Easy Launch Buttons

Most of the i Series ThinkPads featured colorful programmable application launch buttons. They were placed on the upper left edge of the keyboard, where the volume buttons can be found on other ThinkPads. The same keys were featured again on the S30 and S31 models. Depending on the model, there were three or four keys and their color codes were not consistent with their labelling: models with three keys          models with four keys Home Search Mail Home Search Office/Shopping Mail

Linux support

It seems like no one ever brought this to work.

People were trying to get the specs from IBM, but the OEM producing these controls (ACER?) refused.

If the buttons really were produced by ACER, this driver may help.

Models featuring this Technology

featuring three buttons

• ThinkPad i Series 1200, i Series 1210, i Series 1230, i Series 1250, i Series 1260
• ThinkPad i Series 1300, i Series 1330, i Series 1370
• ThinkPad i Series 1620
• ThinkPad i Series 1800
• ThinkPad S30, S31

featuring four buttons

• ThinkPad i Series 1410, i Series 1411, i Series 1412, i Series 1420, i Series 1421, i Series 1422, i Series 1441, i Series 1442, i Series 1450, i Series 1451, i Series 1452, i Series 1460, i Series 1472, i Series 1480, i Series 1482, i Series 1483, i Series 1492
• ThinkPad i Series 1512, i Series 1540, i Series 1541, i Series 1542, i Series 1552, i Series 1560, i Series 1562, i Series 1592