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machem · Nov 27, 2003, 12:10 AM

My newly-arrived 15" PB has a broken right shift key (it is loose on one side --- it looks like the little plastic thing that holds it down is broken). Has anyone gotten a single key replaced on a PB keyboard? Please tell me I don't have to send the whole thing back for this. Any experiences (calling in, take in to an Apple Store, etc)?

Thanks.

mayern · Nov 27, 2003, 02:59 AM

I have had the same problem. You are in luck they can just replace this in the apple store.

Minty Fresh · Nov 27, 2003, 05:47 AM

A couple weeks ago I dropped my cell phone on the k/b, and it broke the right command key off (just like yours, one of the little tabs that hold it down broke off). I just went to my local Apple store...told them I had a broken key, which one...and they gave me a new one just like that. Didn't even have my PB with me!

machem · Nov 27, 2003, 01:45 PM

Thanks, everyone. That is just what I wanted to hear. Now I have an excuse to go to the Apple Store the day after Thanksgiving!

DrPhips · Jan 26, 2004, 02:21 AM

Man I hope everyone who buys anything other than a powerbook laptop reads this and sleeps a little less easy. OK, so that's a bit much, but when you hear this you're going to be amazed and a bit dissapointed (in me that is).

OK, it was this past friday night... I'm drunk and decided that it was a good time to lay down, throw a DVD in my 17" PB and watch a little Cowboy Bebop.

I fell asleep and at some point in the night I must have rolled over and my laptop fell to the floor and in such a way that it was leaning against my incredibly hot space heater. That thing probably pumps out air that will definitely deal 3rd degree burns. I woke up, saw my laptop in this perilous position, and burned my hand a bit when I went to grab it. I got it up off the heater to notice that half of my keys on the keyboard had melted off. I was upset, felt really stupid, and wondered how I could have ever let this happen.

The laptop cooled. I said a little prayer and asked my baby to wake up. There on the screen was the title menu for my DVD playing beautifully. I did a scan of the hard drive for errors... NONE. The system was completely intact and working beautifully. I was absolutely amazed. All of the keys function perfectly despite their plastic letter coverings being melted off. No damage at all. The keyboard backlight works great and the LED's for the num and caps keys still glow bright green. The speakers and internal mic show no problems at all. I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED! MY LAPTOP WENT THROUGH HELL AND CAME OUT ASKING IF THAT'S ALL I COULD THROW AT IT. (and who said making a machine out of titanium was a bit extreme...) Moral of the story: Powerbook + Space Heater = BAD!@!@!@!@!

Warning... the above testimonial does not suggest in any way that you should put your powerbook in the oven after preheating it to 350. What happened to me was stupid and embarrasing, but the story must be told. I still have the melted keys to prove it.

My only problem now is that I need to find replacement keys. I went to the apple store and they said that I had to send it in. However, I have noticed that they like to "send lots of stuff in..." too much stuff. It's still a new store, so I'll cut them some slack. However, I am on the road a lot and need my laptop for art shows and presentations so sending my wounded baby in for a week is simply not an option. I need to know if there is any way to just get replacement keys without sending it in. Please help, and don't laugh too hard, but laugh... I was a drunken idiot.

vandymac · Jan 26, 2004, 06:05 PM

I also have a key problem, but it seems to be a little bit different. The up and down arrow keys on my RevA 12 incher have this weird left to right downward slant giong. the left side seems to be at the proper height, while the right side of both keys is a few mm lower. They both still work (with a little extra pressure) but the weirdest part is how it all happened. i just put the thing to sleep and when it woke up the next day, Presto! messed up keys. I figure they're just stuck somehow, but i haven't the slightest idea how to remove them. I remember a similar thread that had a link to a tutorial on attaching/removing keys, but couldn't find it by searching. Anyone know of something like this? or if you can explain directly that'd be fine, too

DrPhips · Jan 29, 2004, 12:53 PM

My Local Apple store just called, said the price that we initially came up with ($250) needed to be more than doubled if I were to ship the machine out to have the keyboard replaced. It would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 to take this route and it seems a bit pricey, but from what the guy told me, replacing a keyboard on one of these babies is a royal pain.

I wanted to send it in so that I don't void any warranties by doing it myself, but at this point I don't think I have any choice because I simply can't afford that price to repair it simply to keep my AppleCare intact.

So I find myself in this catch-22 wondering if (a) being a former IBM laptop tech is this something I can do myself, (b) will I have to break any warranty seals to replace this thing and (c) where can I get the directions or schematics needed to perform this operation.

Please help =(

Organic Act · Apr 19, 2006, 08:10 AM

I bought a replacemetn key from http://www.laptopKeys.co.uk they sell individual keys and were quite good.

Not sure if they do Macs tho