Keyboard skins?

I'm sure this sounds like a strange accessory but I think I'd find it quite useful, what to me hating the fact of my keyboard's keys eventually becoming worn out and shiny and that I sometimes eat near my notebook.
Does anyone know where I can find keyboard skins, specifically for the Toshiba M50/M55 series? Thanks!!!

 

do they make such a thing? i think you'd be better off taking your keyboard out and molding it yourself


thats what i'd do any ways....look up some simple info on plastics and gel based rubbers etc ... maybe some diffeernt types of transluscent coloring to mix with it...

 

They do make such a thing... I've seen laptops come into the store where I work with them. I want to say I saw a site that sold them when I was looking for laptop bags last weekend, but I can't remember where.

 

they have them, but they're no fun. i have a friend who basically wraps his powerbook in saran wrap to keep it clean. he has one of those keyboard "condoms" for the same reasons you mentioned... they're no fun to type on.

have u used them before? they making typing a chore.

 

I've been known to eat around my laptop, so I periodically pull my keyboard and blow through it with compressed air. It's like having a brand-new keyboard.

 

Not a strange accessory at all, as anyone will tell you who has learned the hard way what an accidental spill can do to a keyboard.

Try Compucover, or Google “keyboard skins” for other manufacturers. I couldn’t find a ready-made one for my model, so I improvised a low-tech solution that turned out to work pretty well. It’s similar to drumfu’s friend’s Saran wrap solution, but I placed it only on the surface so it would not block any ventilation.

I got a disposable plastic tablecloth and cut it to the right size. It is made of a soft material that lets me type without pressing too hard and is matte so it doesn’t reflect light and obstruct the letters, but it is still a bit more sturdy than Saran wrap. To attach it, I ran some 3M removable double-sided “poster” tape around the edge of the keyboard. I replace it every few weeks, because eventually the plastic gets thin and tears at the “pressure points” where you press it when you are typing. It is practically invisible and doesn’t slow me down at all when typing.

I’d get a ready-made model if they made on the right size, but for now this solution turned out to work very well. It was cheap, easy to apply, it keeps dust and stray crumbs out, and is a decent “first defense” against stray drops of liquid although it’s certainly not waterproof.

edit to add - drumfu, if your friend has a powerbook, he (or she) can probably find a keyboard skin in the right size. When I was looking for one for my Compaq, I noticed that the few that are available seem mostly targeted at Powerbook owners. I guess they're more finicky about aesthetics ;-). Google "keyboard skin" and you'll get hits to lots of Apple accessories stores that carry them.

 

sorry, when i said 'saran wrap', i was exaggerating. he has an actual keyboard skin made for the powerbook. still no fun to type on.

 

i wouldn't mind having one of those now that its been mentioned, i think when i buy my notebook in the next few weeks i will look into geting one...

(For a Sony Vaio FE)

 

I don't care about getting crumbs or anything into the keyboard, but instead of the keys getting worn down and shiny looking and I think keyboard skins prevent that as your fingers contain oil that rubs down the coating on the keys am I right?

 

I've seen skins on ebay before that make the keys metallic silver.

 

I don't think any large, retail stores carry keyboard skins do they?
So what low-tech solutions do you guys recommend? Would saran/plastic wrap actually work?
I'm just interested in not having the surface of the keys getting worn out, making them feel different and looking shiny as well. I'm not worried about getting any crumbs or stuff like that into the keyboard, just preventing wear and tear on the keys themselves.

 

I thought Toshiba has the skins for their Satelite series on their website... I bought one for my Toshiba A55 about a year ago & it is of very good quality.

 

i'd probably end up geting some light serran wrap, and using a blow dryer on high speed on it....One layer at atime until it was waterproofed to my specification....

or some such like that....doesn't have to be phenominal water proofing, just enough to keep the stray droplets and spills out....

 

Well, like I said before, I'm more interested in preventing wear on the keys, you know, when they look shiny and smooth after a while of use, I really want to prevent that and am wondering if saran wrap would do the trick. I'm not worried at all about spilling anything or anything of that sort onto the keyboard, I'll treat the lappy like its my own child. No foreign objects are getting into you, no siree.

Just want to prevent keyboard wear thats all.

 

You're right, I just found it here,

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/adet.to?poid=279156&seg=HHO&coid=-28876&rcid=-26363&ccid=1291043

Thinking of buying it. I know it'l protect from things like dust and spills. But will it prevent wear and tear on the keys themselves, preventing them from getting all smooth and shiny looking?
Would something like saran/plastic wrap also work??

 

just replace the keyboard every 6 months or something. i don't believe they are that expesive. you'll always have an actually new keyboard.

 

IMO, Saran Wrap will be too flimsy, and will wear out and develop holes very quickly as you type on it. "quickly" = the first or second time you use it, so it's not worth the trouble of applying.

I tried a solution using shrinkwrap - I think that's what it's called - it's the kind of plastic that shrinks as you aim a blowdryer at it. The problem is that as it shrank down, it also wrapped so snugly around the keys that it actually pressed them down, making it impossible to use. Also, IIRC, it was too stiff and made typing difficult.

I tried a few different materials that turned out to make typing uncomfortable until I hit on the disposable plastic tablecloth (at our local dollar store), which is just the perfect texture for this use. Very soft so it does not disrupt the flow of typing at all, but not so flimsy that it tears too quickly, and the matte finish leaves the keys visible. The one I'm typing on right now has been in place around two months and is still in good shape.

I saw some "self laminating" bookcovers this week in a crafts store and thought I would try them to see if they will stay in place without the strip of tape, but I haven't had time to do it yet. I thought that might give the effect of the shrinkwrap, i.e., fitting snugly on the keys. If I do try it eventually, though, I'll report on the results.


Whatever you apply, you want to be sure not to inadvertently seal up any holes the laptop uses for ventilation - that's why mine is only on the surface itself and doesn't run over the side at all. All the connectors and ports - USB, RJ45 jack, etc. are unaffected.

If you do want to try a DIY version, I warmly recommend the process I used, of running a strip of removable two-sided poster mounting tape around the edge of the keyboard, and attaching a piece of suitable transparent plastic to the tape. It can easily be lifted and repositioned, and removing the tape won't leave any marks on your notebook.

 

I noticed today that my Toshiba keyboard has actually held up really well. It's 2.5 years old, I use it for hours every day, and less than 50% of the keys show any significant signs of wear. I don't know if that eases your worry at all, but I thought I'd mention it. Some of my keys really do have that like new look and feel to them.