Keyboard reliability at work

[herfalerf]

yesterday i was given a tour of a certain railroad company headquarters located in fort worth, tx.  specifically i was shown the NOC (networking operations center - aka rail traffic control center.) its hurricane and tornado proof, probably bomb proof too since its a part of HLS.  my tour guide was stressing the absolute importance that they put on safety and the fact that mistakes can kill people.  they seemed to take their work seriously, so i was very surprised to see that their dispatchers were using dell rubber dome keyboards.  to me this seems like a big risk considering the emphasis that they put on safety and reliability with their workers.  i know the first time i heard about mechanical keyboards it was in regards to the fact that airlines use them because keyboard failure could be catastrophic.  to me this seems like a similar sitauation and i am kind of amazed at this oversight.  

i guess i dont really know what im expecting you guys to say about this, i dont really have any questions it just seemed really odd to me that they would use POS rubber dome's for a job where mistakes with a keyboard could kill people.

[woody]

They can do mistakes with any sort of keyboard, so it has to be included in the equation.

[PlayerZero]

Unfortunately, hardly anyone realizes that rubber domes suck, and that there is an alternative.  According to Wikipedia, the most reliable technology is the Hall-effect switches (skip to that part on the entry).  They are used in airplane cockpits and nuclear power plants.  This doesn't really make up for operator error, which is probably more likely than keyboard error, even in rubber domes.

[phillip]

the BNSF headquarters?

[The Solutor]

i guess i dont really know what im expecting you guys to say about this, i dont really have any questions it just seemed really odd to me that they would use POS rubber dome's for a job where mistakes with a keyboard could kill people.

 

Durability and reliability are two different beast.

Microswitches keyboards could be more durable but are definitely less reliable for a number of reasons

[DaemonRaccoon]

Durability and reliability are two different beast.

Microswitches keyboards could be more durable but are definitely less reliable for a number of reasons

Care to back up your claims?

[Adhesive_X]

Lets start a collection to send them a couple Xarmor's. Lets save some lives people!

[ironman31]

I've heard of more mechanical keyboards failing than rubber domes.

[The Solutor]

Care to back up your claims?

 
I supposed that the reasons are so evident, that no further explanation was needed...

BTW The basic reason is the number of components and soldering points

Look at the single key: keycap, stem, upper and lower switch housing, two metal contacts, a spring, on blue switches there's an additional piece, then the diode or the led required on some keyboards.

This mean from 7 to 9 pieces per key, so from more than 700 to more than 900 single components per keyboard and from 300 to 600 soldering points.

Now compare this with a basic rubber dome keyboard : 103 keycaps, a dome menbrane, the three layer contact membrane, zero soldering under the keycaps, maybe less than 100 on the whole keyboard.

What do you think is statistically more prone to fail ?

Then the higher protection against liquids and dust.

Then the lower weight which protect the RD keyboard from accidental falls

Then the number of the keyboard produced that helping to iron out the early production defects and the evenness of the whole production.

I can continue, but I think you should have the idea.

P.S. just to be clear I mentioned microswitches keyboards for a reason, Model F (switchless), Model M (membrane) and Topre (switcheless rubber domes) are obviously not included, they are usually both reliable and durable.

[Chobopants]

Yeah, I've actually seen mechanical switches fail twice during a life GSL match that had to be paused and replaced. The good thing about these cherry switches is that they can be individually replaced and there is no risk of rubber wearing out, effectively killing the whole board.

If hitting a certain key at a certain time determines whether 1000s of people live or die I'm taking a Model M or some crazy Hall-effect board.

[DaemonRaccoon]

The Soultor, thank you for backing up your claims.

[The Solutor]

You are welcome

[Tony]

Mechanical keyboards are good for personal use, only with people who appreciate its quality.

For companies, they replace computer equipments every 2 or 3 years, so the purchasing departments choose rubber dome keyboards since they are a lot cheaper. In the 90s they replace all IBM model Ms and Compaq MX 11800 with brandnew rubber domes.

Imagine we geekhackers now have to replace Filco and Topre keyboards every two years. Sounds silly isn't it?

[Hydroid]

Haha, most of us don't replace every two years, but a lot of us will grow our collections multiple times within two years.

[The Solutor]

For companies, they replace computer equipments every 2 or 3 years, so the purchasing departments choose rubber dome keyboards since they are a lot cheaper. In the 90s they replace all IBM model Ms and Compaq MX 11800 with brandnew rubber domes.

 
Many companies aren't used to replace keyboards and mice when replacing computers, rubber dome are usually preferred because the price, because are silent, because are reasonably durable and highly reliable, when aesthetic is  a concern scissor boards are usually preferred.

All in all there isn't a single valid reason to go mechanics for a company.