BIG MISTAKE WITH THIS LAPTOP Additionally, unlike the Creator Z17 HX, the Creator M16 HX lacks Thunderbolt 4 ports and is instead powered by a single USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C port.

Exaggerating a bit, I have desktop instead of a notebook so that I can use an almost perfect keyboard. Instead buying a notebook should fulfil the promise of its mobility advantage. However, using a notebook together with my external keyboard would lose that advantage. Therefore, the notebook itself must have a very good keyboard and offer reasonable keyboard replacements for 7+ years.

I would accept a large notebook. Large notebooks can have good keyboard layouts, sufficient key travel, good build quality and a mechnical type (or other type of equally good user experience). Notebooks with some such properties exist. In fact, my notebook from 1995 to 2000 had all of these characteristics. Therefore, there is no excuse whatsoever of manufacturers not to offer them all in the same notebook.

The reasons why they do not do it any more are:
- incompetence
- exaggerated profit margins
- chassis form (thinness, size) over function

Good point Robert but please let me ask one question though or, in some way, give a suggestion - why don't you get a dedicated external keyboard to fit your needs? For example, this is what I have (+ one other); and while I absolutely love my X1's keyboard I even more love the convenience to just use the same excellent mechanical keyboard that fits my needs and usage with all other devices which I use including my phone when I want to type a bit more of text but I'm lazy to grab a laptop or sit in front of my desktop.

Another benefit is that with its width it fits perfectly on top of my laptop and I use it like that quite often, be it over the laptop keyboard or over the palmrest or under any angle... you name it. Variety, convenience, usability and no restrictions equals perfectly usable and comfortable experience. And when I'm on the go I mostly use just my laptop's KB as that is, again, more convenient.

So that would be my suggestion for you - find a machine you like but don't axe it from your consideration just because of its keyboard (unless that KB is really bad, heh). No laptop can match a mechanical KB experience so 70% good is still good enough, no? 

Having observed MSI's improvements on keyboard layouts in other notebook series, this series gets a cramped layout with small arrows and numpad, unfortunately.