I’ve mentioned before that the keyboard on the Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 frustratingly cuts out while typing, which sharply reduces the utility of the keyboard while in laptop mode. It was an irritating problem that I nonetheless shrugged through because laptop mode is not the main reason I got the device. I got the device because I wanted a reliable and relatively powerful tablet. So far, it has proven to fulfill that role quite well.
Still, the keyboard issues vexed me, so, while waiting for a verdict in a trial last week (we got a mistrial, which–given the circumstances–was a good thing), I started poking around on Lenovo’s website to see if there was a driver fix for the keyboard. At the time, I couldn’t find one. But that’s because I was a couple of days early.
On October 22, 2016, Lenovo released a fix which can be found here. And, lo and behold, it works. Every keystroke is registered, and typing is much more enjoyable.
Lament the Trackpad
But, there’s a downside. The trackpad doesn’t work anymore. Which seems to be something Lenovo anticipated since the second step of the instructions to install the keyboard fix is to install trackpad drivers. Here’s the problem: the trackpad driver didn’t work. It installed just fine, and when you look at the properties for the device, there are no reported problems. But it doesn’t respond to touch. Comparatively speaking, I’d rather have a functioning keyboard than a functioning keyboard, since I have found I use the trackpad a lot less with the touchscreen (and hey, iPad Pro users don’t have the option for one at all), sometimes it’s nice to have the relative precision it can provide. So, the next time I get some free time, I guess I’ll track down what’s going on with that.
