and to think Microsoft Surface is coming up… lol
of course, there might be cleanliness concerns before touching the screen…
Uh oh . . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7422924.stm
Yes, there are some who take it too far, washing their hands every 15 minutes… But there are some who never wash their hands. Please try to find the happy medium.
I hate this whole imaginary war people seem to be running against germ-o-phobes. Yes, it is a fact that living your life in a virtual germless bubble has the effect of making your immune system weak. But there is a big diffrence between being a bubble-boy and washing your hands after dealing with fecal-matter and dirt.
This black or white wash/nowash mentality is not good for anyone. This mindset keeping your immune system working is being taken way out of perportion, to the point of rediculous-ness. Being germ-concious and germ-fearing are two diffrent things.
The fact of the matter is that most hand washing is suggested to prevent the nastier germs that even a good immune system can not prevent. Things like e-coli, influenza, heppitias, teburculosis, and many other types of ailment creating germs and virus aren’t the kind you can simply get immune to.
There is a bactera that causes explosive diahreia and vomiting, which is passed from host to host by contact with these bodily fluids… it is the cause of a great portion of elderly and infant deaths. AND it is infective (travles in your shit) well before you show symptoms… if people only washed their hands more, this deadly bacteria would become extinct very quickly.
If people washed their hands more, these heavily virulent strands eventually would evolve into less damaging variaties. The reason is simple: If you aren’t bed-ridden, you are more likely to spread it, so the weaker varaties will be rule. THe more we resposibly wash our hands, the less likely the havock-wreaking explosive variaties will be allowed to propidgate.
Piss might be steril…
And I’m not talking from my ass, there have been numerous studies on the trends of bacteria in thirdworld/growing countries. See for yourself: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/259
Washing your hands does save lives.
Germophobia!
Who died from a not-so-clean keyboard or even got sick?
I’ve had worse. I’ve seen someone pull out a sharpie and start annotating on a computer monitor. Not exactly sure WHAT he was thinking, but I’m sure he wont do it again after having to buy a new one.
Has anyone successfully dismantled an Ergo 4000 - I’ve had mine about two weeks and then spilled water on it. Annoyed because I had the last one for about 5 years and never once spilled anything on it…
i still cant see a keyboard
nah nah nah son yah got this all wrong yo . . . . . yah should INHALE the air dust and trust me yah gonna get that ill nice feeling 
lmao aiight mah dudes
WOHOO!
I finally figured out how to dismantle my Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 v1 for cleaning!!! Here are the steps:
- Remove the 10 screws nearest the front of the keyboard. These hold the two wrist rests. Pull them off to get access to two screws on the top of the keyboard.
- Remove the three screws on the back that have little rings around them. These three screws are longer then the others.
- Remove the remaining 8 screws on the back.
- [THE TRICK] pry up the space bar. It really will pop off straight up.
- Remove the four screws under the space bar. NOTE: These four screws are different from the rest of the keyboard. Two are really long and two are very short.
- Pry up the front of the keyboard where there is a plastic catch on the very front between the wrist rests. Pull up from the front and over the back right side where there is a plastic lip.
Ta Da!
I hate it too… people who poke or touch LCD screens. Those kinds of people belongs to the jungle. Ignorants! lol
excellent article with some funny comments, may i take the opportunity to introduce a revolutionary new screen cleaner? uses no solvents, causes no damage and is eco friendly.
The statistics regarding keyboard disgusting-ness are staggering.
Its worse when they use a pen or pencil. its not disgusting just impossible to clean.
yeah, I hate touching displays, but even worse is people touching the glass windows in their cars. I used to get a lift to university with a girl who had a permanently misted windscreen. I felt like screaming “use the fans! stop wiping the screen, it makes it worse!” but I never said anything.
I usually don’t tell people not to touch the windows in my cars though, because if I did they surely would.
Here’s a cleaning horror story, if you are squeamish, avert your eyes: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/34709834/m/834001402931?r=834001402931#834001402931
I am the same way. I can’t stand someone touching my screens and I try to keep my keyboard very clean (never used the dishwasher before though). I have a ready supply of anti-bacterial wipes, compressed air and one of those brush things to help keep dust off. Some of my co-workers even call me Monk.
I will occasionally touch monitors, however I ALWAYS flip my hand over and use the back of my fingernail…no smudges, no gunk.
Distilled water works better for soaking electronics–it doesn’t leave deposits on the circuit board as it dries.
Jeff, I think I love you. Let’s fight those filth mongering monitor molesters together!
I found this to be useful info on the subject of cleaning LCD screens:
1.Turn off the monitor. If the screen is dark, it will be easier to see the areas that are dirty or oily.
2.Use a dry, soft cloth and very gently wipe the screen. A great choice would be the microfiber type of cloth used to clean eyeglasses. See Tip #1 below for kinds of cloths to avoid.
3.If the dry cloth did not completely remove the dirt or oil, do not press harder in an attempt to scrub it off. Pushing directly on the LCD screen can often cause pixels to burn out.
4.If necessary, dampen the cloth with distilled water or with an equal ratio of distilled water to white vinegar. See Tip #2 below for products to avoid.
5.Many companies also sell small spray bottles of special cleaner for flat screen monitors but the vinegar mixture is usually just as effective.
6.The plastic edge that surrounds the screen can be cleaned with any multipurpose cleaner but take care to avoid contact with the screen itself.
Tips:
1.Avoid using paper towels, toilet paper, tissue paper, or something like your shirt to wipe the LCD screen. These non-ultrasoft materials can easily scratch the screen.
2.Avoid cleaning products that contain ammonia, ethyl alcohol, acetone, toluene, ethyl acid, or methyl chloride. These chemicals can react with the materials that the LCD screen is made of which could yellow the screen or cause other kinds of damage.
3.Never spray liquid directly on the LCD screen or it could run inside the monitor and cause damage.
http://freeukdigitaltv.co.uk/2010/05/how-best-to-clean-an-lcd-tv/
So how come no one dies or gets sick from all those “dirtier than toilet seats” keyboards and mice? Get over it, there are way more bacteria inside our bodies than anywhere else, it’s called a bacterial flora.