How to clean up a white keyboard?

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:10:09 -0700, T wrote:

On 2020-09-15 10:17, Ken Blake wrote:
If my keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out

This one has switches. It has a very nice feel to it

I use a HP keyboard because it has switches. It also has touch
controls but I avoid them. I find touch screens and keyboards are too
sensitive for heavy fingers like mine.

Steve

--
http://www.npsnn.com

On 9/15/2020 3:43 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.



I use mine very seldom, but I do every now and then.

Also I often recommend Windows|PauseBreak to get System information.


--
Ken

On 9/16/2020 4:59 AM, mechanic wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:43:20 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.

[]

The Win Key is important to me, as past of the sequences eg in
various games,


I don't play any computer games, so I never use it for that.


no doubt the bindings could be redefined but a useful
Win Key avoids that hassle. Unfortunately this particular Logitec
keyboard doesn't have a win key so I re-mapped the caps lock key to
Win.


I also never use CapsLock, but since it's a key I'm likely to hit
accidentally, I have it remapped to doing nothing.

By the way, for remapping keys, I recommend the free Sharpkeys at
https://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/ It's easier and less
dangerous than editing the registry.





--
Ken

On 9/15/2020 3:34 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:43:26 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 12:38 PM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

I'm different in this respect from almost all the rest of you. If my
keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.
They're inexpensive, unless you want a very fancy expensive one; I don't.

I would like to do that too. The problem is that the rest of the
laptop is attached to it! :-)


One of the many disadvantages of using a laptop instead of a desktop.

Why not both? The machine in front of me is primarily a laptop. When I need
to use a desktop, I RDP to it.


Having both is fine if you want to use a desktop at home and a laptop
for traveling. I see no advantage to using a laptop by itself at home,
or using both at home. In fact, to me there's no advantage to having
more than one computer of any kind for use at home.

Laptops are more expensive than desktops, harder and more expensive to
repair or upgrade, prone to being dropped and broken, and prone to being
stolen. They are also more prone to being damaged by overheating (at
least they used to be; I'm not sure about current laptops). I also don't
like their smaller screens (not even the 17" laptops; I use two 24"
screens on my desktop). And I hate touchpads and on-screen keyboards. I
don't even like the regular keyboards on most laptops.

I never use RDP. If I want to access another computer I use TeamViewer.

I used to use a laptop when traveling, and still have one around here
somewhere. These days, I prefer to use my smart phone when traveling.
It's lighter, smaller, and much easier to carry. I primarily it for
Google maps, e-mail, an occasional web search (usually just for weather
forecasts and making restaurant reservations), and Kindle.

--
Ken

On 9/15/2020 3:39 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 15 Sep 2020 19:38:22 GMT, Frank Slootweg wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

I'm different in this respect from almost all the rest of you. If my
keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.
They're inexpensive, unless you want a very fancy expensive one; I don't.

I would like to do that too. The problem is that the rest of the
laptop is attached to it! :-)

(Yes, I know I could attach an external keyboard, but that makes it
quite akward. But if push comes to shove, I might have to do that. One
key (escape) already broken (and remapped), another (which can - for all
intents and purposes - not be remapped) getting flaky. Knocking on wood
with fingers crossed.)

I agree with Big Al. If your laptop is a name brand, there will almost
surely be replacement keyboards available, and IME they don't tend to be
expensive. If your current KB isn't lighted but it was an option, this
could your chance to upgrade to a lighted KB.

Installation is usually easy. On my Dell, it simply snaps out. I could be
typing on a new KB in about a minute. On my HP, some trim pieces need to
come off first, so give me about 3-5 minutes on that one.


You are undoubtedly much more experienced and better at doing things
like that, or any other kind of computer repairs or upgrades, yourself.
But most people have no experience and wouldn't dream of trying to do
any kind of repair or upgrade to a computer themselves--even on a
desktop, and *especially* on a laptop.

--
Ken

On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:59:40 +0100, mechanic wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:43:20 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.

