Blurry foreigners

[gus3049]

The Flanders and Swann song entitled "the English are best" comes to mind here. Particularly the line "its knowing your're foreign that's driving you mad".

As one does, when given a cup of coffee by the wife last evening, I promptly reached for something THROUGH said cup and the coffee managed to find its way into every nook and cranny available in the computer desk. Including, naturally enough, the keyboard. In spite of it being made by (or for) Apple, it is now a deceased keyboard, it is no more.

So here I am, in France, where they speak a foreign language. Not only that but they even type differently. I used to have about half a dozen spare keyboards but having spent many years converting others to the Apple cause and providing them with bits to go with their shiny new machines, I find I am bereft. So off to the supermarket this morning and a new (rubbish) keyboard is mine for the grand price of €7. However, all the keys are in the wrong place. The main ones are OK 'cos I can just swap the keys but there are loads of them with totally different functions and I'm relying on the fingers to know where the 'proper' ones are. I don't fancy sticking little paper labels on them all.

Why can't they all realise that there is only one 'right way of doing things? ie OUR way!! Blurry foreigners!!

 

[RogerS]

What type of Apple keyboard is it? The big one with the separate numeric keyboard or the more recent ones in the satin aluminium ? Are you really sure it's dead? Googling comes up with a lot of suggestions. I left my mobile phone out in the rain. Removed the battery and SIM card, stuck it in a bag with a desiccator for 24 hours...job done.

 

[woodbloke]

Having had a brand new IMac for a couple of months, we have a new rule...no munching or drinking anything near the computer. Tea and coffee are placed on the dining table three feet behind the computer desk. So far, digits crossed...no 'accidents' - Rob

 

[gus3049]

What type of Apple keyboard is it? The big one with the separate numeric keyboard or the more recent ones in the satin aluminium ? Are you really sure it's dead? Googling comes up with a lot of suggestions. I left my mobile phone out in the rain. Removed the battery and SIM card, stuck it in a bag with a desiccator for 24 hours...job done.

Hi Roger,

Its an old one as is most of my stuff. I took it all apart, blew it over with the airline, then warmed it with a hair dryer and then put it all back together. Couldn't believe the crud that came out of it. I'm glad I've now built a desk which closes so the keyboard will now have a chance of being relatively dust free.

I did hope that it would have recovered this morning but not so far. This AZERTY keyboard is such rubbish but then it wasn't exactly expensive. It might be worth having a look on eBay, postage shouldn't be too much.

Thanks for the comment though, the dessicator sounds worth a try for a few days in case its not properly dry.

Having had a brand new IMac for a couple of months, we have a new rule...no munching or drinking anything near the computer. Tea and coffee are placed on the dining table three feet behind the computer desk. So far, digits crossed...no 'accidents' - Rob

Sensible stuff but good intentions have a way of getting lost in time. I carefully put a place mat on the top of the desk out of the way and Ronnie carefully put the coffee mug on the mousemat!! I quite often do the same thing so I can't complain.

 

[monkeybiter]

I'd still be hopeful of recovery, I once split open and drained water from a hard drive [zero hope] but after drying it still works today. If I were you I'd split the case and leave the whole thing open in a warm dry room for a few days. Nothing to lose.

 

[Elapid]

You can actually put your keyboard in the sink with washing up liquid and give it a good clean. As long as it dries properly before using it there will be no problems.

 

[gus3049]

I'd still be hopeful of recovery, I once split open and drained water from a hard drive [zero hope] but after drying it still works today. If I were you I'd split the case and leave the whole thing open in a warm dry room for a few days. Nothing to lose.

You can actually put your keyboard in the sink with washing up liquid and give it a good clean. As long as it dries properly before using it there will be no problems.

Thanks for the comments.

I will give it few days, but as I have already taken it apart and dried it I don't hold out too much hope but you never know

 

[Wildman]

as the coffe will have made everything sticky you may as well wash in warm soapy water then rince in fresh water and allow to dry for several days or 48hrs in the airing cupboard should you have such a thing in France.

 

[andersonec]

English speaking keyboards on ebay for five quid, and you don't even have to go into town where they speak a foreign language.

Andy

 

[woodbloke]

Having had a brand new IMac for a couple of months, we have a new rule...no munching or drinking anything near the computer. Tea and coffee are placed on the dining table three feet behind the computer desk. So far, digits crossed...no 'accidents' - Rob

Sensible stuff but good intentions have a way of getting lost in time. I carefully put a place mat on the top of the desk out of the way and Ronnie carefully put the coffee mug on the mousemat!! I quite often do the same thing so I can't complain.

Even so, if the mat is anywhere on the computer table, Murphy's First Inverse Square Law dictates that at some point, someone :roll: will put a mug of coffee on the wrong mat. Murphy's Second Proportional Inverse Square Law states that eventually it'll get tipped all over the keyboard! Simple answer is that I keep all fluids away from keyboards and the Mac Time Capsule back up drive, which is also located just under my iMac on the same desk - Rob

 

[RogerS]

..... the Mac Time Capsule back up drive, which is also located just under my iMac on the same desk - Rob

Oooh...not good, Rob. Fire....flood....burglar....backup and main computer gone at the same time. S'why my Time Capsule is out in the workshop.

