Commander X16

Every keyboard I've owned, the lettering gets worn off rather quickly. Fortunately, thanks to those typing classes in middle school I don't need to see the keyboard to type. However, this could cause a problem for the cx16 keyboard. A problem I've been having trying to learn basic in the emulator is that I can't remember which key correlates to which petscii character due to the sheer number of them. Every time I want to use one, I need to just try every single key until I make the right guess. Obviously, I need the official keyboard to get anywhere. Of course, sooner or later the letters would be worn off the thing, returning me to the same problem that the keyboard once fixed. I hoped it was going to be like the old commodore keyboard which DIDN'T have the petscii characters on the tops of the keys where my fingers would eventually wear them off.

I have no idea what I could even do to protect them. I actually had stickers on my keyboard for a time so I could type cyrillic, but those barely lasted a month. Every key is victim to this too, though the wasd keys are always the first to go (for obvious reasons), followed by all the other letters, then the punctuation.

What could I possibly do to protect this keyboard so this doesn't happen?

I usually keep a printed key map near the keyboard when I'm working with either PETSCII graphics or something like the ZX Spectrum keyboard (which has BASIC commands on the keys.)

It'd be expensive to custom-order them, but you could see about getting a set of double-shot keycaps made with the correct glyphs.

FWIW, I've had the WASD x16 keyboard for 2 years. I'm a programmer working from home and usually use the computer the rest of the day, so that's all day everyday use. There's no sign of the letters fading. Though it is filthy AF, maybe that helps protect them

kelli217 wrote: ↑Fri May 05, 2023 4:27 pm It'd be expensive to custom-order them, but you could see about getting a set of double-shot keycaps made with the correct glyphs.

I would love to hear more. Do you know someone who can do custom double-shot keys?

TomXP411 wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2023 10:14 pm

kelli217 wrote: ↑Fri May 05, 2023 4:27 pm It'd be expensive to custom-order them, but you could see about getting a set of double-shot keycaps made with the correct glyphs.

I would love to hear more. Do you know someone who can do custom double-shot keys?

I do not. I saw it in a video, a few years ago. It was around $400.

Such fading is caused by skin oil. Couple easy, cheap options are to get either a set of rubber finger tips or a pair of cotton or linen gloves.