iBook keyboard loses letters!

[MatthewCobb]

My wife has long, hard, finger-nails. Her typing has scratched the letters off about 10 of the keys of her iBook keyboard. What can we do?

 

[California]

Buy an iSkin keyboard protector cover after you buy a new keyboard. iSkin = about twenty bucks.

New keyboard = probably about 100 bucks. Oh, yeah, you can also buy individual keys from certain Apple sellers -- call Daystar in GA -- they just sold me an individual powerbook key.

Just noticed your sig - -what did you do with your old PB 145? I had the 145b. Still works.

 

[Deepdale]

My wife has long, hard, finger-nails. Her typing has scratched the letters off about 10 of the keys of her iBook keyboard. What can we do?

Peeling letters have been a problem associated with iBook keyboards. How much time elapsed before this problem became obvious? Given the difference in iBook vs. PowerBook keyboards, long, hard nails are not going to be compatible with keeping the keyboard in the best possible condition. It is worthy of a call to Apple to see if anything can be done for you. Replacement keys are sold, but the problem will likely repeat itself .

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

The keys clips on and off by design, so, unless she's actually managed to break of some of the tiny plastic thingies underneath, you should be able to clip them right back on.

If the small thingies underneath is broken you need a new key. Most Apple Service Providers will have some broken iBook/PowerBook keyboard lying around just for these cases. My F9 was utterly destroyed by a cat walking over my iBook keyboard with his claws out, but I got a new F9 key at my local Apple Service Provider free of charge. They didn't have an iBook keyboard in, so I got a silver PowerBook key, but I don't care, it's better than a gaping hole.

 

[wordmunger]

The keys clips on and off by design, so, unless she's actually managed to break of some of the tiny plastic thingies underneath, you should be able to clip them right back on.

That's not what he's talking about. He's talking about the paint/sticker/whatever with the letter itself, not the whole key. The paint just peels off. The most annoying one for me is the equals key, where just the top half of the equals sign has peeled off, so I can't tell the difference between the equals sign and the minus sign. Even worse, the actual minus sign key also has an equals sign on it, so now the two keys are marked as the opposite of what they actually are.

 

[lasuther]

This is a problem with the iBooks. If you computer is still under warranty, you can take it in for replacement. If its not under warranty, you can check stores to see if they have extra keys from other keyboards.

lasuther

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

That's not what he's talking about. He's talking about the paint/sticker/whatever with the letter itself, not the whole key. The paint just peels off. The most annoying one for me is the equals key, where just the top half of the equals sign has peeled off, so I can't tell the difference between the equals sign and the minus sign. Even worse, the actual minus sign key also has an equals sign on it, so now the two keys are marked as the opposite of what they actually are.

Aah... I see... I haven't experienced much of that (just the left cmd key shows any wear and tear), but then again I have the nasty habit of biting my nails...

But it should still be possible to pop of those worn keys and get them replaced, without having to change the whole keyboard, in just the same way as a broken key... shouldn't it...?

 

[MatthewCobb]

replies

He's talking about the paint/sticker/whatever with the letter itself, not the whole key. The paint just peels off.

That's right - unlike the PB, the letter isn't covered by a substantial layer of resin - maybe they used the same stuff as on the iPod Nano screen

Looks like we need some new keys and a skin. No it isn't under warranty, sadly.

My dear old pb145b died a death many years ago and would have cost more to fix than it was worth, so it shuffled off to the great LandFill in the sky, from whence it will pollute the planet for the next 10,000 years.

 

[MatthewCobb]

A clarification

Message from "wife": "Nails are not actually very long at all, just very hard and I've never had that problem with keyboards before. "Wife" is not a long-nailed bimbo." So now you know...

 

[512ke]

I have short nails and the same problem with the printed letters wearing off my iBook keyboard.

It would not look perfect, but she could write on the keys with a fine Sharpie.