I recently wrote about some issues I’ve had with my Dell Mini 9. Since I received my Mini its had issues with the keyboard, primarily that the spacebar wouldn’t respond. Something I’ve heard several other people say; leading me to believe it’s a flaw in the design.
A quick chat with Dell support and a new keyboard was on the way. Shipped FedEx Priority Overnight no less.
I ordered my Mini within hours of it being released, so it’s a fairly early unit. When I received the new keyboard I was rather disappointed to see the it was marked “A00″ – which is Dell-speak for version 1.0. So obviously when I saw that, it was a bit frustrating. What’s the point in replacing a flawed keyboard with another flawed keyboard?
After removing the existing keyboard I found something I really didn’t expect; the existing keyboard was marked “A02.” So my early model Mini has the newer keyboard! So, let’s take a quick look at what we know so far:
- A00 – This keyboard has the same layout as the A02; the keys are printed a bit darker making it harder to see in low light. The keys are a bit stiffer when you press them, and all the keys seem to respond reliably.
- A01 – I’ve yet to see any information on this one, though we must assume it exists.
- A02 – This version has brighter printing on the keys though seems to have a defect affecting at least the spacebar and perhaps other keys. Pressing the keys, they feel somewhat cheep or flimsy.
These details are for the US-English, 61 key layout, Dell part # M958H. There is also an US-International version (U061H) floating around with a somewhat different layout that some people may prefer.
Though I don’t like how dark the Aoo keyboard is, it does seem to correct the issue with the keyboard missing presses. The process of changing the keyboard only takes a few minutes and the instructions cover everything you need to know.
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Getting a mini keyboard is usually like getting a pager instead of a cell phone. You could kind of get the job done but in no way will the pager get the job done in the same time and as easily as the cell phone will.