 

[Eric The Viking]

+1 for what Elapid said.

If you ever did chemical photographic printing, rinse your keyboard bits in clean water, with a few drops of wetting agent. That will help it dry properly. Leave it in a warm place (airing cupboard) for a LONG time before attempting to use it again. A week or more is a good idea. You DO need to dismantle it though, before washing, otherwise you just move the stickiness to ever more inaccessible places. Tip: to avoid 'disappointment' take it apart inside a large clear plastic bag (think photographic changing bag concept). That way you shouldn't lose springs permanently. And take a snap of the layout too - they're never quite identical, and 'guess-the-key' is way too entertaining for me!

I'm typing on a keyboard that's been in the dishwasher (in pieces) in the past. I would wash the main board gently in the sink, but most of the rest is fine to put in the dishwasher, and it gets keys really clean.

I can probably find you an old-style (black keys) Mac keyboard (UK configuration) if that's any help (PM me). I can't remember how to get them apart though. I"ve a nasty feeling they're glued together, in which case you may have a problem cleaning yours.

Cheers,

E.

 

[woodbloke]

..... the Mac Time Capsule back up drive, which is also located just under my iMac on the same desk - Rob

Oooh...not good, Rob. Fire....flood....burglar....backup and main computer gone at the same time. S'why my Time Capsule is out in the workshop.

...along with all the fine dust and other crud (if it's anything like mine) Flooding...nope, not so far. We live on the side of a hill and the ground is chalk and flint and as for Bill the Burglar, it's all covered by insurance. T'would be a shame to loose all the stuff on it, but nothing that's not replaceable - Rob

 

[gus3049]

Simple answer is that I keep all fluids away from keyboards and the Mac Time Capsule back up drive, which is also located just under my iMac on the same desk - Rob

There are those that might suggest that the back up shouldn't be in the same place as the iMac as what ever happens will happen to both.

We go a bit over the top and have one disk on permanent duty and then a huge separate disk that backs up all the computers once a month - or at least, when I remember!!

I expect its kept where the next cup goes over.

 

[Jonzjob]

Gordon! You broke the first rule of computing and if I had a bob for every customer who screwed up their keyboards by pouring coffe/chocolat/tea/etc. then I would have lots of bobs.

If all else fails this looks a good bet and not expensive http://www.amazon.fr/Cherry-G83-6105LUN ... 169&sr=8-1

 

[gus3049]

Gordon! You broke the first rule of computing and if I had a bob for every customer who screwed up their keyboards by pouring coffe/chocolat/tea/etc. then I would have lots of bobs.

If all else fails this looks a good bet and not expensive http://www.amazon.fr/Cherry-G83-6105LUN ... 169&sr=8-1

Thanks for the link. Trouble is, that is Amazon. Over the last three or four months, I have tried to order three things from them. On each occasion they have recredited my payment because the item could not be delivered!!! No explanation. I have stuff from the UK and it arrives in a few days without problems.

This keyboard will do me for a bit whilst I try again to sort the Apple one - it did only cost €7!! . I have found a company on eBay that do vinyl stick on labels in joint QWERTY/AZERTY arrangement, might try that as it would be useful anyway.

I can probably find you an old-style (black keys) Mac keyboard (UK configuration) if that's any help (PM me). I can't remember how to get them apart though. I"ve a nasty feeling they're glued together, in which case you may have a problem cleaning yours.Cheers,E.

Thanks Erik, mine is held together with tiny hex screws. Fortunately I have the right size key. If I get desperate, I will take you up on your kind offer.

 

[Jonzjob]

You're not trying to pay with Greek €s are you? I've very reciently bought my Kindle and a digital photo frame from Amazon.fr. No problems at all. Both within the past 3 weeks. If you contact am.fr they are very helpful and will almost certainly sort out as to why you have had problems. They have to be a French exception as far as service goes...

The key top stickers are OK for a VERY short time and then they get really tacky, big time!

 

[gregmcateer]

Simple answer is that I keep all fluids away from keyboards and the Mac Time Capsule back up drive, which is also located just under my iMac on the same desk - Rob

There are those that might suggest that the back up shouldn't be in the same place as the iMac as what ever happens will happen to both.

We go a bit over the top and have one disk on permanent duty and then a huge separate disk that backs up all the computers once a month - or at least, when I remember!!

I expect its kept where the next cup goes over.

Backup?! I thought all you Mac fans said Macs are perfect, so surely you shouldn't need a backup

Seriously, Gordon - Don't know how long you can wait or how far away I'll be - I am going to Les Sables d'Olonne at the end of August, so if you want a UK keyboard, let me know and we'll try to organise a meet up. (Don't know how realistic this is, but the offer is there)
Greg

 

[woodbloke]

Backup?! I thought all you Mac fans said Macs are perfect, so surely you shouldn't need a backup

They are...but they're still a 'puter :evil: - Rob

 

[Jonzjob]

Backup?! I thought all you Mac fans said Macs are perfect, so surely you shouldn't need a backup

They are...but they're still a 'puter :evil: - Rob

And they still have an HDD that's probably not made by Apple, unless thay have a solid state 'disk'? I use CCC, Carbon Copy Cloner. That gives you a bootable disk and you just boot and reload from there if you have a failure..

Good 'ere init 8) 8)