I recently got a whole new keyboard....mine on my mac was acting up so i took it in. They said it would cost to replace just the keyboard, but that there was another part that was still under warranty that required they replace the keyboard too so they did that and I got the repair for free!

my letters are all there (for now) - but I did get a new one this past year. I do that about every 2 yrs or so.

Last year I bought a new Hewlett-Packard computer and after about a month or so, the most frequently used letters on the keyboard started to fade. I took it back to the store and they recommended that I get an entirely different model in replacement because another Hewlett-Packard would have the same issues. I was surprised at the keyboard fading, because I have a computer that's about 6 years old and the letters still are clearly defined.

The letters on the oft-used keys were pretty much all worn off. Hubs had to use my computer one day (can't recall why) and he remarked about the missing letters. Asked something to the effect of how do I know which key is which... I replied that I am a touch typist -- I don't need the keys to be labeled. 🙂

Nonetheless, I managed to spill half a bottle of fingernail polish remover on my keyboard at the beginning of October which, of course, rendered it useless. Thankfully, I had a spare keyboard. And I immediately ordered another so I will still have a spare, even though I won't give myself a manicure at my desk again!

Learn touch typing, you won't ever look at the keys.

Or, in the alternative, get a new one, they're cheap.

I think that I can find one that works, kathy in mi ... could we meet at Port Huron/Sarnia?

Oh, right - there's that border, and I don't figure we can claim ours to be an essential service.

As for over-border mail, I think rhat it cost my daughter about 15 bucks to mail me a gift Timex wrist watch, and that in U. S. premium money, a few years ago - granted, in a rather large box.

Check around among your friends - quite a few replace computers fairly frequently and often the old one had a keyboard that still worked fine and hasn't been thrown out.

In consideration of the "frugal" thread of a couple of days ago, if you could convince them that you were doing them a favour by taking an item not recently used, and proably not soon to be, from their surplus shelf, you were doing them a favour ... they might give it to you for free.

Hope things are turning out as you're hoping, now at just past 10:30 on election night.

ole joyful

Most of the top row of my previous keyboard were unidentified. It wasn’t a huge problem because I mostly touch type. But when my wireless mouse died DH got me keyboard and mouse set.

You could use a label maker to replace the fading letters. My Brother P-Touch labels are extremely thin and tough.

I did that for two sets of heavy plastic measuring cups. The dishwasher had worn the original numbers off and I didn’t see any sense in tossing them to just buy more.

I never look at the keyboard when I'm typing, except for the Num Pad, when I use that.

I have a very ergonomic Microsoft keyboard that I like a lot and that is very comfortable. It has a very nice padded area for me to rest my wrists.

I have 4 letters worn off but it doesn't matter to me. I do look down at the num pad. It took 11 years to show that much wear.

I rarely look at the keyboard, so I had to check before I posted. All but the numbers are pretty much worn off. DH uses the hunt and peck method and only has sight (bad) in one eye. He bought a set of stickers, bright yellow with bold black letters, and put them on the keys. That has worked well for him. If your keyboard has no other issues, you might try something like that.

LOL Had to look to check...look pretty good, but then this keyboard isn't

very old. Did find a cookie crumb, does that count?

Uptown Gal--Cookie crumbs do not count but you get bonus points for spaghetti sauce.

LOL

I’m a touch-typist, too. Thanks to my high school “College Typing and Notehand” class! The course I’ve used the most in the last 40 years!

But, most of my typing now is on virtual keyboards, on the table and phone. The layout of punctuation and special characters varies, not only on each device but on the various keyboards on the devices! Aargh, I need a standard! Still, I find I make fewer mistakes (and it’s not just due to autocorrect) when I don’t look at the keyboard.

i was a straight A student in high school typing class. i never look at my keyboard when i type but i do have several keys that are totally black from wear.

"The layout of punctuation and special characters varies, not only on
each device but on the various keyboards on the devices! Aargh, I need a
standard!"

I'm like that. I took typing in High School and use it daily. There's still a special character or two I don't use enough and may have to take a peek.

I have a Logitech in the living room and the same in the bed room but with a slightly different layout. I use the "Delete" key a LOT so sometimes wind up tilting the keyboard toward the screen to find it. My laptop has lighted keys but is slightly too small with the same awkward layout as my bedroom keyboard.

My living room keyboard sits on my lap when I need to use it. (I'm more of a mouser) The only minor complaint I have with it is the media keys. I never purposely use them but occasionally accidentally bump one. I accidentally hit "Sleep" awhile ago. I'm tempted to break out the glue gun.

I would consider a mechanical keyboard but it would have to be wireless, proper layout, and affordable.

After I spilled wine on my father’s notebook computer, I pulled out a wired keyboard we had in the closet. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It also fried the thumbpad, but I prefer a mouse anyway, but some things require the use of, say, the shift or control key in addition to the mouse. Aargh. I’m weaning everything away from that notebook, anyway, so I’m not sure I want to try to fix it before I get things off.

Btw, it seems to be a habit with me. I spilled coffee on my own notebook. Now I use a tablet and my beverage is on a separate surface.

I agree with the keyboard varies. My previous computers the keys wider apart. My current laptop while the keys are just a little smaller that the last one the distance from top to the bottom of the keyboard is about two inches shorter.

My microsoft keyboard MANY years old had several missing letters. It didn't particularly bother me, not new to typing ;0) But I'd lost the upper case of one key, now cannot remember which one it was, and I replaced the keyboard with a Logitech because that was the ergo simple keyboard Staples happened to have in stock that day, trying to limit my trips into stores still. (it was probably a collection of those cookie crumbs Uptown had mentioned). Now I've replaced my computer with an all in one that's working out very well. I'm using the Logitech keyboard still. The all in one came with standard keyboard and mouse and they are white. I'm not a slob, but my mouse and keyboard do get dirty . I've put the white away and will turn to those when needed, but for now I'm fine with my dirt-hiding black that while isn't new, is only a few months old ;0)

I have a P-Touch I use to make labels for things, but my tapes are clear with black lettering. It doesn't make helpful stickers for a black keyboard, but does work for plant labels on colored tags, file boxes etc.