Common Building Block - Disadvantages

Disadvantages

• Although it promised interchangeable components, it does not include standards for graphics components.
• Keyboard standard does not include layouts incorporating separate keypads or pointing stick.
• The layout for navigation keys is widely different from the desktop 101/104-key keyboards, making it difficult for desktop user to switch to laptop keyboard layout. As a comparison, the keyboard layouts in Dell Inspiron and IBM Thinkpad arrange Ins, Del, Home, End, PgUp, PgDn keys in a 3x2 block; and Prtsc/SysRq, Scroll Lock/Num Lock, Pause/Break keys in a 3x1 block adjacent to the 3x2 block.
• The standard for keyboards specifies that 'all CBB compliant keyboards must comply to the Windows Vista Hardware Start Button specification beginning in 2007-06-01', marginalizing users of non-Windows operating systems such as Mac OS X, Linux, BSD, and others.