Please tell me that some of you wear the letters of your keys. Otherwise, I’m going to have to conclude that it’s my acidic personality coming through on what I write! 🙂
Today we’re not talking about crumbs in the keyboard. That will be discussed in some future blog post . . or not! It’s a good thing I learned to type on an old typewriter that wasn’t even electric and the keys were all blank. That kept us from looking at the keys as we typed. I had never wanted to quit any class as much as I did that typing class. But, back then, you took the class, you finished the class and you made a good grade or . . well, I don’t know about the “or” part because I was one who would have been devastated for the rest of my life if I got a bad grade but my life would have been very short because my parents would not have tolerated bad grades. I was really just a skinny kid at the time and my fingers had to work so hard to mash down those keys but now, I’m very thankful for my typing skills because . . I’m fast! Not much any more that I’m fast at doing but I’m still fast at typing.
Anyway . . computers never last very long or me. I rarely drop one but something always happens. Either they just get really, really slow to boot up or . . I don’t even know but Vince gets tired of me grumbling about my notebook and we buy another one. Oh . . Dr. Pepper! Keyboards really dislike Dr. Pepper! Vince was thrilled when he convinced me to go with the Chromebook because it’s so inexpensive. I love how fast they come back to life after being asleep (like me <G>). I love how lightweight they are (will not make an analogy to myself here). I still have my desktop and some things I prefer to do on the desktop (spread sheets for sure) but I imagine once the current desktop is gone, it will not be replaced.
Vince, as you know, never throws anything away. He’ll pull out an old computer or notebook and immediately say “This is one you used”. I just thought he was smart like that because I couldn’t tell you what computer I used before this one and I’ve had it probably close to a year. Then I realized that every keyboard I’ve ever used more than a few months, the letters begin to wear off. It almost always starts with the N, then the V and before long . . the S is gone, the L is gone and . . if I use a computer more than a couple of years, there are few letters or even the lesser used number keys that have the letters left on them and then . . it looks kinda like the old computer I used in 8th grade with no letters on any of the keys!
In Kentucky, which was 20+ years ago, we had a desktop that we both used. Vince mostly uses the one finger, hunt and peck method of typing, and he would get so frustrated trying to use that computer without letters on the keyboard. It worked out nicely for me though because that’s when he decided we would no longer share a computer – we’d each have our own!
I’m wondering if it is something in my skin or it’s because I use the computer so much . . doesn’t matter because I don’t mind at all not having the letters on the keys but I was just wondering if anyone knew why that happens.
Deborah Stokes says
I’ve always worn the letters off a couple of keys back when a worked and sat at a computer all day. I dont remember which keys? But I also took typing in high school and have used that touch tying skill a lot! I blamed my finger nails? I’ve never had long nails but even short nails on the index fingers touch the keys – because they are slightly angled??? It doesnt bother me – I know what the key is. But I used it to my advantage with “young” bosses to get a new keyboard – went over better than saying I spilled something!! LOL
Judy Laquidara says
You’re right. I’m going to see if that will work with Vince next time I spill something on mine.
Laura says
Looking at my keyboard, I seem to be wearing out the “e” and the “n” the fastest. I think that’s because I tend to strike them with my fingernail rather than the pad of the finger, and because they’re frequently used letters. I learned to type on some of the very early electric typewriters. Once I got up some speed, I used to jam up those type hammers regularly! (I had to look up “type hammer” because I didn’t know what they were called.)
Judy Laquidara says
I remember my old typing teacher, Mr. Sandlin, saying, “Steady, steady. Type too fast and you’ll have a traffic jam!”
Elle says
I wore them away on my desktop at work, but I’ve never worn them away at home. I’m on my 5th computer in 25y? But I don’t sense an acidic personality and I sure do know some! 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
Thank you. 🙂
Phyllis says
Have never noticed any of my letters wearing off but I type with my finger pads. Nails are short and don’t remember ever feeling my nails touch a key. Maybe nails are the problem.
Judy Laquidara says
I type with my finger pads too. I have short nails and I don’t think they ever touch the keys.
Ruth says
Every computer typewriter I have used loses its letters. I don’t have long nails, ever. It’s the use of the keys. The first letter to disappear is the E. That’s the most used letter in the English language. D might be next, it’s gone, a speck remains of the S, and the lower curve of the C is still there. The N and M are half worn away, as is the R. This always happens to our computer keyboards, this keyboard is about 3 years old. I learned on blank keys and often had to stop and undo the “type hammers”!! My husband, working in France, changed the computer keyboard program from French letters to English letters (they’re placed a little different), and then typed at full speed. His co-workers were impressed, they didn’t know how to change the program.
