[Localization] int keyboards

[Chris Leonard]

Not touting any company in particular (just google "keyboard skin"), but in
the laboratories at my firm, we often use these as a safety measure, for
instance in the "hot" labs.  These are just flexible covers for keyboards.
They are typically clear, but in this application, obviously opaque would
work better.  You could probably hand draw the desired key symbols on with a
permanent marker.  Assuming you could get someone to make the right mold,
they can be pretty cheap.

I've always thought of such disposable keyboard skins coming in handy for
"temporary localization" testing, unfortunately they probably wouldn't be as
long-lasting as genuine green membranes properly silkscreened, and I'm not
sure a G1G1 donor would find it a suitable substitute for a local keyboard.

cjl

On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 4:38 PM, Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Check with Roger Sipitakiat, who did something similar in Thailand
> with some degree of success!!
>
> -walter
>
> On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 4:31 PM, Yama Ploskonka <yama at netoso.com> wrote:
> > OK, since you're forcing me to :-), I'll make public this intention
> >
> > I am planning to do a few little test to do the rubber part of the
> > keyboard, which then can be silkscreened/localized to any layout.  Both
> >  are rather trivial technology issues, and then the local user groups
> > could maybe hack those into their laptops if they are insistent on
> > having a localized keyboard.  If these work, I could probably source
> > that in Bolivia for Q4.
> >
> > Remembering the Nigeria fiasco, would I get in any high water with
> > distributing something like this?
> >
> >
> > In principle silkscreening on a plain green or any color keyboard would
> > be a non-issue, even I can do that, a professional shop in a developing
> > country would be happy to do it for less than 200 USD per hundred
> > keyboards, the setup being the most expensive, printing itself costing
> > but a few cents.
> >
> > Making the rubber piece itself is a bit more tricky, because it has to
> > be a material that can last.  Now, if we could buy a few thousand of
> > those direct from the provider in China, blank, then we could do really
> > whatever, Ed would be SO happy!
> >
> > Yama
> >
> >  Lionel Laské (C2S) wrote:
> >> Very good idea.
> >>
> >> More: why not give keyboards stocks to locals grassroot in target
> countries for G1G1 Europe ?
> >>
> >> So every people buy a laptop with an English keyboard and have
> opportunity to exchange it to its local grassroot.
> >>
> >> It could be a very good way:
> >> - For local grassroot to federate XO community in their country,
> >> - For OLPC to promote grassroots in Europe.
> >>
> >> By the way, as NN said: "Everyone should try disassembling their XO", so
> if someone want a localized keyboard, it should disassembly the XO first to
> plug the right keyboard !
> >>
> >>            Lionel Laské.
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> >
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