[]

The Win Key is important to me, as past of the sequences eg in
various games, no doubt the bindings could be redefined but a useful
Win Key avoids that hassle. Unfortunately this particular Logitec
keyboard doesn't have a win key so I re-mapped the caps lock key to
Win.

What connection for these fabled IBM dinosaur keyboards, PS/2 ?
Probably not bluetooth. Another cable to add to the clutter.

Yep, PS/2, and the cables are really long. They're coiled up like a
telephone cord, (any kids in here may not know that phones used to have a
cord), but even in their relaxed state, the cords are really long.

On 9/16/2020 9:15 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:59:40 +0100, mechanic wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:43:20 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.

[]

The Win Key is important to me, as past of the sequences eg in
various games, no doubt the bindings could be redefined but a useful
Win Key avoids that hassle. Unfortunately this particular Logitec
keyboard doesn't have a win key so I re-mapped the caps lock key to
Win.

What connection for these fabled IBM dinosaur keyboards, PS/2 ?
Probably not bluetooth. Another cable to add to the clutter.

Yep, PS/2, and the cables are really long. They're coiled up like a
telephone cord, (any kids in here may not know that phones used to have a
cord),


They still do--at least all the ones (five of them) in my house, except
for the cell phones my wife and I have.

Even kids may have parents who who still use land lines.


--
Ken

On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:25:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/16/2020 9:15 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:59:40 +0100, mechanic wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:43:20 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.

[]

The Win Key is important to me, as past of the sequences eg in
various games, no doubt the bindings could be redefined but a useful
Win Key avoids that hassle. Unfortunately this particular Logitec
keyboard doesn't have a win key so I re-mapped the caps lock key to
Win.

What connection for these fabled IBM dinosaur keyboards, PS/2 ?
Probably not bluetooth. Another cable to add to the clutter.

Yep, PS/2, and the cables are really long. They're coiled up like a
telephone cord, (any kids in here may not know that phones used to have a
cord),


They still do--at least all the ones (five of them) in my house, except
for the cell phones my wife and I have.

Even kids may have parents who who still use land lines.

I haven't had a corded phone since the late 80's, I think. I still have a
5-phone wireless set, but they are in a drawer and are at risk of going
into the next box for Goodwill.

My house isn't even wired for corded phones. They put TV coax in when they
built it, and I've added Cat6 Ethernet cable myself, but there are no phone
lines anywhere.

On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:06:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 3:34 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:43:26 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 12:38 PM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

I'm different in this respect from almost all the rest of you. If my
keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.
They're inexpensive, unless you want a very fancy expensive one; I don't.

I would like to do that too. The problem is that the rest of the
laptop is attached to it! :-)


One of the many disadvantages of using a laptop instead of a desktop.

Why not both? The machine in front of me is primarily a laptop. When I need
to use a desktop, I RDP to it.


Having both is fine if you want to use a desktop at home and a laptop
for traveling. I see no advantage to using a laptop by itself at home,
or using both at home. In fact, to me there's no advantage to having
more than one computer of any kind for use at home.

I travel for work, or at least I did before the current situation arrived,
so I use my laptop for work. It makes sense to me to use it when I'm
working from home, as well, to maintain a sense of continuity. So my laptop
is my work machine, and when I want to do something not related to work,
I'd like to simultaneously use a desktop, so I RDP to it. I view the
desktop full screen on a second monitor.

In addition to a laptop and a remote desktop, I also have dozens of virtual
PCs on the desktop, (not all running simultaneously), so I frequently have
multiple virtual Windows PCs running, each doing its own thing. Partly,
this personal use of multiple VMs is a 'because I can' thing, but it's also
extremely handy. It's nice to be able to group tasks together on different
VMs rather than having everything trying to run on a single desktop.

My wife only uses a laptop at home. She likes to be able to move from the
bedroom to the living room to the breakfast nook to her sewing room, etc.

