Where can I buy a new/unused laptop with touch pad-mouse keys and without chiclet keyboard?

krs000a

Honorable
Mar 29, 2013
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Hi,
I need to buy a new laptop. I need one that meets this criteria:
-Must be brand new and never used
-Must have touch pad that features regular mouse buttons (not where the buttons are embedded inside the corners of the touch pad
-Must have traditional keyboard, not chiclet a.k.a. island keys, and keyboard needs to be full-size with numpad, not crunched together
-Must be able to install Windows 7 on it, no freezes or hangups due to incompatible hardware
-Would be nice if it has a DVD-Drive but no absolute requirement

Apart from the above, technical specs etc are not important, I just need it to do simple tasks on,
 
Solution
I suppose it was a design change that became popular. Why the design change? The chiclet keyboards could be easier and less expensive to manufacture. Likely makes implementing backlit keyboards easier and less expensive to manufacture as well.

xDeuiii

Commendable
Mar 1, 2016
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I kinda get the overall of what you want but for more precise recommendations, please fill these out.

1. What is your budget?

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

3. What screen resolution do you want?

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

5. How much battery life do you need?

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.

13. What country do you live in?

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
 

krs000a

Honorable
Mar 29, 2013
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1. What is your budget?
Max $700, but of course I prefer a much lower price if possible, if those main requirements I posted earlier are met.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
Actual size of the notebook itself (thickness etc.) unimportant. Screen size 16-17" would be nice, but would prefer at least 15".

3. What screen resolution do you want?
Doesn't matter. Low resolution will do.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
5. How much battery life do you need?
I'm not using it as replacement for my desktop, but I'll pretty much mostly be using it in my home, so battery life doesn't matter as I'll always have access to a electrical socket.

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Won't be playing games.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Simple tasks. Internet surfing, text editing etc.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
Not that important. 500 Gb minimum.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
Any site is OK, Amazon, eBay sellers.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
As long as possible. My current laptop is 6 years old and only reason I want to buy a new one is because the thing is physically breaking (the plastic hinges between the screen and the base are cracked and screen is difficult to raise up and down).

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
DVD-ROM is enough. Writing capabilities not necessary.

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
I really have no clue. My current laptop is a Toshiba Satellite which I have been happy with until the thing started breaking. However, it appears all current Toshiba laptops have those horrible chiclet keyboards. I suppose any brand is OK with me.

13. What country do you live in?
I live in Sweden, and while a laptop with Swedish keyboard would be my ideal choice, but the assortment of laptops in Sweden is extremely limited, I pretty much have ruled out the chances of finding one there that meets my other requirements. I am willing to sacrifice a Swedish keyboard in order to get a laptop that has the features I posted earlier. If I find a laptop for sale in the U.S., I have friends there who will let me ship my orders to their addresses and then have them send it to me (usually cheaper than having the store / seller shipping it directly to Sweden).

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I think that's about it. Again, I'm willing to compromise all the above, if my wishes in my original post are fulfilled. Most important is I find a laptop that has the kind of keyboard I like and capable of running Windows 7 (it does not need to come with Windows 7, I already have a license for it, the hardware just need to be compatible with it and Windows 7 drivers must be available).
I am willing to buy a "new old-stock" laptop from a private seller, on the condition that the laptop is new, never opened, never used.
 
Yeah, all modern laptops use some form of chiclet / island style keyboard for the last 3 or 4 years. You simply cannot avoid it. If a "traditional laptop keyboard" is an absolute requirement on a new laptop, then you have no options to choose from.

As for support for Windows 7, that's generally a bit easier. Look for for business laptop series such as Lenovo ThinkPads, Dell Latitudes and HP Elitebooks. They should have Windows 7 drivers available for download from thier website for current laptop models.
 
Who would have guessed Alienware laptops use traditional keys?


However, there seems to be two issues that does not meet the OP's requirements:

- No numeric pad even on the 15" Alienware 15 R2 model.
- No drivers for Windows 7. There are only drivers for Win 8.1 and Win 10.
 

Corwin65

Estimable
Nov 2, 2015
340
1
5,010
While I understand you have a list of things you want, we all do, you will probably need to adapt and change.

It will be hard, if at all possible, to find what everything you are looking for.
 

krs000a

Honorable
Mar 29, 2013
13
0
10,560
Thanks for all your replies.
I think I'm going to have to look for some new "old stock".
Btw, isn't it ridiculous that it's simply impossible to find a laptop without chiclet keys (apart from the overpriced Alienware brand)? What made those keyboards take over, do most people prefer them or is it just a stupid design trend simply leaving people no choice but to use them?
 
I suppose it was a design change that became popular. Why the design change? The chiclet keyboards could be easier and less expensive to manufacture. Likely makes implementing backlit keyboards easier and less expensive to manufacture as well.
 
Solution


I blame Apple. Hate the feel of those keyboards, I hate using laptops now for more than 15 minutes because of them, I am actually sticking to my Lenovo T420s because of the keyboard, it's fast enough for anything outside of gaming, and has a very good keyboard. Sold the T430s I had and stuck with an older model.