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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: SmallFry on Wed, 06 February 2013, 07:23:58

Title: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: SmallFry on Wed, 06 February 2013, 07:23:58
Hey all. I was just thinking since it's cold here... I hate typing when it's snowing out etc, but I have no idea why at all. I also slow down when it's colder and my accuracy goes up. Also, when it is cold (calling you out Topre Masters!) do Topre switches feel different?  Or how bout when the humidity changes? Just wondering I suppose.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: nullstring on Wed, 06 February 2013, 07:38:28
Pretty sure the weather only effect my keyboard if I leave it outside :)
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: longweight on Wed, 06 February 2013, 07:39:54
Doesn't have any affect on my HHKB.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: nsrexler on Wed, 06 February 2013, 08:45:09
The cold may have a small effect on keyboards, but the more likely scenario is that it's numbing your fingers/hands and possibly slowing down the muscles. Soak your hands in warm water for a few minutes and you should notice your typing accuracy and speed improve significantly.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: Jocelyn on Wed, 06 February 2013, 09:19:49
What kind of heat do you have? I ask this because it could have an effect, like forced air for example would probably slow your hands/muscles down.

I miss my last apartment when I was living in Wisconsin. It had to die for hot water base board heating!
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: reaper on Wed, 06 February 2013, 09:24:41
Hmm.. I was thinking about the rubber dome in Topre switch since rubber can become hard and brittle in cold temperatures.  I'm sure it has to be really cold for that to happen and even then, it shouldn't effect the switch too much (maybe a bit more stiff to press?).
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: longweight on Wed, 06 February 2013, 09:33:21
But how cold does it really get in your room? I can't imagine that my board goes below 16°C in the winter.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: kinruan on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:36:48
i believe the plastic case will be effected in really cold environment. not sure what will happen to the PCB. nice qustion XD
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: keymaster on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:39:12
I prefer having a cool temperature in my room. It prevents my fingers from getting oily. As I type this now, my hands are dry and so are my keys. Maybe the new PBT keycaps also help.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: daerid on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:44:51
Couldn't really comment. I don't really let my place get below 65 deg F ever, so they haven't really had a chance to experience the cold.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: schizrade on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:08:18
Quote from: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*

LMAO.

#WINNING
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: Vintage on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:20:14
I don't think it affects my keyboard but it is surely a lot harder to type when my house is too cold. Your joints get stiff in the cold and move slower as a result.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:30:38
Quote from: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*
:(...
So humid here when it rains. I used to enjoy the rain and nice, cool weather. Now I have to turn on the AC...
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 February 2013, 16:50:08
Quote from: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:30:38
Quote from: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*
:(...
So humid here when it rains. I used to enjoy the rain and nice, cool weather. Now I have to turn on the AC...

You've gone soft, *****************************.

that... or you just got fat, fatties have heat issues.  /waves, former fattie here :D

Sorry for the edit; that wasn't "family-friendly." - samwisekoi
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 16:53:15
That or I moved to a place where the change in humidity is huge, by my standards.

But definitely not the ******** thing, or I wouldn't be here posting...



[Sorry for the edit; that wasn't "family-friendly." - samwisekoi]
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 February 2013, 17:00:36
Quote from: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 16:53:15
That or I moved to a place where the change in humidity is huge, by my standards.

But definitely not the ****** thing, or I wouldn't be here posting...

you sure it's not because of your fluffiness then? ;D[


Sorry for the edit; that wasn't "family-friendly." - samwisekoi]
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 17:17:13
I disagree that that makes any difference. There is anecdotal evidence from numerous amounts of people in different weight/build categories that shows that those factors are irrelevant to how humidity change affects said person.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: lazerpointer on Wed, 06 February 2013, 18:17:35
It definitely makes me type much slower. Other than that, no.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: mkawa on Wed, 06 February 2013, 21:19:10
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 February 2013, 16:50:08
Quote from: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:30:38
Quote from: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*
:(...
So humid here when it rains. I used to enjoy the rain and nice, cool weather. Now I have to turn on the AC...

You've gone soft, **********************.

that... or you just got fat, fatties have heat issues.  /waves, former fattie here :D
uh, is there some reason that women and/or people of higher BMI are more susceptible to the cold?  :rolleyes:

unless you have some well supported and reasoned argument to back this up, i think this is offensive nonsense.