Laptops are more expensive than desktops, harder and more expensive to
repair or upgrade, prone to being dropped and broken, and prone to being
stolen.

If the two most common upgrades are memory and drives, then laptops are
probably easier to upgrade. Usually there's a single screw or other
fastener that allows a door to swing open, allowing direct access to memory
or drives. For other things, like video cards and other expansion cards,
desktops are easier. Also, within the house I don't think there's an
appreciable risk of theft. In the event of a house fire, in theory we could
grab the laptops on the way out. I hope not to test that theory.

They are also more prone to being damaged by overheating (at
least they used to be; I'm not sure about current laptops). I also don't
like their smaller screens (not even the 17" laptops; I use two 24"
screens on my desktop). And I hate touchpads and on-screen keyboards. I
don't even like the regular keyboards on most laptops.

I never use RDP. If I want to access another computer I use TeamViewer.

Within a LAN, I like RDP much better than Teamviewer because of how it
works in a local client/server model, with no Internet-based broker server.
When I'm away from home, Teamviewer tends to work better, mostly because I
don't need to open the firewall. As a result, I use both, depending on
where I am.

I used to use a laptop when traveling, and still have one around here
somewhere. These days, I prefer to use my smart phone when traveling.
It's lighter, smaller, and much easier to carry. I primarily it for
Google maps, e-mail, an occasional web search (usually just for weather
forecasts and making restaurant reservations), and Kindle.

When I travel for pleasure rather than work, I do as you do. A smart phone
is good enough for me. We also pack a tablet or Chromebook in case we need
a bigger screen.

Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

By the way, for remapping keys, I recommend the free Sharpkeys at
https://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/ It's easier and less
dangerous than editing the registry.

+1

Highly recommended for any remapping.

I use Sharpkeys to remap the broken escape key of my laptop.

Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:25:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/16/2020 9:15 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
[...]

Yep, PS/2, and the cables are really long. They're coiled up like a
telephone cord, (any kids in here may not know that phones used to have a
cord),

They still do--at least all the ones (five of them) in my house, except
for the cell phones my wife and I have.

Even kids may have parents who who still use land lines.

I haven't had a corded phone since the late 80's, I think. I still have a
5-phone wireless set, but they are in a drawer and are at risk of going
into the next box for Goodwill.

My house isn't even wired for corded phones. They put TV coax in when they
built it, and I've added Cat6 Ethernet cable myself, but there are no phone
lines anywhere.

My house (appartment) isn't wired for corded phones either, but I
still have a (cordless) phone [1], which is connected to the telephone
jack of the modem of my (coax cable) ISP. So you don't have to have
special wiring to still have a 'landline'/'fixed phone'/whatever. Of
course the difference with a *real* old-style 'analog' landline is that
things stop working in case of a power failure.

Of course you know all that, but that doesn't keep me from blabbering
about it, does it!? :-)

[1] Actually a new one just arrived this very day! :-)

On 9/16/2020 7:43 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:06:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 3:34 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:43:26 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 12:38 PM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

I'm different in this respect from almost all the rest of you. If my
keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.
They're inexpensive, unless you want a very fancy expensive one; I don't.

I would like to do that too. The problem is that the rest of the
laptop is attached to it! :-)


One of the many disadvantages of using a laptop instead of a desktop.

Why not both? The machine in front of me is primarily a laptop. When I need
to use a desktop, I RDP to it.


Having both is fine if you want to use a desktop at home and a laptop
for traveling. I see no advantage to using a laptop by itself at home,
or using both at home. In fact, to me there's no advantage to having
more than one computer of any kind for use at home.

I travel for work, or at least I did before the current situation arrived,
so I use my laptop for work. It makes sense to me to use it when I'm
working from home, as well, to maintain a sense of continuity.


Yes, I agree. But that's an exception that doesn't apply to most people.


So my laptop
is my work machine, and when I want to do something not related to work,
I'd like to simultaneously use a desktop, so I RDP to it. I view the
desktop full screen on a second monitor.


