I have been looking forward to the release of the Japanese ISO keyboard for the Framework 13. At the moment I have the US keyboard on my 13. I was curious if I need to get the entire input cover to swap it out or if I can get away with just the keyboard.
It looks like it might work with just the Keyboard but there is nothing in the item description (unless I missed it) that says the US input cover is incompatible. Does anyone know for sure if the keyboard is compatible with the cover or if I need to get the input cover as a whole?
The input covers are all the same execpt the keyboard that comes pre-installed. The reason it’s recommended to buy an input cover rather than just swapping the keyboard is that the keyboard has a lot of really timy philips head screws that strip easily. Every person I’ve seen attempt a swap has stripped at least one keyboard screw.
3 Likes
Thank you for the info.
I will take that under advisement regarding swapping the keyboard. I am no stranger to working with tiny/fragile screws, my bigger concern would be losing them. I may just try carefully disassembling my current input cover before I buy it. If I fail, I’ll get the whole cover, if I succeed, I will just get the keyboard.
If you do want to attempt this, I would recommend using something like the ifixit screwdriver which will allow you to apply more downwards force. This can help to minimize the possibility of stripping screws.
2 Likes
I do have one of the larger iFix kits and I absolutely love it.
1 Like
I did get just the keyboard and it was quite straight forward to replace. Just a lot of screws. Everything works on the cover still and I have been using it for a few weeks now. I am going to call it a success. Anyone who is looking to do the same thing, take your time and use a proper screwdriver.
5 Likes
