What is the world coming to?

[Chris]

I spilt a little bit of water on my keyboard last night, just a tiny bit, like 2 tablespoons. This morning many of my keys no longer worked. Having had this problem before I knew that the water had shorted out some connections. I wonder why there cannot be a thin plastic membrance between the outside world and the electronics of a keyboard... it'd be so simply and prevent spill damage, but whatever...

So I went to Comp USA to get a new one, which is where I usually go. They didn't have any simple ergonomic keyboards. 85% of their inventory were keyboard/mouse combos, wireless, multimedia, a whole bunch of functions you'll never use but that will require that you to install drivers and controlling software on your PC (yay bloatware!).

The remaining 15% was made up of plain square keyboards, and singular multimedia ones. They only had one ergonomic keyboard, this "Microsoft 4000" behemoth that was full of multimedia functions I Did not want. Plus it was a different style. Rather than a more gradual slope towards the center it sorta peaked more steeply.

IT used to be nearly every keyboard was ergonomic... but whatever.

Now, what is the point with these multimedia keyboards? Multimedia buttons on everything from your monitor to your toaster were all the rage in the 90's, specifically on compaqs, until people realized that they sucked (or dell showed people that you didn't need them and you could save money by not paying for them). The problem with them is that they required software controls to work and that this software would always be running on your system sucking up system resources, and buttons are didn't always work well. Plus, who really needs a "web homepage" button at the top of your keyboard?

Really, I only see the extremely computer illiterate get any comfort out of multimedia keyboards. You know like old people who have an easier time understanding pushing a physical button rather than clicking a link.

Now does anyone here think that society as a whole is growing less computer literate? I don't, I think its obvious that as time passes computer literacy increases. So why have keyboards morphed into these multimedia behemoths?

Plus these of course have to use USB. I for one do not find USB ports nearly as reliable as PS2 ports. It probably has something to do with it being hotswappable. But I get irregularities with all my USB peripherals.

So. I went to comp USA, RadioShack, BestBuy, OfficeMax, Staples, Meijer (Grocery store with electronics section) Target, and Walmart. None of them had a plain ergonomic keyboard. Most didn't carry a single ergonomic keyboard, and if they did it was that MS one I mentioned.

I eventually found what I needed with the help of froogle

http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=ergonomic+ps2+keyboard&pid=2202084261966815598&oid=2945697583004899713&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=mrd

Until it arrives I guess I'll use some old square one I have somewhere.

[Chris]

So I bought one and had it shipped next day air. Then I bought a 5 pack of them, just incase they get completely extinct in the future.

[FPU]

To be honest Chris, I am so use to using the old stuff I don't think I could use that curved thing you show in your link! :lol:

I don't think it would fit in my sliding steel keyboard case anyway!

[Westech]

Ugh. I hate those ergonomic keyboards. I can never type correctly on them. I completely agree with you on the multimedia buttons being useless, though.

[chromate]

I have to agree. I can't use those ergonomic keyboards. Probably because I don't properly touch-type.

Speaking of spilling things on keyboards... I accidentally spilt hot tea on my laptop keyboard the other day! :o I've spilt a drink on a keyboard before and I know the damage it can do. So I grabbed the laptop and turned it upside down and shook it to try and shake off as much tea as possible. But then to just to finish it off I thought I'd dry it out as much as possible with a hair dryer. Unfortunately ended up melting a couple of the keys! Didn't notice them bending. Oops.

[Westech]

Many times when wet electronics dry back out they start working again. I've seen several keyboards come back to life after they dried out for a few days. My roommate in college dropped his cell phone in the toilet. He was able to take off the plastic cover and leave it to dry for a week or so - good as new!

Chromate: Maybe you should try the "no heat" setting next time! :D

[Doug]

I remember my mom used to have a plastic cover thing on her keyboard. It was several years ago but if anything would have spilled on it there was no way it was getting in. It wasn't hard plastic though, it was kind of rubbery. I didn't really impede typing either, it just looked stupid. But hey, if it keeps bad things from happening then who cares what it looks like.

[MrGeeK]

I don't have this problem!

I discovered years ago that keyboards were heading down hill fast, a zillion buttons, flimsy, and very light (so light they move around your desk when the wind blows!)

So over the years I have collected a few spare keyboards (about 30!). Their plain, their heavy, they _click_ when you push a button, and they are comfortable to use.

I'll be stuffed in 10-15 years time when they all finally wear out, or there is some other connector that I can get a convertor to suit, but in the mean time I'm happy. (If a little tight on space, the spares take up a lot of room!)

[moonshield]

I actually use a cheap-piece-of-junk MEMROEX(sp) keyboard. It's one of those squares and it has some sort of key protection. I once had to take all of the keys off and spray some cleaning solution to clean it, it still worked after being thoroughly doused with Krud Kutter so I guess it does something decent.

[The New Guy]

How ergonomic are those keyboards really? From what I hear the best thing ergonomic wise is to have a good chair which is well positioned and has arms (also well positioned). I also read that the QWERTY style keyboards are also bad because the most used keys are farest away from the center make you reach to much.