[Sorry for the edit; that wasn't "family-friendly." - samwisekoi]
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 February 2013, 21:27:07
Quote from: mkawa on Wed, 06 February 2013, 21:19:10
Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 February 2013, 16:50:08
Quote from: esoomenona on Wed, 06 February 2013, 13:30:38
Quote from: khaangaaroo on Wed, 06 February 2013, 10:42:46
weather? what weather?
*waves from SoCal*
:(...
So humid here when it rains. I used to enjoy the rain and nice, cool weather. Now I have to turn on the AC...

You've gone soft, ****************************.

that... or you just got fat, fatties have heat issues.  /waves, former fattie here :D
uh, is there some reason that women and/or people of higher BMI are more susceptible to the cold?  :rolleyes:

unless you have some well supported and reasoned argument to back this up, i think this is offensive nonsense.

Women tend to complain because they were educated to do so.. Most of them were told to 'express" themselves, while most men were told to just suck it up, or ignore it..

Thus, women complain often about their comfort.....


As a former Fattie, humidity was obviously a huge problem..

Fat people already have trouble dissipating heat, now given high humidity, the sweat on the skin does not evaporate, leading to cooling failure...

[Sorry for the edit; that wasn't "family-friendly." - samwisekoi]
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: PointyFox on Wed, 06 February 2013, 21:55:09
"Does weather affect your keyboard?"

Let's find out.   :)

First we take a keyboard.  Now we apply lightning (weather) :

(http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/dbarby/dbarby0812/dbarby081200047/3989210-keyboard-with-full-alphabet-backlit-has-lightning-striking-the-keys.jpg)

The keyboard has now become a smoking keyboard!  ^-^


lightning+keyboard=smoking keyboard.

Let us try adding more lightning:

(http://img8.abload.de/img/dsc00128x2pd.jpg)

The keyboard is now a keyboard briquette!

2*lightning+keyboard = keyboard briquette

The keyboard was not smoking or a briquette at the beginning.  Therefore weather can affect keyboards!  :D
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: berserkfan on Fri, 14 March 2014, 21:35:57
um, sorry for writing now - but how did you fry your keyboard like that?
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: Vibex on Fri, 14 March 2014, 21:41:14
Quote from: PointyFox on Wed, 06 February 2013, 21:55:09
"Does weather affect your keyboard?"

Let's find out.   :)

First we take a keyboard.  Now we apply lightning.

Show Image
(http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/dbarby/dbarby0812/dbarby081200047/3989210-keyboard-with-full-alphabet-backlit-has-lightning-striking-the-keys.jpg)


The keyboard has now become a smoking keyboard!  ^-^


lightning+keyboard=smoking keyboard.

Let us try adding more lightning.

Show Image
(http://img8.abload.de/img/dsc00128x2pd.jpg)


The keyboard is now a keyboard briquette!

2*lightning+keyboard = keyboard briquette

The keyboard was not smoking or a briquette at the beginning.  Therefor weather can affect keyboards!  :D
Rewinds me of the time I blew up a lithium ion battery. And the other time I blew up a lithium ion battery. And the other time. I should really stop doing that.
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: spiceBar on Sun, 16 March 2014, 01:08:37
Quote from: berserkfan on Fri, 14 March 2014, 21:35:57
um, sorry for writing now - but how did you fry your keyboard like that?

Yeah, seriously, what happened? Looks like the keyboard caught fire (melted pen at the top) and most of the plastic turned into ashes, but not the IC, and not the rubber domes either!?

Has it been set on fire on purpose? (I'm not considering an intense and hot coding session to be a plausible hypothesis)

Can it happen to any other brand or is it exclusive to Logitech?
Title: Re: Does the weather affect your keyboard?
Post by: infiniti on Sun, 16 March 2014, 08:35:58
Quote from: spiceBar on Sun, 16 March 2014, 01:08:37
Quote from: berserkfan on Fri, 14 March 2014, 21:35:57
um, sorry for writing now - but how did you fry your keyboard like that?

Yeah, seriously, what happened? Looks like the keyboard caught fire (melted pen at the top) and most of the plastic turned into ashes, but not the IC, and not the rubber domes either!?

Has it been set on fire on purpose? (I'm not considering an intense and hot coding session to be a plausible hypothesis)

Can it happen to any other brand or is it exclusive to Logitech?

It looks like there's a burnt box of cigarettes in the lower left corner of the picture.  He may have left a lit cigarette on the box instead of an ash tray and the fire may have started from there.