Chacham's Journal: Chronicle: Keyboard woes

Got a new keyboard. It had a sleep button on it or something. I've never used them on purpose, though often hit not on purpose. Given the placing of the button, i hit it a few times already, and crashed Mozilla or Agent. This past time i had just written a reply in Agent, and after losing it, decided to take the board apart and remove the buttons, being attempts to pop them proved fruitless.

Took it apart and lost little plastic thingies, and now some buttons won't work. And that was after a lot of work. What a waste of ten bucks. If it just said "Made in China"on the *outside* perhaps i would have avoided it. Seems to be everything made for America in China is of worse quality than the Slashdot spell checker.

So much for iconcepts keyboards. They're now on my blacklist together with Memorex (MemTek).

--

So, back to this other IBM keyboard i have. It's great except its missing [F5] and the spacebar needs some extra hitting. I guess it's back to the store for another KB later, though this time, i'll be more careful about keyspacing. Hmm... there was a Kensington keyboiard in clearance. Nothing special about it, but if that's the same Kesington that makes those fancy keyboards, perhaps...

IBM

[FroMan]

I have an IBM that is built like a tank. As with most of my computer accessories, I want to be able to beat someone to death and still have it functioning afterwards.

Re:IBM

[Chacham]

Yeah, IBM KBs are wonderful. I should really just splurge for one of those......

Re:IBM

[FroMan]

When it comes to accessories that can be migrated to thenext machine, go with the best. The IBM one I use has outlived probably 6 computers.

Re:IBM

[Chacham]

It's amazing. Each company must make one good thing. For IBM it's the keyboard, what are other components that always travel? Who makes the best mouse? Who makes the best monitor?

Re:IBM

[FroMan]

Logitech mice. Their opticals have the best computer feel. Otherwise I also have liked Kensington before, but I have not tried one of their opticals yet. Make sure you go optical though with mice, the control is much better.

Which is not to say if you like natural feeling components (like mice or keyboards) it is that nice. Personally I do not like the natural keyboards or mice as they feel very unnatural to me.

Monitors are not nearly as cut and dry. You have to look at particular lines from brands he

Monitor

[bettiwettiwoo]

One of our monitors broke down last weekend.

Any suggestions for a good monitor to use primarily for DVDs, mpeg4s and game play?

You took it apart. *YOU* *TOOK* *IT* *APART*!

[Fortunato_NC]

I'm not sure I see the issue here. You bought the keyboard, didn't like the way the keys were laid out, and instead of putting it back in the box, taking it back to the store, and picking out a different keyboard, you took it apart.

Now it's broken, and you're posting on Slashdot complaining about the quality of Chinese-made goods.

Ergonomic issues aside, YOU TOOK THE @#$% THING APART! No one in their right mind would blame the manufacturer in this case. If I bollixed my iPod trying to put in a color screen

Re:You took it apart. *YOU* *TOOK* *IT* *APART*!

[Chacham]

Heh.

The problem here is that the buttons were too close together to start off with. Plus, keyboards are traditionally take-apartable. That's how it is cleaned.

To take it apart, there are easy access screws, and no warnings otherwise.

Funnily enough, i am using the kb right now, and the keys seem to work. I attached it again becvause the other KB was elsewhere....

Strange. I still think i'm going for another kb.

Alcohol-related Problem

[bettiwettiwoo]

IMO, the problem with keyboards is alcohol-related. They can't stand it apparently. As soon as you pour the smallest amount of alcohol over them, bye-bye keyboard. There ought to be a law!

I'm on my second Microsoft ergonomic keyboard at the moment, which I love dearly; I'm rather broad-shouldered so the ergonomic 'split' works really well for me.

I have used nothing but Logitech mice since 1997 something.

Re:Alcohol-related Problem

[Chacham]

I have used the natural keyboards. The first one was awesome. However, the 2.0's changing the arrows from upside-down t back to Apple style (something i would have appreciated years ago), turning the six-key home block on its side, and making the Function keys thin threw me away from them.

Stumped

[bettiwettiwoo]

I'm stumped. And flabbergasted. There are 2.0 versions of the 'natural' (which is 'ergonomic', right?) keyboard?!

I'm not sure which one I have got ... and I'm not sure I understand your description either.

My home/end/delete buttons sit in a little cluster of six (3 long; 2 wide); my arrow buttons in a little cluster of four (left and right next to each other; up and down above and below them). All those buttons are rectangular rather than square. This is completely different from a 'standard' keyboard whe

Re:Stumped

[Chacham]

Yeah, you have 2.0. I just pulled a 1.0 out of the basement. Tomrrow, i ought to see if it still works.