Confession time, in case you didn't know.
When I was in high school and let's face it, even now, I stunk at math. When I wasn't required to take anymore math courses, I was jubilant, relieved, exultant.
However, the one thing I enjoyed most in high school was typing. I loved typing. I learned to touch type. I could type fast. I loved my typing teacher. I decided to become a secretary because I could be in an air conditioned office and type all day. But then all my friends were going to the University so I decided to tag along. University costs were a lot cheaper back then.
Hooowever... Then my brother stayed at our house to take care of mom when Art and I went to Illinois to spend time with our son and family who had come home from overseas.
My keyboard drove him crazy. Dennis is a genius in a gazillion other things but he does hunt and peck. Still he types pretty fast using just two fingers (if he can see the keyboard).
Well, Art and I have a trip planned for next year so Dennis will be coming again to take care of mom while we're gone.
Then Art (who actually can touch type) said the missing letters were bothering him too.
I needed to do something. I considered getting a new keyboard.
Nah...
I considered painting on missing letters.
I saw one website that mentioned typing out the missing letters on paper and taping it on the keys that were missing letters. Nah...
But then I found this on Amazon! They had it all made for you and it cost only about $6.00!
I was nervous when it came wondering how it would work.
I saw one website that recommended cleaning the keys with alcohol before applying the letters so I did it.
I then applied the letters.
It feels just fine. I can't tell by touch which letters have the replacement letters.
However, Art just mentioned that the replacement letters are a little lighter than the others.
Oh rats!
I see from this photo that I also FORGOT to put on the letter L. 🙄
OK....
I'm pleased BUT, we'll see how long they stay on. 😏
Happily, it is a two pack so if they come off, I can try again.
Hmmm... would Super Glue work?
I had some stick-on letters for my keyboard. They never looked right, mainly because I put them on skewiff, not intentionally, of course. Anyway, I ended up with a super duper replacement keyboard with illuminated keys, which is light and responsive.
ReplyDeleteBy far, learning to type by memory instead of sight was the best skill I ever learned in my high school days, and I ended up with nearly a minor in math by the time I finished college! Being able to type nearly as fast as one can talk has served me well over the years.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would put superglue on your keyboard to adhere those letters. My worry would be that they wear much faster than the standard painted on letters on the keys and so you will end up wearing through the top layer and then have an adhesive mess that it now impossible to move due to the superglue. I would just buy another keyboard if needed but then, I use a basic one that retails for 9.99 right now on Amazon.
I hated typing class in high school, very high pressure teacher, lots of yelling (this was in the '60s). So I took a summer school class, no AC, sun baking in, quit. Still needed to learn to type. So I got a poetry anthology and started typing poems, thumpety thump rhythm, got very fast. Only problem was that for years after hitting the return key I capitalized the next letter, a la traditional poetry (this is back in the day when you hit a return key at the end of each row, no auto return like now). And I'd be inclined to buy a new keyboard despite being hyper frugal about thing like that, can't stand sticky fingers!.
ReplyDeleteCeci
I was lucky in that I had a wonderful typing teacher who I really loved. The amazing thing is several months ago, a good friend of mine in another town asked if I knew a certain typing teacher at my old high school. Good gosh! She was his aunt!!! I was sad to hear she'd already passed away. Well, seeing as I'm 75, I guess this sort of thing is to be expected.
DeleteIn my high school the typewriters in Typing 1 were letterless blank keys. We had to "focus" on the poster of a keyboard that was above the blackboard to find our keys. It was not fun for the first few weeks, but I am a touch typist, too. My pet peeve is ergonomic keyboards. One of the offices I worked at purchased them for all the computers and replaced them one weekend. I had to bring an old backup keyboard from home to continue to type, lol.
ReplyDeleteYou can get anything from Amazon!
ReplyDeleteWe had the worst problem with our last keyboard. The letters came off. It didn't bother me at all, but Tim hunts and pecks. We tried painting them on. They did not stay and we ended up with 'stuff' on our fingers. As time went on, more and more letters wore off. Tim found an expensive keyboard for $1 at the goodwill, and he bought it. Problem solved. The letters stayed right where they were supposed to.
ReplyDeleteVery clever. Like you, I wouldn't mind if the letters wore off, just as long as the key still worked. I can touch type, even taught it for a few years. EYES ON COPY
ReplyDeleteI also loved typing class in high school and got many certificates for it. I type by position although if I get off by a key, I need to re-center by looking at the keyboard. That's an ingenious fix!
ReplyDeleteYes. Touch typing is fun and has made me friends, even, as I typed for them. the one downer was my elder daughter, whose writing was so, so small that reading it almost defeated me.
ReplyDeleteI do ove it that you have ost the 'L".
Very cool! My keyboard letters are just fine because I have a silicone cover that fits over the keys and keyboard like a glove.
ReplyDeleteIt might take a little bit of time getting used to it because it makes it a bit "spongier" and lighter but it protects from spills, overuse of keys, etc.
Good for you! I love fixing things like this and keeping them in the game. Aloha from townside!
ReplyDeleteSue has some sort of chemical issue and tends to obliterate her keyboards, but she is a touch typist so it is okay -- for her!
ReplyDeleteSo some good things and some bad. Great that you touch type. Most people should take typing. Typing opens doors for you.
ReplyDeleteI've worn off the register bump on the J.
ReplyDeleteYou do love to find economical fixes for things.
ReplyDeleteI hated typing and did not succeed in learning to touch type.
I took typing when I was a teenager one summer... it wasn't offered in my high school... and yes, I can touch type. And you find things that I would never think to even look for, Kay. I had no idea that the letters could be replaced after being worn off. But it's true, Amazon seems to have everything.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Kay, when I first saw this, I thought your computer lost the ability to print the letter L. You may recall on old typewriters, how some letter keys would bend or get out of alignment, causing problems on the typewritten page. I learned touch typing ("Don't look at the keys!...") in junior high, and managed to get up to 110 wpm later. I learned not to look at the numbers when I had to type lots of address labels, again, on an old typewriter. So, you've used your keyboard so much that you wear off the letters on the keys. That's a lot of typing. I have an old Vivitar bamboo keyboard. I think they're still available. It has no noise, and a very soft keystroke. All of the letters are etched (carved?) into the top of the key. You might even wear out your fingerprints from the tips of your fingers! My Mom's last Oklahoma driver's license renewal visit was a hoot. They wanted fingerprints, but her 84 year old fingertips didn't have prints anymore! She still got her license. Didn't know they made overlay lettering to put on keyboard keys! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteA bamboo keyboard? That sounded so awesome that I just had to see if you can still buy one. Yes you can! When my keyboard dies, I'm going to get one. And now watch... my stubborn keyboard will live forever, missing letters and all. The bamboo keyboards these days are printed by laser though. I'm not exactly sure what that means.
DeleteI think that means that the letters and numbers in the individual keys are created by a laser cut of the letter into the top surface of the key. The two fingertip locater keys of F and J additionally have a deeper cut symbol under them than the depth of the letters. Otherwise, it has a full raised square just like regular keyboards for each key. It's cool-looking and you can see that it's real bamboo on the sides of the parts. Linda in Kansas where bamboo does not grow.
DeleteIt seems I have always known how to touch type. I don't need the letters at all, just like you, Kay.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this. What a great idea.
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