posted
Okay, so, I spilled a gallon of water on my old friend, my ergonomic Microsoft "Natural Keyboard." Sigh... I had that puppy near ten years, it served me well.
I'm typing this on a dinky come-with-the-computer keyboard from my LAST computer, the E-Machine. God knows how long ago that was. God knows why I still have it around. But in any case, I'm now in the market for a REAL keyboard that suits large hands -- I can't survive on this tiny hellhole of buttons obviously designed for leprechauns. I need an ergonomic keyboard -- "natural" or not, I need it to be larger than normal and split down the middle.
Amazon.com has a crappy selection that I'm capable of understanding. So I turn to you, Hatrack techies -- which ergonomic keyboard do you think is best? I could just buy another Microsoft "Natural Keyboard" if there aren't any suggestions, but as I understand it, I was fairly lucky with getting such a quality one. They apparently have poor reviews.
...perhaps because they're not waterproof...
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Lalo, still have the keyboard you spilled on? Throw in the dishwasher, let it dry out well, then give it a try. Seriously, works wonders.
Posts: 2102 | Registered: Dec 2000
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So long as you don't use any soap, and preferably use distilled water, it should be perfectly fine.
Best way would be to fill a shallow tin or somesuch with distilled water -- a bathtub works -- and let it soak for a while, maybe a half hour. Then swish it around in the water a bit, then leave it out to air dry somewhere, upside down, for 3 or 4 days. I repeat, 3 or 4 days. Try it before then and you're asking for trouble.
Distilled water doesn't conduct electricity very well at all. You can submerge a computer in distilled water while running, theoretically, and it would continue to work. Of course, as soon as anything in the computer contaminated the water, adding some ions, you'd be screwed.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Lalo, If I were you, I would go to CompUSA or Best Buy or somewhere where they have the different styles of keyboards out in the open -- check them out, put your hands on them, decide which one you like, and THEN go on-line to order it cheaper.
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This reminds me of third grade when we were studying electricity and I asked what would happen if you dropped a battery in water. All the kids thought it would explode, but the (I guess it was someone's dad) dude talking said if the water were clean enough, nothing would happen.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I'm a big fan of the Key Tronic FlexPro keyboard. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find them anymore. It is TOTALLY split down the middle. In fact, you can raise the two sides so that you are typing with your thumbs pointing up toward the ceiling -- neutral position!!!
It's wonderful. And it was a lot less expensive than a truly ergonomic keyboard.
The Microsoft "natural" keyboard is about as ergonomic as my grandmother's '62 BelAir. It does have the advantage of being cheap, though.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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If you dishwash your keyboard, take the keys off first; it cleans better. (For added fun, replace them in random positions.) Normal soap shouldn't hurt it -- it's already survived a rather scalding flux bath, after all. Just be sure to dry it completely.
Posts: 1839 | Registered: May 1999
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Speaking of which... Can one switch the keys around on a Qwerty keyboard to look like a Dvorak keyboard, just tell the computer that a Dvorak is being used, and have the keyboard work like a Dvorak? Or is the Qwerty keyboard actually wired differently than the Dvorack keyboard?
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I burned all the white letters off of my letters of my black keyboard a long time ago just to deter computer illiterate people away from my computer. I don't know how that is relevant, but I thought it was worth sharing. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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I don't know how that is relevant, but I thought it was worth sharing. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
