Manufacturer of flexy W500 keyboard identified! (How to identify Manufacturer of OEM parts)

I suddenly remembered that you can find out who the Manufacturer of a part is by looking at the UL certification logo. Close to this logo you will find a number that starts with E-followed by numbers. Go to this site http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/gfilenbr.html and fill in the E and numbers only.



In the example above of the flexible W500 keyboard, we see that the UL file number is E97600 (boxed in red). If you input this number into the search field (don't key in the alphabets, B in this case), we get the following result...



So NMB manufactures the keyboard with FRU no. 42T3937! I checked the pads under the keys and surprisingly they were blue! NMB keyboards apparently have blue pads below the keys. If we assume that NMB keyboards are the best, then this new keyboard design is seriously flawed and going in the wrong direction.

I received my replacement keyboard today (FRU no. 42T3134) and it's also made by NMB. Note that the UL file number is the same.



The T60/T61-NMB keyboard is definately the keyboard to have on a Thinkpad. No more flex and noise from typing and making me feel that it's rock solid now.

 

lucky you.

 

To veemexx: did you observe or feel any difference in system temperature after putting a T61 keyboard on your W500? Some people said the flexible keyboard on W500 is to allow more airflow to prevent overheat??

 

The temperatures stay the same. The flexible keyboard has a plastic film sealing all the holes that you see in the base sheet metal. So no perceptible difference between the two keyboards.

 

Thanks a lot for your quick response!

 

Anyone know the difference between FRUs: 42T3209, 42T3273 and 42T3143 ?

Are they all made by NMB?

Thanks

 

ALPS, Chicony, NMB in that order

 

thanks for the reply. Are these parts compatible? What is the quality of other two brands?

 

They should all be compatible. Coincidentally, all my laptop keyboards have been NMB so I can't tell which keyboards are better than the other.

If you search around you will find that more people like NMBs.

 

I have just ordered a new T500. I couldnt be bothered waiting till I got the computer and checking if they keyboard was flexy so I just ordered the NMB T61 keyboard and got the supplier (employee purchase plan) to install the new keyboard for me prior to delivery.