So since we've been discussing my toxic fingers...
Anyone have any advice on how to handle computer keyboards whose letters wear off? It doesn't matter much for me and M since we know how to type, but it's a bit rough on poor Scott when he's trying to play alphabet games on PBS kids.
For awhile we had a standard off-white keyboard with black letters. I wore the markings off it. We didn't care until we felt bad for Claire when she was using it and couldn't find the letter she needed. Not to mention the fact that my dad would come to visit and whine to no end about it. (He's more of a "seek and ye shall find" kind of typist.)
So when we built a new computer a little over a year ago we bought a nice black keyboard to match our new case. Within a couple of months the letters started to wear off that one too. It's now so bad that about half the keys show only half a letter. Scott can't really identify the letters. And I keep asking M why we bothered getting a new keyboard? At least with the old one we could have just used a Sharpie to write the letters back on. Classy, no?
Lame plastic covers? Expensive laser projected keyboards? I've seen a lot of possibilities, but nothing cheap and elegant. Can anyone think of a solution that doesn't involve exorbitant cost or hideousness?
For now I'm leaning toward white nail polish and a little polyurethane.
6 comments:
Keyboards are cheap, get the kiddos their own keyboards. Then they can take them to their room and practice.
Then, you can carry on with your own 'polished' keyboard. Or you could buy the $90 Lenovo keyboard that I have (it is the same as my laptop's keyboard with the trackpoint and stuff). The keys on that have all been polished by my speedy typing, but the letters all appear to be under a thin plastic sticker anyway. They haven't worn off at all, and this keyboard has seen some miles.
It really drives my kids nuts though, because they can see the letters, but they don't match up with what is actually put on the screen since I use Colemak instead of qwerty (wow, there is a word that is harder to type in Colemak than in qwerty).
Oh, and as far as the ring goes, I think gold is one of the least reactive metals out there. Go for a 14K gold dipped titanium ring. Not gold plated; gold dipped. Yeah, go ahead and get it custom made, since you won't be able to find one. The titanium core for strength and the gold on the outside for reactivity. And throw on a diamond or two if you are into that. Heck maybe have the gold mixed with diamond dust so that the ring will still be able to scratch glass. I should really go into the ring design business. :)
hmm... white out is about as good of an ideas a nail polish. and then put a layer of clearn nail polish on top of the whole key?
Or perhaps just make a map of the qwerty keyboard, and hang it next to the keyboard for the kids? haha.
Have you thought about using small scrapbooking alphabet stickers? You could heat them w/ a heat gun to stick them on really well or clear coat them with poly. (I think you'd find nail polish would wear off much to fast.)
I'm just thankful you labeled the plastic covers "lame" before I left a comment ;-)
What kind of toxins does your skin emit? seriously?!! I have a cream keyboard with black letters on it (a split in half one, which most people hate, but I prefer) anyway, I've had it now for 7 years and there isn't even a HINT of letters wearing off of it.
as for the ring situation... I place my vote on jsut tattooing something on. Classy, right?
ooh, and just for fun, my verification word is "Chesti" (something of which I am not!)
e-bay has good replacement keys
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