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I did something stupid
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willab
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May 9, 2004, 12:50 AM
 
I decided it was time to clean my Apple Pro Keyboard, so I took all the keys off and put them in really hot water to clean them. I took them out one by one and put them back on the kb. The space bar was at the bottom and it warped, so now it sticks when I press it and is hard to fit in. Any suggestions as to how to fix this or were I can get a replacement key?
thanks,
Will
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scaught
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May 9, 2004, 12:52 AM
 
are you under applecare by any chance? i imagine the keyboard you bought with the computer would be covered. you could maybe not tell them about how you boiled the keys. heh.

the FN key on my ibook broke the other day and they replaced it for me.
     
willab  (op)
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May 9, 2004, 12:53 AM
 
No, this is the kb from my eMac that I am using with my G5.
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scaught
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May 9, 2004, 12:55 AM
 
you could try and reheat it, then flatten it back out?

i know kids who used to do that with warped vinyl albums.
     
willab  (op)
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May 9, 2004, 12:59 AM
 
Now I have to find a replacement key. While trying to fix it I just broke it in half.
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rjenkinson
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May 9, 2004, 01:27 AM
 


i like the direction this thread is going in.

-r.
     
MindFad
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May 9, 2004, 01:32 AM
 
That spacebar really tied the keyboard together.
     
sek929
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May 9, 2004, 02:50 AM
 
Originally posted by MindFad:
That spacebar really tied the keyboard together.
Brilliant!
     
Lateralus
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May 9, 2004, 02:53 AM
 
Why did you feel the need to use water hot enough to melt plastic? Haven't you ever heard of AJAX or bleach?

Warm water and a cleaning chemical was all you needed.
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d4nth3m4n
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May 9, 2004, 03:44 AM
 
where is the keyboard that came with the g5?
     
iCol
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May 9, 2004, 07:30 AM
 
how do you take the keys off anyway? my pro keyboard is a bit grubby, but i am scared to prise the keys off incase I break something and then have no keyboard!
F is for Fooyork.
     
f1000
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May 9, 2004, 08:57 AM
 
I don't think willab realized that the keys were made of a low-temperature softening point thermoplastic. Not all plastics soften in boiling water.

Here's an alternative to boiling or bleaching those keys:



http://www.iskin.com/protouch.html
     
Gankdawg
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May 9, 2004, 11:16 AM
 
Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
Haven't you ever heard of AJAX or bleach?
I would think this would dissolve the letters off of the keys. I mean just soaking them, not scrubbing. But who knows.
     
amsalpemkcus
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May 9, 2004, 11:26 AM
 
how hard can it be to live without a space bar?
     
f1000
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May 9, 2004, 11:29 AM
 
Originally posted by amsalpemkcus:
how hard can it be to live without a space bar?
Idon'tknow,Inevertriedtouseakeyboardwithoutone.
     
- - e r i k - -
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May 9, 2004, 11:30 AM
 
Originally posted by amsalpemkcus:
how hard can it be to live without a space bar?
Idunno.Youtellme.

Edit:Damnyouandyourtouchtyping,F1000!

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amsalpemkcus
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May 9, 2004, 11:34 AM
 
there!justasIthoughtitaintsobadafterall!!
whatsthebigfussthatthebozoismakingaboutlosingaspac ebarifailtounderstand.
somepeoplethinktheirwholelifehastobelivedlikeahadi capjustbecausetheyloseaspacebar!!
alltheempathythisreceivesisjustawasteoftimeandbrea th.inthegoodoldaystheyusedtohavenospacebarsatallan dtheyusedtocreatespaceperfectlynormallywithoutit.. .
letsjuststopcomplainingnow!asanalternativethoughon ecanmakethisworldabetterplace
by
just
using
the
return/enter
key
justanothermoreeffectivesolution
( Last edited by amsalpemkcus; May 9, 2004 at 11:40 AM. )
     
- - e r i k - -
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May 9, 2004, 11:38 AM
 
01011001011011110111010100100000011110010110111101 11010101101110011001110010000001110111011010010111 00000111000001100101011100100111001101101110011000 01011100000111000001100101011100100111001100100001 00100000010010010110111000100000011011010111100100 10000001100100011000010111100101110011001000000111 01110110010100100000011001000110100101100100011011 10001001110111010000100000011001010111011001100101 01101110001000000110100001100001011101100110010100 10000001101100011001010111010001110100011001010111 00100111001100101110001000000100101001110101011100 11011101000010000001101111011011100010000001100001 01101110011001000010000001101111011001100110011000 10000001110011011101110110100101110100011000110110 1000011001010111001100101110

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f1000
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May 9, 2004, 11:43 AM
 
I just unencrypted that. You're cute naked.
     
iCol
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May 10, 2004, 01:34 PM
 
01011001011011110111010100100000011110010110111101 11010101101110011001110010000001110111011010010111 00000111000001100101011100100111001101101110011000 01011100000111000001100101011100100111001100100001 00100000010010010110111000100000011011010111100100 10000001100100011000010111100101110011001000000111 01110110010100100000011001000110100101100100011011 10001001110111010000100000011001010111011001100101 01101110001000000110100001100001011101100110010100 10000001101100011001010111010001110100011001010111 00100111001100101110001000000100101001110101011100 11011101000010000001101111011011100010000001100001 01101110011001000010000001101111011001100110011000 10000001110011011101110110100101110100011000110110 1000011001010111001100101110

"You young wippersnappers! In my days we didn't even have letters. Just on and off switches."
F is for Fooyork.
     
velodev
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May 10, 2004, 01:46 PM
 
Uh, I don't condone this... but I am being creative.

