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keyboards need an on-off switch of their own. when you pile books and papers on them they start to make beeping noises or write line after line of stuff. sometimes they just crash. so I think they should have an off switch to keep this from happening
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Annotation:
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Easy enough to implement with a typical keyboard A/B switch. But you'd be better off not piling books and papers on your keyboard. |
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The original PC-AT and many of its imitators over the years have included a key-operated keyboard switch which does exactly as you describe. Such switches are not so common today, but most computer cases ~5 years ago had them. |
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Older AT cases did often have a keyboard lock, ostensibly for security. Modern motherboards and cases do not implement anything similar, but you might be able to approximate this by having your system suspend frequently, and not resume on keystrokes. I don't know how to do this on your computer, but it will probably involve mucking around with the BIOS, having the computer crash frequently, and then getting frustrated and deciding it wasn't such a good idea. |
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USB devices can be safely unplugged and replugged, so if you have a USB keyboard (any recent Mac, for example) you could just unplug your keyboard when you're not using it. |
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I often move my (old, non-unpluggable, PC) keyboard off the table and prop it against the wall when I want the space. |
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//Modern motherboards and cases do not implement anything similar, but you might be able to approximate this by having your system suspend frequently, and not resume on keystroke.// |
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Many "sold-separately" motherboards still incorporate a connector for the key-lock, even though most new cases don't bother to implement it. It could easily be wired into a switch if desired, even if you had to drill a hole to put it in. |
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Alternatively, it should be possible to cut into the keyboard cable and install a switch on the ground wire. Since PC keyboards use open-collector logic, cutting the ground wire ensures the keyboard won't get "parasitic power" from the clock/data lines. |
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It is a good idea to cut the
ground wire and insert a
switch. Another way, I think,
is to make a simple program
to ignore the keyboard,
program wich can be mouse
activated/desactivated. |
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Used to have an amstrad 2086 with that fuction, came with an annoying beeper too though! |
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