[Sugar-devel] seeking help to enable nepali keyboard input for XO-4

[John Watlington]

Walter,
   You remember correctly.  The hard/clicky/crunchy keyboards are not rated
for as long a lifetime as the membrane/chewy keyboards.   While the membrane
keyboard design was tested to 5 million key presses, IIRC the clicky keyboard is
only rated to 1 million key presses.   (On the other hand, it takes one minute
to replace a clicky keyboard versus twenty for a membrane keyboard.)

WARNING:  The clicky keyboard was not approved for use by small children
by UL.   The reason is that if the keys are pulled off they present a choking
hazard.

Cheers,
wad

On Jun 16, 2014, at 7:13 AM, Walter Bender wrote:

> James,
> 
> Do we have any data re the mechanical reliability/durability/repairability of the "hard/clicky" keyboards? We do know that although there were some issues with membrane pealing (presumably resolved with the newer design) there numerous ingenious local repairs such that most are still working after 7 years.
> 
> regards.
> 
> -walter
> 
> 
> On Mon, Jun 16, 2014 at 5:35 AM, James Cameron <quozl at laptop.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 16, 2014 at 01:54:19PM +0545, Basanta Shrestha wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > We are planning on ordering the next lot of XO-4s and I need some
> > suggestions on which keyboard model to choose -membrane  or
> > hard/clicky one.
> 
> I think it is great to seek input from the community, but don't forget
> to ask your OLPC contact for help as well.
> 
> > We had membrane one for our first lot and keyboard switching was
> > very convenient on that model.  One reason not to choose hard/clicky
> > one is that it doesn't have key for language switching ( correct me
> > if I am wrong) -I have one spanish hard/clicky and it doesn't have
> > that key - key 56 at
> > http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Keyboard_layouts.
> 
> Yes, that's a good reason not to choose the mechanical keyboard; you
> would have to customise your operating system build again, to add a
> key combination for keyboard language switch.  If the cost of
> customising is too high, you should order membrane keyboard.  I don't
> know the relative costs of the keyboards, and their replacement rates,
> but it might be factored in to your decision.
> 
> You identified the lack of language switch key in this same thread on
> sugar-devel@ back in November 2013, from which I'll draw some status:
> 
> Walter says use a key combination:
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/sugar-devel/2013-November/045724.html
> 
> And says that customisation will be needed:
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/sugar-devel/2013-November/045800.html
> 
> Then you suggest alt+space:
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/sugar-devel/2013-November/045807.html
> 
> Daniel Drake says to use olpc-os-builder:
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/sugar-devel/2013-November/045851.html
> 
> And you asked about the alt+space:
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/sugar-devel/2013-November/045857.html
> 
> But the thread dried up on that subject because the units you received
> had a membrane keyboard, not a mechanical keyboard.
> 
> I think you need to change the xkb files, but I'm not sure.  Do you
> have a mechanical keyboard you can test with?  If not, you'll have to
> get someone else to do this.
> 
> > Hard/Clicky on the other hard is more convenient while typing.
> > Please suggest.
> 
> I don't understand why you think it is more convenient.  To me the
> keyboards are equally convenient for an inexperienced child.  Perhaps
> you intended to mention some characteristic?
> 
> --
> James Cameron
> http://quozl.linux.org.au/
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Walter Bender
> Sugar Labs
> http://www.sugarlabs.org
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