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solitere · Jul 4, 2002, 02:15 PM

I recently accidently spilled some coffey on my Apple Pro keyboard. Bad Idea - Right! The keyboard does not work or respond anymore and I have tryed to clean it up. So I will be looking to buy a new keyboard anytime soon. So do any of you have any sugestions for what kind of new keyboard I should buy? a new Apple ..Microsoft .. Logitech.. or some other brand .. I running OS X on G4 Dual 800.

Just wondering!!

pdot · Jul 4, 2002, 02:34 PM

I don't have any suggestions for keyboards but I do know how you feel. So far, I spilled beer (at least) four times and water, twice, on my Apple keyboard (I got the older type that came with the G4/400). Fortunately, I haven't had to replace my keyboard yet. These Apple keyboards are great.
Each time, I took it apart, and washed everything, except the circuit board (which is unlikely to get damaged due to the keyboard design) and the sheets with the green lines that lies underneath the thing that hold the keys, with (dishwashing) soap and water to get rid of the beer residue and smell. For the sheets with the green lines, I just use water. It is very important to let all the water evaporate before putting the pieces back together, especially in between the sheets with the green lines. Since they're sealed together on one end, you'll need to carefully separate them w/o breaking the seal. I always wipe everything down with dry paper towels and let the pieces sit for a bunch of hours before putting them back together.
I've done this 5 times so far. One time with the water, I just placed it near a heater and by the next day, everything was dry. Those heaters suck up moisture/humidity like there's no tomorrow. Of course never place it too close, otherwise something will melt.

solitere · Jul 4, 2002, 02:52 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by pdot:
I don't have any suggestions for keyboards but I do know how you feel. So far, I spilled beer (at least) four times and water, twice, on my Apple keyboard (I got the older type that came with the G4/400). Fortunately, I haven't had to replace my keyboard yet. These Apple keyboards are great.
Each time, I took it apart, and washed everything, except the circuit board (which is unlikely to get damaged due to the keyboard design) and the sheets with the green lines that lies underneath the thing that hold the keys, with (dishwashing) soap and water to get rid of the beer residue and smell. For the sheets with the green lines, I just use water. It is very important to let all the water evaporate before putting the pieces back together, especially in between the sheets with the green lines. Since they're sealed together on one end, you'll need to carefully separate them w/o breaking the seal. I always wipe everything down with dry paper towels and let the pieces sit for a bunch of hours before putting them back together.
I've done this 5 times so far. One time with the water, I just placed it near a heater and by the next day, everything was dry. Those heaters suck up moisture/humidity like there's no tomorrow. Of course never place it too close, otherwise something will melt.<hr /></blockquote>Thanks for the advise but I have opened the keyboard and cleaned it 2 times now and have had it on dry. I think the keybord circuit have been damage somehow. The Apple System Profiler doesn�t even recognize the USB keyboard but the mouse that is connected true the keyboard does work.

curtg · Jul 4, 2002, 03:08 PM

You can get a black USB Dell keyboard for like 12 bucks or cheaper. My friend has one and they really aren't that bad.

solitere · Jul 4, 2002, 03:18 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by curtg:
You can get a black USB Dell keyboard for like 12 bucks or cheaper. My friend has one and they really aren't that bad.<hr /></blockquote>Well 12 bucks ain�t much but that�s propably not available in the region i�m living in. I have been looking at Microsoft "Office" keyboard. I�m wondering if anyone have had any experiance with those keyboards. The office keyboard is about 60 Euro (about the same in US dollar).

DeathToWindows · Jul 5, 2002, 11:06 AM

Well, whatever you do DO NOT buy an IBM keyboard... I'm using one at work
right now and its like typing on a sponge...

Yeech.

booboo · Jul 5, 2002, 11:27 AM

These new 'Pro' keyboars tend to die fairly easily - the older non-'pro' ones were a bit more resilient.

General advice is - if you can find a way to open it - wash it thoroughly in slightly soapy water, then rinse thoroughly, then leave until completely dry..

I'll say that again: completely dry.

This used to work 99% of the time on the old beige ADB keyboards, 50% on the small USB ones, and so far <10% on these new 'pro' keyboards. Why they should be so much more delicate, I don't know.

