 I abuse my keyboards, I don't mean to and I know they don't deserve it but I am one of those people who destroys keyboards. Years ago when I learned to type I had to use a crotchety old electric typewriter that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. When I learned how to type, you had to pound the keys that had been abused by hundreds of students over the years in order to get your perfect rows of practice words.
Now more than a decade later I find myself sitting up ramrod straight at my desk, pounding away at 90 words a minute and my keyboards all eventually give up and die. It all starts innocently enough, sometimes my shift key sticks, or the space bar comes loose. And being the D.I.Y type computer user I am I will pry off the keys and clean them up, refasten them but the inevitable always comes.
They all give up and die.
Everybody knows somebody like me. You watch or listen to them type and cringe. You wonder how it is the keyboard isn't bending under the constant pounding, you wonder how the person you're watching or listening to hasn't broken a finger yet. I know, it's a sad state of affairs. People like me buy keyboards in twos and threes, we keep spare keyboards close at hand. Have you ever broken your enter key mid paper writing? Or worse yet (and you can see here where my priorities lie) right in the middle of a great game one of your movement keys snaps and you're sitting there pounding on it while you lose your game? I have. And I will admit it folks, while I was scrambling to unplug my keyboard find a new one in working order, I knew it was all my own fault. Could you or someone you know be a keyboard abuser? Do any of these things apply to you? Do you spill any available liquid onto your keyboard more than once a month? When you get a new keyboard, do some of the letters start to fade from the keys within two weeks? Is there a closet or box in your house with two or more working keyboards waiting? If you can answer yes to one or more of these questions than you or someone you know is a keyboard abuser. Luckily for you, your friends and me the last few years have seen some great innovations in keyboards to help those of us who aren't very gentle. Picture this, a spill proof flexible keyboard that your furious typing won't destroy, that is saved from your scalding coffee with just the swipe of a damp cloth. Yes ladies and gentleman the spill proof flexible keyboard has arrived and I for one think they are a lifesaver. Granted they may not make an adequate permanent keyboard but for those days you are feeling a little extra heavy handed or clumsy they are great. Even better you can take it with you on the go. Many of these keyboards are USB so you roll or fold them up and use them with your laptop, take them with you to your next LAN party. If nothing else they are a great conversation piece. Get one to match your style, go monochromatic and grab yourself a sleek black rubber one, turn the lights off and use a glow in the dark silicone one. Keyboard abusers everywhere rejoice, there are options. There is help out there. And remember, if that key sticks, or this key stops working, thumping your keyboard harder won't help at all. Nobody can thump, pound, spill or otherwise abuse their keyboards with impunity. And remember, you're not alone.
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