Your keyboards dead. Is a new, but cheap, keyboard the
Your keyboards dead. Is a new, but cheap, keyboard the smart choice?Youve probably heard of planned obsolescence. This is a prevalent manufacturing practice, where a supposedly durable good is manufactured on the slimmest of standards. Short cuts are taken on materials and labor, such that the product works for a while but certainly not for a lengthy period of time. When the product goes kaput, you must replace it. Computer keyboards are no exception.
The surprising aspect is the variety of keyboards on the market. When your computer keyboard gives up the ghost, you dont have much choice but to get a new one. You trek down to the electronics supplier and look over your options. If its been a while since you last shopped, youre in for sticker shock. A recent shopping trip for this item revealed an array of computer keyboards, ranging in price from cheap keyboards for $10 to pricey jobs at $130! Now what could possibly justify these high end keyboards?
Perhaps its much like a new car. A sleek and shiny keyboard, which looks so slick you fancy it must also double as a toothbrush, catches your eye. Hmm. Yes, its visually attractive, but does it warrant that hefty price tag? That fancy computer keyboard equals a couple of weeks of groceries! The cheap keyboard is, well, just a keyboard. Lets rethink this.
If you buy the cheap keyboard, what can you expect in terms of performance and longevity? The cheap unit will produce the same letters, numbers and function keys afforded by that pricey keyboard. Well, how long will it last? If youre the most avid of typists, the worst you can expect out of a cheap keyboard is a years worth of heavy use. Say, now were talking! Ten dollars well spent.
On the other hand, lets say you pop for the $130 model of computer keyboard. Will it last thirteen years? Probably not. Thats how long it would take you to recoup your investment dollars. Considering the rate of progress in technology, that $130 keyboard is probably slated for obsolescence in a few short years.
Theres a solid case for cheap keyboards. You lay out $10 for a minimum of a years service. If that keyboard fails you, its not the end of the world. Even if youre not a touch typist and your heavy use causes the letters to fade, such that you need a new cheap keyboard, its no big deal. Go out and get another one.
Heres a hint for particularly frugal, not-touch-typist shoppers: cheap keyboards tend to have imprints that wear off in no time. Use clear nail polish to coat each key. Use just a tiny amount and be careful of drips! This automatically extends the practical life of your keyboard. You can continue typing, right up to that keyboards last breath.
Cheap keyboards are a good solution to your keyboard needs. They arent meant to last forever.