[KLB]

I've been using ergonomic keyboards for almost ten years. They can really help if you are a touch typer. Basically they allow the wrist to remain straight while typing. I hate all of the non-traditional buttons on the keyboard, but I do like having a touch pad built into the palm rest below the space bar. I use an Adesso "Enhanced Keyboard". I've owned/used about four of these types of keyboards over the past eight years or so. I'd never go back to a real mouse nor a normal straight keyboard.

[platinum]

I really hate those keyboards, sorry chris! Got a few sitting in a box at work, no one wants to use them. :p

Much prefer the new really chunky microsoft keyboards, possibly the best I've used - had a huge padded area for your wrists and the keys are just right. But it's the same with any keyboard, you get so used to it, but after a week of using something different you get used to that too. ;)

[deronsizemore]

I just bought a Logitech MX5000 wireless keyboard/mouse combo and it's very nice. It's all through bluetooth. I love the no wires! It does have a lot of the shortcut buttons..but I don't really use them, although there are a couple I use just cause they are convenient.

[Cutter]

I agree with chris on those combo keyboard things. I don't need anything fancy, the cheaper the better because then I don't have to worry about it breaking.

Right now I'm using an old non-ergonomic keyboard with a telephone-spiral cord and it has a sticker on it that says "property of Hewlett-Packard." I bought it at a garage sale may be 8 years ago. This replaced an older keyboard I spilled water on.

I'm about to buy an ergonomic keyboard.. last night I was actually looking into buying an ergonomic mouse that kind of lays on its side, but it was a little pricey.

[r2d2]

I use an Adesso "Enhanced Keyboard".

These look good, do you have a mouse wheel equivalent?

[Billyray]

Many times when wet electronics dry back out they start working again. I've seen several keyboards come back to life after they dried out for a few days.
Yeah don't give up on that keyboard. I spilt coffee all over my keyboard last month. Keys weren't working and that sticky touch was annoying. Took it to the sink and ran hot water all through the keys (about 30 seconds), let it dry for two days and then it was back to normal.

[Mullen]

The multimedia keyboards are everywhere these days. I bought one a few weeks back, it does have additional buttons but I don't think they work (I never installed any additional software, I just plugged it in).

I should plug in all my old keyboards which I thought were dead because I spilt water over them, I'll probably find they're all working. :)

[Todd W]

Cell phone in rain for 4 hours it auto-turned off (shorted i`d imagine).

Hair dryer, day later,... worked. :flare:

Chris you sound like me, I finaly found a mouse pad I love and got 3 of them! LOL.

[Chris]

So I bought one and shipped it next day air, then a case of 5 and shipped ground... the ground case actually arrived the next day, and an hour before the air shipment.

[Cutter]

Where they shipped from somewhere nearby? When I order cigars from cigar.com in Chicago they usually arrive the next day from normal shipping where as other cigar retailers take at least a week.

[dc dalton]

Gee I use those keyboards too... Guess I'm going to have to scarf up a bunch the next computer show I go to... I can barely type on a normal one

[Erin]

I bought one of those multi-media keyboards a while ago because I somehow believed I was missing out on something. The one I bought (a Logitech) was well-reviewed on Amazon, so I got it.

I do NOT use any of the multi-media keys at all. And the one I have steals the function buttons, so when I go to hit F5, it performs some action (a bookmarked page) that I don't want. I always forget to turn off the custom function keys.

Right now my preferred keyboards are the simple black ones that come with new Dells, the cheapest ones. They work fine for me.

[Giles]

I'm not quite a touch typer, but im pretty fast.
I'm happy with my chunky white Apple keyboard, or any other simple no-frills job. I've always despised multimedia shortcut buttons, I hardly use the Function keys either.

[Blue Cat Buxton]

Ive got a multimedia keyboard on this pc - never used the buttons, never. Don't even know how to assign them a useful function. They are there just taking up space on my desk.

That said, a collegue has just got a new Dell and that has a horrible keyboard - as small as you like but really 'clicky'.

[r2d2]

Its amazing the difference a quality interface (Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor) can make to a computer.

People moan about MS's software, but I love my basic, quality MS keyboard and mouse.

[Giles]

Im a spacial Mac user!

[mini]

umm...I agree with Chris. Ergonomic keyboards are good for you (especially if you're a touch typer). I have few colleagues and friends who suffer from RSI (Repetitive Strain injury) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_injury

It's pretty severe, some of them cant type or use their hands at all. One of them even crippled her top half of her body - couldnt do anything, took 6 mths for her to get better. It's not a curable disease. BEWARE if you use computer a lot.

[KLB]

These look good, do you have a mouse wheel equivalent?

Yes, it is the right hand edge of the track pad. There is also a horizontal scroll using the bottom edge of the track pad. The left hand edge of the pad is for changing font sizes and the top edge is for navigating forwards or backwards through web pages. The upper right hand corner is used for left mouse clicks although I usually use one of the buttons.

One hack I do to these keyboards when I buy them is open them up and cut off the post to the power switch and then superglue the power switch so that it is inoperable. I've bumped the power switch many times by accident which caused my computer to shut down at really inconvenient times. :bawling:

I sent them a suggestion once to add the ability to disable power switch and they replied back in a positive fashion so maybe they'll add this ability at some point in the future.

[r2d2]

Ah that sounds cool, maybe I shall look at that seriously for a replacement.

Thanks for the tip on the power switch if I do get one :)