than a standard kb, and --2-- you haven't even used.  Unsurprisingly, the real-world reviews were impressive -- all linked from engadget (i.e. no cherry picking):

laptopmag (Video):

laptopmag wrote:

..you really get a full typing experience...

jkontherun

jkontherun wrote:

Here's the topic that most are probably interested in, how does the HP Mini perform in the real world?  Very well, I'm happy to report.  The high resolution display coupled with an absolutely awesome keyboard make the Mini a real trooper for field work.

Going with a 92% scaled keyboard was a good design choice by HP as it allows the Mini to be as small as possible yet without compromising the keyboard for touch typing.  I am able to touch type at full speed as fast as on any keyboard I've used and it doesn't feel like it's been scaled down at all.  The keyboard stretches all the way to both sides of the device with no wasted space at all.  The keys are full-sized and relatively flat on the top with good feedback and the HP DuraKey surface means they will not wear like normal notebook keys.

PC Magazine

PC Magazine wrote:

HP did a nice job of masking the fact that the keyboard scale is 92 percent, not full size. There's barely any spacing between each key, giving the illusion of a bigger keyboard. Typing up this review on the Mini-Note was almost as comfortable as it would have been on a mainstream laptop with a full-size keyboard and is hands-down better than the Eee PC's keyboard.

notebooks.com

notebooks.com wrote:

One of my favorite things about the HP 2133 is its keyboard, which is 92% of the size of a standard keyboard. I have big hands, but found the keyboard comfortable to type on for a couple of hours at a time.

notebookreview

notebookreview wrote:

The keyboard on the 2133 Mini-Note is great. To put it plainly, this is the best keyboard we've seen on a notebook this small. The keys have a silver finish and are smooth to the touch. There isn't a textured feel to the keyboard. The best thing though is how big it is. I mean, it almost is a full-sized keyboard, so writing papers on this thing is a breeze. No spelling errors due to hitting the wrong keys. I didn't notice any signs of flex and really liked that most of the keys were full sized except a few.

Last edited by Mr. T (2008-06-11 12:58 am)

They didn't overlook ergonomics at all; they addressed the issue point blank, and reported a positive experience.  I'm not going to agree that all of the reviewers were biased somehow.

erm.. no comment.

ScifiterX wrote:

for a couple of hours at a time

re: for limited usage

For most of the people in the target market, a couple hours at a time, a couple times per day is OMGI'VEBEENINFRONTOFTHECOMPUTERALLDAY!1!1!

They spend a lot more time drinking their coffee and making their sales pitches than authoring their Powerpoint.

And most of them don't touch type, either.

Ok that has a coolness factor to it all it's own.