As far as getting a new kb is concerned, you bought a Mac didn't you? Go and type on a crappy cheap PC keboard, or even a not so cheap PC multimedia keyboard with tons of tacky extra buttons all over it, and you'll remember why you bought a Mac. The whole experience...

That's right, you have no choice: a new Apple Pro keyboard for �39...

MGossett · Jul 5, 2002, 02:52 PM

This may help...

<a href="http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html" target="_blank">http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html</a>

-Mike

Speckledstone · Jul 5, 2002, 09:55 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by pdot:
"...I just placed it near a heater and by the next day, everything was dry. Those heaters suck up moisture/humidity like there's no tomorrow. Of course never place it too close, otherwise something will melt."<hr /></blockquote>"Never place it too close" should have been in bold - or maybe I'm just a dumbass.

I ruined the original Apple Keyboard II that came with my Beige G3 by drying it with a hair dryer. I left it running and when I came back, some of the keys were warped. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

[ 07-05-2002, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: speckledstone ]

solitere · Jul 6, 2002, 04:54 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by MGossett:
This may help...

<a href="http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html" target="_blank">http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html</a>

-Mike<hr /></blockquote>Thanks for this great tip! I had a bit trouble locating all the screws on the keyboard this tip help me much. I�m using temporarely now an MS internet keyboard but I want my Apple Keyboard back!

tooki · Jul 6, 2002, 06:34 PM

FWIW, I have a Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro, and the OS X software for it is superb. It has 100% of the features of the Apple Pro Keyboard, and 15 buttons above and beyond. Doubtless the Office Keyboard is equally good.

(The OS X software is, in fact, better than the OS 9 version, which still wants to control the defunct AppleCD Audio Player. The OS X version controls iTunes beautifully.)

As long as you can live with the option and command keys being marked wrong, and the PC-style numeric keypad layout (no "=" key) , it's a great keyboard.

tooki

Mac Zealot · Jul 8, 2002, 11:06 AM

In A.D. 2002
Spill was beginning.
solitere: What happen ?
Computer: Somebody spilled on us the coffee!
Driver: We get signal!
solitere: What !
Computer: Main caps lock light turn on
solitere: It's You !!
Coffee: How are you electric components !!
Coffee: All your keyboard membrane are belong to us
Coffee: You are on the way to short circuit
Keyboard: What you say !!
Coffee: You have no chance to function void your warranty.
Coffee: HA HA HA HA ....
solitere: Take off every 'rag'
solitere: You know what you doing
solitere: Move 'rag'
solitere: For great cleaning

darcybaston · Jul 8, 2002, 10:22 PM

Been there and done that. Put the keyboard away in a dry place and try it after a month. It'll work again. Mine took 6 weeks to dry enough to begin responding again and all I lost with the rinse it got was the eject key. It was the damnest thing.

Story: The wife spilled diet coke on it and I rinsed it in the sink with hot water. I left it to dry overnight. Next day, it looked dry to look through it, but it wouldn't respond at all. I waited another few days, plugged it in and pushed one key to have it spew out bazillions of characters on its own. Let it dry another few days. Tried it again, and nothing; no response. I thought it was dead and put it in its box. A month and a half later, I get the inspiration to check it *just in case* and voila! Back in business. All that's gone is the eject key, everything else works fine.

It's now a year later and it's still problem free.

CIA · Jul 9, 2002, 01:03 PM

I had a beer/iMac keyboard incident a few months ago, ripped that thing apart and cleaned the heck out of it, but alas, it was not to be. I like the Apple Pro keyboard that replaced it much better though. Now I need to do someting about this hockey puck mouse....

cube-dude · Jul 9, 2002, 02:48 PM

Topic: keyboards
Forum: Peripherals

Thread moved

solitere · Jul 10, 2002, 03:29 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Mac Zealot:
In A.D. 2002
Spill was beginning.
solitere: What happen ?
Computer: Somebody spilled on us the coffee!
Driver: We get signal!
solitere: What !
Computer: Main caps lock light turn on
solitere: It's You !!
Coffee: How are you electric components !!
Coffee: All your keyboard membrane are belong to us
Coffee: You are on the way to short circuit
Keyboard: What you say !!
Coffee: You have no chance to function void your warranty.
Coffee: HA HA HA HA ....
solitere: Take off every 'rag'
solitere: You know what you doing
solitere: Move 'rag'
solitere: For great cleaning<hr /></blockquote>Kickass LOL