Judy Laquidara says
That’s funny. All the letters you mentioned are pretty much still intact on my keyboard. The keys all start off with a bit of a matte finish but the ones I use the most are now shiny. That’s the first step, then the letters disappear.
Nancy H. says
I not only wore off the numbers at work but managed to spill coffee in my laptop. Desktop support was not pleased with me when I called them and ask for them to come open up my MacBook to clean it out. Luckily no damage done. I then bought a silicone protective cover for the key board. The next time I spilled the cover protected it and no more worn keys.
Rebecca says
Oh, boy. That reminds me of the time I spilled orange juice on my phone at work. It eventually took out much of the building. (Yeesh. I thought I had forgotten that.)
Back to the keyboards: my husband seems to have very acidic skin. We had to get the lettering on some part of a car re-done twice because it wore away. They suggested at the time that it was his skin, but he preferred to blame the car. Decades later, he is bleaching collars and T shirt necks. Now he blames the acne treatments he still uses. but I wonder….
Marcie says
My current laptop has a replacement keyboard, due to worn-off letters on the original. I have a light tough, and while I have moderate fingernails, they are not an issue as they rarely touch the keys. I do not use hand lotion on the palms of my hands if I’m going to be typing, sewing/knitting/XSing, or reading (paper or electronic). OK, guess that means that I rarely use lotion at all! You could be right about an acidic component to your own skin. I was surprised that the letters that were wearing off and distracting me were Not the ones that are used most often in the English language. Weird, huh? All that is to say that you Can purchase replacement keyboards without having to replace the whole device.
Judy Laquidara says
I hardly have any nails so it isn’t the nails with me. We replaced a keyboard a couple of times because of Dr. Pepper on laptops but I don’t think you can on Chromebooks . . at least not this one. The keys don’t fit into a separate piece – they’re kind popped down into the main computer body . . if that makes sense.
OK . . I googled it and you can on most of them but for the cost, I’d just buy a new Chromebook but you can buy individual keys for like $4.99 and pop them on in place of the worn ones. My keys don’t bother me though so I’m not messing with it.
CHRISTINA COATS says
Hi Judy
asked my husband re disappearing letters! As he’s an IT specialist, he should know. & yes its due to your acidic fingertips, nothing you can do except wear gloves? No, I don’t think so, there’s a solution, you can purchase a plastic cover for the keyboard , it drops over the letters etc., sold mainly to schools such as his, to prevent any foodstuffs or liquids damaging your precious machine. Hope this may help
happy blogging
Christina
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks for checking for me. I kinda figured it had something to do with the acid in my skin. Probably too much Dr. Pepper. 🙁
The letters rubbed off don’t bother me so I’ll just leave it as it is. Vince only used my computer when he’s needing to fix something and it’s kinda funny because he takes my computer to work on it and there’s a countdown going on in my head til he starts saying “Doggone it . . all the letters have been rubbed off. I’ve never seen anyone but YOU do this! What is wrong with you?” I’m laughing because for 25 years now, this same thing has happened and he still acts surprised.
Pam says
I returned a keyboard because the letters were wearing off so quickly. I thought the keyboard was defective. I bought another one and the same thing happened. I replaced that one and got the keyboard cover. and now no more missing letters.
April Reeves says
Next time surprise him by pulling out a keyboard cover that has the letters on it for him to use.
Carol says
I’d think it would be the skin issue. I have used computers for 20-plus years a LOT and have never had a letter wear–but all only Apple products. And I do have some kind of skin issue with my fingers as well as when I touch certain things (some printed material) the ink rubs off on my fingers and not anyone else’s. And a certain house plant I used to have would leave an orange tinge on my skin if the inner wet part of a stem (such as if I was trimming it) would get on my skin. It was crazy, but I just chalked it up to something in my DNA!
Susan Nixon says
Yes, I wear away letters, and fast. Yes, my keyboard gets crumbs. This latest computer (used and refurbished) came with a plastic key cover, and the letters aren’t wearing away, nor are crumbs getting in. However, it is kind of annoying, anyway. =)
Jeanie says
I bought a clear plastic cover for my laptop when I first got it 3+ years ago. Then I couldn’t see the letters, so I ordered a set of glow-in-dark stick on letters that would show thru. I think I got them off ebay. Funny thing is they are English on upper and Hebrew on lower part of the keys in tiny symbols, so it doesn’t really bother me. It all works well & the cover keeps the crumbs and coffee off my keyboard!
Marie S Gilkey says
Judy that is so much better wearing off the keys than having them freeze completely. Ended up having to get a brand new computer.