If it were me, I'd just walk over to wherever the desktop is.


In addition to a laptop and a remote desktop, I also have dozens of virtual
PCs on the desktop, (not all running simultaneously), so I frequently have
multiple virtual Windows PCs running, each doing its own thing. Partly,
this personal use of multiple VMs is a 'because I can' thing, but it's also
extremely handy. It's nice to be able to group tasks together on different
VMs rather than having everything trying to run on a single desktop.


It wouldn't be handy for me, but we're all different.



My wife only uses a laptop at home. She likes to be able to move from the
bedroom to the living room to the breakfast nook to her sewing room, etc.


It's the same, I guess, for many people who only use laptops, but not
for me. As I said, I think it's a bad mistake for almost everyone.



Laptops are more expensive than desktops, harder and more expensive to
repair or upgrade, prone to being dropped and broken, and prone to being
stolen.

If the two most common upgrades are memory and drives, then laptops are
probably easier to upgrade. Usually there's a single screw or other
fastener that allows a door to swing open, allowing direct access to memory
or drives. For other things, like video cards and other expansion cards,
desktops are easier. Also, within the house I don't think there's an
appreciable risk of theft. In the event of a house fire, in theory we could
grab the laptops on the way out. I hope not to test that theory.

They are also more prone to being damaged by overheating (at
least they used to be; I'm not sure about current laptops). I also don't
like their smaller screens (not even the 17" laptops; I use two 24"
screens on my desktop). And I hate touchpads and on-screen keyboards. I
don't even like the regular keyboards on most laptops.

I never use RDP. If I want to access another computer I use TeamViewer.

Within a LAN, I like RDP much better than Teamviewer because of how it
works in a local client/server model, with no Internet-based broker server.
When I'm away from home, Teamviewer tends to work better, mostly because I
don't need to open the firewall. As a result, I use both, depending on
where I am.

I used to use a laptop when traveling, and still have one around here
somewhere. These days, I prefer to use my smart phone when traveling.
It's lighter, smaller, and much easier to carry. I primarily it for
Google maps, e-mail, an occasional web search (usually just for weather
forecasts and making restaurant reservations), and Kindle.

When I travel for pleasure rather than work, I do as you do. A smart phone
is good enough for me. We also pack a tablet or Chromebook in case we need
a bigger screen.



--
Ken

On 9/16/2020 7:43 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:06:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 3:34 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:43:26 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/15/2020 12:38 PM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

I'm different in this respect from almost all the rest of you. If my
keyboard gets old and and dirty, I just toss it out and buy a new one.
They're inexpensive, unless you want a very fancy expensive one; I don't.

I would like to do that too. The problem is that the rest of the
laptop is attached to it! :-)


One of the many disadvantages of using a laptop instead of a desktop.

Why not both? The machine in front of me is primarily a laptop. When I need
to use a desktop, I RDP to it.


Having both is fine if you want to use a desktop at home and a laptop
for traveling. I see no advantage to using a laptop by itself at home,
or using both at home. In fact, to me there's no advantage to having
more than one computer of any kind for use at home.

I travel for work, or at least I did before the current situation arrived,
so I use my laptop for work. It makes sense to me to use it when I'm
working from home, as well, to maintain a sense of continuity. So my laptop
is my work machine, and when I want to do something not related to work,
I'd like to simultaneously use a desktop, so I RDP to it. I view the
desktop full screen on a second monitor.

In addition to a laptop and a remote desktop, I also have dozens of virtual
PCs on the desktop, (not all running simultaneously), so I frequently have
multiple virtual Windows PCs running, each doing its own thing. Partly,
this personal use of multiple VMs is a 'because I can' thing, but it's also
extremely handy. It's nice to be able to group tasks together on different
VMs rather than having everything trying to run on a single desktop.

My wife only uses a laptop at home. She likes to be able to move from the
bedroom to the living room to the breakfast nook to her sewing room, etc.

