Here's the box the keyboard came in. I bought it at the PPUG meeting from Jason, who carried it back from Japan. Now it is possible to get them in the U.S. from MacImports. The keyboards are available in clear plastic, several translucent colors, and standard PowerBook charcoal gray. Mine was translucent blue.

Setting up my work area. I did this at my desk so that I could simultaneously use my iMac to read the detailed instructions for disassembling a 2400 at the Mobile-Dog web site. Note that the instructions on that site are incomplete, but they include all the steps required to work on the keyboard of your 2400. I won't try to replicate those excellent instructions, but I did take a few pictures in the process which you may find useful. I would suggest that you go to the Mobile Dog web site or find other detailed take-apart instructions before undertaking the installation.

The first step is to use a pin to take off the thin plastic screw covers from the top corners of the PB2400, then remove the two screws with a Phillips screwdriver. The only tools I needed were a pin, two sizes of Phillips screwdrivers, a small flat head screwdriver (for prying some small latches), and a place to put the screws once they were removed. I used a sheet of self-adhesive paper so that I could keep the screws organized. I only ended up removing eight screws in total.

After the first panel has been removed. I found this panel to be a bit tricky to remove and to replace. It requires a bit of force to remove and to snap back into place. I had to fiddle with it when replacing it, to seat it correctly. There is a loose thin piece of plastic under this panel, which you can slide out and slide back in. Sliding this long thin plastic part all the way back when you're reassembling the PB will make it easier to get the panel back into place.

I didn't bother disconnecting the ribbon cable for the trackpad, so I propped up the entire palmrest piece while I worked. In this photo both the old keyboard and the palmrest have been swung up and out of the way. There are six screws holding the keyboard down, and after these are removed and the keyboard is flipped up and back, you can see the two ribbon cables that need to be detached.

I used a very small flat head screwdriver to push up the plastic connectors that hold the ribbon cables in place. The two plastic connectors are similar but one is "upside down" compared to the other. You'll see what I mean by this once you get that far. I found it a bit awkward trying to get the new ribbon cables into place, but it's not too difficult.

After reassembling all the parts, here is the finished product (large file). A few keys are in different places. The new keyboard makes better use of space, so it has one more key (an extra Apple/Command key on the right-hand side of the spacebar) and each key face is larger (the keys on the original keyboard are tapered, so the top of each key was smaller). There is also more play in the new keys. The spacebar is smaller, but I only ever hit the space bar in one spot anyway -- as evidenced by the shiny area on my old space bar where I've worn off the finish with my thumb!

Detail of left side of keyboard. Note blue LED on Caps Lock key, switched locations of Caps Lock and Control keys, and new location of `~ key (it's now in the location I had always expected it to be in).

Detail of right side of keyboard. Note different key shapes and locations. The Delete key is a much more reasonable size, and the Return key is a more normal shape. By getting rid of the (idiotic) blank space between the right-hand Shift key and the /? key, this keyboard has room for a bigger Shift key on the right-hand side. Less reaching!

Here is a large photo of the keyboard, for those who want to see it in detail.