Keyboard Life: 3,000,000 Key Taps

[Apple!Freak]

Through testing I have found my last keyboard before hitting the junkyard endured well over 3 million key taps. Pretty interesting if you think about it. That's a lot of punching of the keys.

Keep in mind this keyboard that I am referring to, came and went in a years time. In result, this would mean I tap the keyboard almost 10,000 times per day.

I just purchased my iMac G5 back in March along with a brand new Apple Keyboard and just in this short period of time, the A key is already discoloring. Also to keep in mind, it's not because of dirt simply because I wash my hands every time before I jump on my iMac (Yes, I love my Mac that much!).

 

[sjpetry]

Did you have a fun time counting?

 

[Darwin]

Did you have a fun time counting?

Yes I'm wondering how you managed to keep count

 

[fowler.]

In less than a year, I think I need a new one too. The keys seem to stick, which makes it sorta tough to type without paying too much attention to where my fingers are.

 

[Apple!Freak]

Yes I'm wondering how you managed to keep count

I have a counter on my (old) PC which I bought a year ago and ran a check on how many keys had been hit since I started it up. Although now the PC is sitting in the corner of my desk, gathering dust.

 

[James Philp]

You can get keyboards professionally cleaned, which should fix sticky keys.
Discoloring IS dirt. Try wiping down the keys.
At £19 it's not much of a price to pay though.

EDIT: do you mean 3,000,000 taps for each key? Surely the actual keys' mechanism have a cycle lifetime only, not the whole kb?

 

[mkubal]

I've had one of my Macs for over 4 years now. I've must have surpassed the 3 million mark a couple years ago and yet the keyboard still works perfectly.

Are you sure you don't hit the keys too hard or something. Perhaps with a clenched fist.

 

[Platform]

Does this count for most KB's or is this special for apples KB's

 

[mad jew]

From my memories as a mechanical engineer, we were told that everything had a limitation (which is true) and that we must assign a number to all of these limitations (which is impossible and involves much guessing). I'd take the 3,000,000 figure with a pinch of salt because there are so many variables involved in the lifetime of a keyboard that it's really pretty redundant.