Laptops are more expensive than desktops, harder and more expensive to
repair or upgrade, prone to being dropped and broken, and prone to being
stolen.

If the two most common upgrades are memory and drives, then laptops are
probably easier to upgrade. Usually there's a single screw or other
fastener that allows a door to swing open, allowing direct access to memory
or drives. For other things, like video cards and other expansion cards,
desktops are easier. Also, within the house I don't think there's an
appreciable risk of theft. In the event of a house fire, in theory we could
grab the laptops on the way out. I hope not to test that theory.


In theory, yes. In practice, I'm not so sure. You might need to get out
of the house as quickly as possible.

I also have several fairly valuable instruments. I'm not sure what I
would grab first if I had the choice.

And of course, a house fire could occur when nobody's home.



They are also more prone to being damaged by overheating (at
least they used to be; I'm not sure about current laptops). I also don't
like their smaller screens (not even the 17" laptops; I use two 24"
screens on my desktop). And I hate touchpads and on-screen keyboards. I
don't even like the regular keyboards on most laptops.

I never use RDP. If I want to access another computer I use TeamViewer.

Within a LAN, I like RDP much better than Teamviewer because of how it
works in a local client/server model, with no Internet-based broker server.
When I'm away from home, Teamviewer tends to work better, mostly because I
don't need to open the firewall. As a result, I use both, depending on
where I am.

I used to use a laptop when traveling, and still have one around here
somewhere. These days, I prefer to use my smart phone when traveling.
It's lighter, smaller, and much easier to carry. I primarily it for
Google maps, e-mail, an occasional web search (usually just for weather
forecasts and making restaurant reservations), and Kindle.

When I travel for pleasure rather than work, I do as you do. A smart phone
is good enough for me. We also pack a tablet or Chromebook in case we need
a bigger screen.


I also used to pack a tablet, but now I don't. It's just another bigger,
heavier thing to pack. I've never needed a bigger screen.


--
Ken

On 9/17/2020 3:58 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Ken Blake wrote:
[...]

By the way, for remapping keys, I recommend the free Sharpkeys at
https://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/ It's easier and less
dangerous than editing the registry.

+1

Highly recommended for any remapping.

I use Sharpkeys to remap the broken escape key of my laptop.

I've used it for only two things. To turn off the CapsLock key and the
Insert key, neither of which I ever want to use, and both of which I
might hit accidentally.



--
Ken

On 9/16/2020 6:42 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:25:13 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

On 9/16/2020 9:15 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:59:40 +0100, mechanic wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:43:20 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:07:25 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

I just googled ibm m keyboard and found pictures of them. They basically
look the same as modern Windows keyboards, except that they don't have a
Windows key.

A Windows key isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a convenience, and I
wouldn't want a keyboard without one. So lower the price of the IBM to
$11, and I still wouldn't want it. I don't care if it's clickier.

My laptop KB has a Windows key but I don't remember ever using it.

[]

The Win Key is important to me, as past of the sequences eg in
various games, no doubt the bindings could be redefined but a useful
Win Key avoids that hassle. Unfortunately this particular Logitec
keyboard doesn't have a win key so I re-mapped the caps lock key to
Win.

What connection for these fabled IBM dinosaur keyboards, PS/2 ?
Probably not bluetooth. Another cable to add to the clutter.

Yep, PS/2, and the cables are really long. They're coiled up like a
telephone cord, (any kids in here may not know that phones used to have a
cord),


They still do--at least all the ones (five of them) in my house, except
for the cell phones my wife and I have.

Even kids may have parents who who still use land lines.

I haven't had a corded phone since the late 80's, I think. I still have a
5-phone wireless set, but they are in a drawer and are at risk of going
into the next box for Goodwill.

My house isn't even wired for corded phones. They put TV coax in when they
built it, and I've added Cat6 Ethernet cable myself, but there are no phone
lines anywhere.



How old is your house? Is not wiring for corded phones common these
days? I've never heard of it before.


--
Ken