</3 for flat (regular) keyboards

Tek7

Tek7

CGA President, Tribe of Judah Founder & President
Staff member
So I walked away from my computer last night to eat dinner and watch an episode of Stargate SG-1 with my wife. When I got back, the left SHIFT and CTRL keys weren't working on my keyboard. I tried restarting my PC, testing the keyboard on my secondary desktop computer, unplugging the keyboard from my KVM and plugging it directly into my main desktop computer, and popping off the keys and poking the eraser end of a pencil where the key would press to activate them manually. I also noticed that other keys, like Q and K, stopped working.

A keyboard dying wouldn't be so much of an issue, except for two things:
  1. The defunct keyboard is an ergonomic keyboard; specifically, it is a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite, which has been discontinued. The keyboard is difficult to find in stores and, when available, still costs approximately $40 retail.
  2. As mentioned in the Prayer Request / Praise Report Forum, I've recently been experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

After about 30 minutes of searching online, I found the same model of keyboard on ebay (Buy It Now, not an auction) for $25 with free shipping. The seller uses UPS Ground, so the keyboard should arrive later this week (likely Wednesday or Thursday).

I also ran out to a local Office Depot and purchased a $15 flat keyboard, which I'll "hand down" to my wife after I receive my ergonomic keyboard later this week.

I say all this to say: Until I receive my new ergonomic keyboard in the mail later this week, I will be trying to keep typing to a minimum. That means that I'll be trying to stay off the computer in the evenings, and I'll likely prefer voice chat in our TeamSpeak server over voice chat.

So if I don't seem my chatty self on IM, please don't take it personally. It's likely that I'm keeping my typing to a minimum to avoid wrist pain.
 
I have a few of the older Microsoft Natural keyboards at my disposal...I'd say 3-5 of them. I'd have to count to make sure, but I know of at least 3 off hand. They are the older model (I'm not sure what the difference is between the one's the school has lying around and the "elite" one) but they are all in good working condition.

I could snap a photo of them if you want and see if they are Tek-worthy.

Cory
 
Thaddius said:
I have a few of the older Microsoft Natural keyboards at my disposal...I'd say 3-5 of them. I'd have to count to make sure, but I know of at least 3 off hand. They are the older model (I'm not sure what the difference is between the one's the school has lying around and the "elite" one) but they are all in good working condition.

I could snap a photo of them if you want and see if they are Tek-worthy.
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If you would, I would appreciate it. :) My new Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite should arrive Wednesday or Thursday, but keyboards don't last forever and it would be nice to know where I could buy a replacement as they become less and less common in retail stores.
 
No need to buy if they'll work for you. I'll just ship them to you. I probably won't be able to get pic's until Monday, but I'll email it to you once I get it.

Cory
 
kraniac said:
The best keyboard is Das Keyboard II: http://www.daskeyboard.com/
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Flat keyboard = pain for Tek. But it does look cool.

Thaddius said:
No need to buy if they'll work for you. I'll just ship them to you. I probably won't be able to get pic's until Monday, but I'll email it to you once I get it.
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Bwah? Fer real? I'd like to at least pay you for shipping. And I wouldn't want to be greedy and ask for them all; perhaps just one or two? It would give peace of mind to have a spare ergonomic keyboard or two for after this next one dies.
 
tjguitarz said:
A little off topic, what are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
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From Wikipedia:

The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping, and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation in the fingers, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers).[3] These symptoms appear at night because many people sleep with bent wrists which further compresses the carpal tunnel. If the median nerve is already under stress, the increased compression of the bent wrist creates the numbness and tingling. Difficulty gripping and making a fist, dropping objects, and weakness are symptoms of progression. In early stages of CTS individuals often mistakenly blame the tingling and numbness on restricted blood circulation and they believe their hands are simply "falling asleep".

It is important to note that unless numbness or paresthesia are among the predominant symptoms, it is unlikely the symptoms are primarily caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. In effect, pain of any type, location, or severity with the absence of significant numbness or paresthesia is not likely to fall under this diagnosis.
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The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping, and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation in the fingers, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers).
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/cry

That's exactly what's happening to my right hand. And I can't very well tell my employer, "Sorry, but I need to cut down on typing," seeing as I work on a helpdesk and need to enter case tickets.

I guess I really should see a doctor. Have I mentioned how much I loathe going to see the doctor?
 
Tek7 said:
Have I mentioned how much I loathe going to see the doctor?
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I don't like the doctor because I'm a teeny tiny amount OCD and I know doctors offices are INFESTED with germs. Another place that freaks me out are gas pumps *shudders*
 
Corpfox said:
Since you like WoW so much, why don't you get the WoW keyboard? :D
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Is that the keyboard where you can program in certain button sequences (as to have your guy collect gold)? I remember hearing a big stink about that awhile ago. I have no idea where though...
 
for what it's worth, I ran across this keyboard at my local best buy store yesterday and yeah, it's 60 bucks or so, but if you could pick it up same day and use it, might be worth the extra money not to have to wait for one to ship and be in pain. Side note, I hope your condition improves and pray for relief :)
 
Corpfox said:
Since you like WoW so much, why don't you get the WoW keyboard? :D
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I stopped playing WoW a while back. I'll indulge in a battleground now and then, but I haven't logged in in two weeks and have only played a few hours in the last two months.

Whon said:
for what it's worth, I ran across this keyboard at my local best buy store yesterday and yeah, it's 60 bucks or so, but if you could pick it up same day and use it, might be worth the extra money not to have to wait for one to ship and be in pain. Side note, I hope your condition improves and pray for relief :)
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That keyboard was recently on sale for $40. I couldn't justify paying $60 for it now.

Besides, I was able to get the same model of keyboard as I had before for $25 (including shipping). It should arrive before the end of the week.

In the meantime, I'm curbing my time on the computer at home, where I'm using a Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500.

EDIT: Thank you for your prayers, sir. :)
 
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