Take the spacebar from a Best Buy/CompUSA computer.

Please don't take it from an Apple Store computer, though. We're on their side.
     
willab  (op)
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May 10, 2004, 08:39 PM
 
Originally posted by velodev:
Uh, I don't condone this... but I am being creative.

Take the spacebar from a Best Buy/CompUSA computer.

Please don't take it from an Apple Store computer, though. We're on their side.
That was my first thought, but I decided it was wrong. Maybe I could convince the Apple guy at CompUSA to give me one. I go in there enough that he usually asks me questions while I'm there. Nearest Apple store is two hours away.
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NickGra
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Jun 3, 2004, 04:38 PM
 
You sound really cocky willab.
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bstone
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Jun 4, 2004, 05:06 AM
 
[12:32] ( George-) howthehelldoIputthespacebarbackonmytibook?
[12:33] ( Algernon) LOL
[12:33] ( George-) it'snotfunny
[12:33] ( George-) Ihavenospacebarkey
Emergency Medicine & Urgent Care.
     
Oisín
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Jun 4, 2004, 05:11 AM
 
I haven't had a Ctrl key for almost a year.
     
iNeusch
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Jun 4, 2004, 05:54 AM
 
Originally posted by willab:
That was my first thought, but I decided it was wrong. Maybe I could convince the Apple guy at CompUSA to give me one. I go in there enough that he usually asks me questions while I'm there. Nearest Apple store is two hours away.
You could do that...
Or you could get a brand new (that means you won't have to clean it untils some time) bluetooth keyboard !
     
Eriamjh
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Jun 4, 2004, 08:38 AM
 
I find that Fantastik cleans plastics quite well. No warping, no heat.

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NickGra
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Jun 6, 2004, 05:16 PM
 
bump
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The Placid Casual
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Jun 6, 2004, 06:17 PM
 
Originally posted by NickGra:
bump
Why?
     
moonmonkey
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Jun 7, 2004, 05:41 AM
 
Originally posted by Ois�n:
I haven't had a Ctrl key for almost a year.
You are on a PC though, thats OK.
     
Oisín
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Jun 7, 2004, 06:10 AM
 
Originally posted by moonmonkey:
You are on a PC though, thats OK.
Err... huh? Sorry, I don't get it... it's okay not to have a Ctrl key when you're on a PC? I know it was probably meant as a joke, but I don't get it, sorry...
     
moonmonkey
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Jun 7, 2004, 06:26 AM
 
Originally posted by Ois�n:
Err... huh? Sorry, I don't get it... it's okay not to have a Ctrl key when you're on a PC? I know it was probably meant as a joke, but I don't get it, sorry...
I just thought that if you had to put with using windows all the time, one more set back wouldn't be a big deal.
     
mitchell_pgh
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Jun 7, 2004, 06:31 AM
 
Just suck it up and buy a new keyboard.

It's not worth the time or energy to try and fix the current one. And you will be kicking yourself when the Best Buy security busts you for stealing a key.

$59 vs. your dignity

doesn't sound like much of a decision.
     
Oisín
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Jun 7, 2004, 06:42 AM
 
Originally posted by moonmonkey:
I just thought that if you had to put with using windows all the time, one more set back wouldn't be a big deal.
Aha... true dat...
     
mdc
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Jun 7, 2004, 09:45 AM
 
Originally posted by f1000:
I don't think willab realized that the keys were made of a low-temperature softening point thermoplastic. Not all plastics soften in boiling water.

Here's an alternative to boiling or bleaching those keys:



http://www.iskin.com/protouch.html
i had one for my ibook and i used for for a few days and then took it off and proceeded to loose it. i could not stand typing on it.

go buy a new keyboard. chalk it up to experience, and now we all know not to put our keys in hot water.
     
gorickey
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Jun 7, 2004, 09:49 AM
 
Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Just suck it up and buy a new keyboard.

It's not worth the time or energy to try and fix the current one. And you will be kicking yourself when the Best Buy security busts you for stealing a key.

$59 vs. your dignity

doesn't sound like much of a decision.
what he said says gorickey.
     
RAILhead
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Jun 7, 2004, 10:14 AM
 
Originally posted by Ois�n:
Err... huh? Sorry, I don't get it... it's okay not to have a Ctrl key when you're on a PC? I know it was probably meant as a joke, but I don't get it, sorry...
I think the joke was that we, higher evolved Mac users, have a Control key � not the pesky, pithy Ctrl key (but we knew what you meant). I guess they had boiled their "o" & "n" keys, to clean them, too.

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vmarks
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Jun 7, 2004, 10:32 AM
 
you do realize that most any USB keyboard will work, right?
If this post is in the Lounge forum, it is likely to be my own opinion, and not representative of the position of MacNN.com.
     
mitchell_pgh
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Jun 7, 2004, 10:34 AM
 
Originally posted by vmarks:
you do realize that most any USB keyboard will work, right?
I like the crisp nature of the Apple keyboards, but I'm obviously a big fan of their stuff.
     
   
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