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Horrendous Keyboard Backlighting

netuser

Member
In certain lighting conditions, the keyboard backlighting is worse than useless. It can make the letters go from hard to read to invisible.
I noticed a similar effect with the HP x360 laptop.
Light silver keys and white back lighting doesn't work well. Kind of like writing with white ink on white paper.
Is there any trick to make the backlighting help make the keys more rather than less legible?
 

TimberWolf

Member
I find that, in all but very dim rooms, turning off backlighting is much better than even full brightness backlights. Should help battery life, too.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Agreed, but not "Horrendous".

When the screen is tilted at a particular angle in a moderately lighted environment, the whitish-blue lighting from the screen reflects from the silverfish (plastic) and blueish (LED) colors of the key tops, reducing contrast.

Darker keys would help maintain contrast.
 

SeanP

Member
I have backlight off unless the room is fairly dark. I like the backlight on this in this situations, but I agree that when in lighter areas, the keys cannot even really be read. I think that's the difference between a black keys on the Macs and this device. Black keys I can see it clearly in any situation.
 
OP
N

netuser

Member
Agreed, but not "Horrendous".

When the screen is tilted at a particular angle in a moderately lighted environment, the whitish-blue lighting from the screen reflects from the silverfish (plastic) and blueish (LED) colors of the key tops, reducing contrast.

Darker keys would help maintain contrast.

If you have backlit keys and can't read the letters in any lighting situation ("moderate lighting?") because of poor contrast, it is pretty horrendous.

Users shouldn't have to be in a dark room so they can accommodate the shortcomings.
That poor contrast of keyboard letter color/backlight color vs keyboard background color should have never passed their user testing.
 
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