keyboard died, need a replacement

[ChristTrekker]

The keyboard that came with my G5 died after an accident involving a beverage. So I need a replacement, and I hate the feel of the new flat notebook-like Apple keyboards. I spent a good portion of today shopping around the major electronics retailers, including an Apple store, and about all I can find is wireless black things, mostly oriented at gamers. I know that Macally and Kensington (at least) do still make the wired "old fashioned/real desktop" plastic keyboards in white, with actual Mac markings and key placement. Do any of the major US chains stock these, or am I going to have to order one? I'd love to find one locally, else it will be days before we can use our computer again. If I do need to order, who has the one closest to the Apple one I had?

Also...is there any hope for the one that got spilled on? I think it was just water.

 

[JRL]

This sounds stupid, but try washing the KB with a hose. It's worked for me in the past (and this is when I spilled Coke into my KB)

 

[Forrest]

Microcenter has a good selection of USB keyboards including a few MacAlly models http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.phtml?keyword=usb+keyboard&category=&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

If you google 'Apple white keyboard', you'll find a few retailers still selling the original Apple style keyboards

 

[~Coxy]

This sounds stupid, but try washing the KB with a hose. It's worked for me in the past (and this is when I spilled Coke into my KB)

I don't think this tends to work on new Apple keyboards, they are too held together with glue and presumably thin sandwiched layers of traces to work again after drying. Killed a Pro Keyboard by doing this.

 

[JRL]

This sounds stupid, but try washing the KB with a hose. It's worked for me in the past (and this is when I spilled Coke into my KB)

I don't think this tends to work on new Apple keyboards, they are too held together with glue and presumably thin sandwiched layers of traces to work again after drying. Killed a Pro Keyboard by doing this.

Oh, never mind what I said then. Sorry.

 

[Unknown_K]

Take it apart and wash the membrane, not like you have anything to lose trying.

 

[trag]

This sounds stupid, but try washing the KB with a hose. It's worked for me in the past (and this is when I spilled Coke into my KB)

I don't think this tends to work on new Apple keyboards, they are too held together with glue and presumably thin sandwiched layers of traces to work again after drying. Killed a Pro Keyboard by doing this.

Yes, some (most of the modern keyboards) are made of a folded mylar sheet with a printed circuit pattern on it and holes in the middle layer so the upper and bottom layers can be brought in contact and back out again at positions corresponding to the keys.

Water will get between the layers and it will not come out unless one disassembles the keyboard.

Washing membrane based keyboards has a poor prognosis but if it's dead anyway, why not give it a try. Just be sure to disassemble it and unfold the membranes. And dry them thoroughly before reassembly.

Keyswitch keyboards are generally washable.

 

[waynestewart]

I've had the same thing happen and on taking it apart I found damaged traces on the mylar plastic sheet. Unless it's where the keys press against it, it is repairable with a trace pen. Might be easier to pick up a used keyboard.

For aftermarket keyboards, I liked the Microsoft keyboards.They seem to be waterproof and come with software to program the keys

 

[Charlieman]

Membrane keyboard recovery: like others have said, try it but don't be optimistic.

When my old Apple USB keyboard (black keycaps, full size function keys, no power switch) started to become a bit sloppy, I tried a few alternatives. The first was a cheap Kensington model: I was never happy with the feel, keys started to stick after three months, not before the keycap lettering wore off. The next was a flat, white MacAlly model: the feel was similar to a bad laptop keyboard, and it never suited me. That's subjective and it may work for you. I finally bought a second hand Apple USB model, the same type that I used in the first place. When it fails, I'll swap it for an ADB Extended Keyboard II plus ADB/USB adapter, assuming that the combination still works in Mac OS X.

On PCs, I've found that some of the cheaper (<£5) Logitech and Cherry models are adequate but unsatisfying for extended use. Spend an extra £5 for the next model up. Microsoft sell good keyboards and mice, but you may find that you need to be a big OEM to get hold of the cheap models. Their £2.50 mouse and £4.00 keyboard are great, but you need to buy 1,000 units or shop around for a seller.

If you live in any country where Mac and PC keyboard layouts differ, think hard before splashing out money on the "wrong layout". Unless you are an expert touch typist AND the OS allows you to remap the keyboard, the differences will drive you nuts. Buy the £5 keyboard with the wrong layout before buying anything more expensive.

 

[Mycatisbigfoot]

come with software to program the keys

You have a flaued ideia, MS keyboards come with windows only sofware, it wont work on the mac as I do think you know you would need a 3rd party drive to porgram them and its not worth the time,

 

[~Coxy]

USB Overdrive handles most extra media/shortcut keys on PC keyboard painlessly. It's free if you don't mind the nag screen once per startup.

 

[waynestewart]

You have a flaued ideia, MS keyboards come with windows only sofware, it wont work on the mac as I do think you know you would need a 3rd party drive to porgram them and its not worth the time,

Not so. I used it on a Mac. It came with software on a CD called IntelliType Pro to remap the keys on the left & right of the spacebar to Apple standard. You can also download the latest version of the software from Microsoft. Here's a link to the software http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/download/DownloadResult.aspx?category=MK&type=Keyboard&name=SKU-NKP01&os=mac104x57&lang=en