# Mac keyboards with sttickyy keyys? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 27, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314 "2006-07-27T19:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/1 "2006-07-27T19:25:55Z")
Anyone else have a Mac with a funky keyboard taht gives you double letters? I just got off the phone with Applecare, and the agent sort of implied that there’s a rash of keyboards that repeat keys. He didn’t come out and say it exactly, but advised me that there will be a special return label being sent out by FedEx separately from the replacement keyboard, and to ignore the return instructions that will be in the box with the replacement. He was also particularly curious about which keys were repeaters - more so than just “hmmm…it shouldn’t do that” FWIW, on mine, the T, G, and B have been giving me fits. Paging **MacTech** … Know anything about this? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/2 "2006-07-27T20:14:48Z")
Never had a problem, myself… What kind of keyboard? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/3 "2006-07-27T21:00:15Z")
Mine works fffffffllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwlessly. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/4 "2006-07-27T21:16:49Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] Never had a problem, myself… What kind of keyboard? [/QUOTE] The basic clear body / white keys that comes with an iMac. I got mine in early May. I’m assuming this is a problem with a batch, rather than any sort of design flaw. The behavior is as if the “debounce” isn’t happening on that particular column (5-T-G-B) ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/5 "2006-07-27T22:09:32Z")
I have noticed that, but I’m a heavy typer. I figure this’ll teach me how to type without banging the crap out of my keyboard. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/6 "2006-07-28T01:45:53Z")
I use a PC, but at the college where i teach i often use a Mac Powerbook for presentations in the classroom. I had one the other day that did the double-letter thing, although it seemed to happen more frequently on some keys than others. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/7 "2006-07-28T01:50:26Z")
Is there a software setting you can change? I haven’t used a Mac for a few years but Windows XP has repeat settings in their own little control panel. I would think Macs have the same thing. If you can find it, change the repeat delay much higher. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/8 "2006-08-01T22:51:38Z")
An update: \*\*Shagnasty \*\* - Yes, there are settings for both the repeat rate, and the delay time before the repeat engages. In testing, I’d cranked both down to the longest delay settings, and the thing would still give instant doubles. The replacement keyboard arrived on Friday, and as promised, a FedEx envelope came yesterday. Rather than sending the keyboard back to the parts depot in Kentucky by slow boat, the FedEx tag was for overnight service to the engineering department in Cupertino. If they’re willing to spend $20 to get a $30 keyboard back, I’m guessing they \*really \* want to see the silly thing. If nothing else, I’m pretty happy with Apple’s tech support people. Once I got hooked up with a second-level person on this continent, the conversation shifted from a typical script-reader agent to a third-level guy who was much more curious about the particular nature of the problem than just “yeah, it shouldn’t do that” and having the replacement arrive overnight. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/9 "2006-08-02T11:41:50Z")
Recently got a Mac for the first time and yeah, it does that. Not that much, but often enough for it to be annoying. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/10 "2006-09-01T05:28:45Z")
An update: The replacement keyboard they shipped to me also stuttered. (Where’s a hissy fit icon when you need one?) I’ve given up and replaced the keyboard with a cheapie generic. No more typos. A side benefit is that this also fixes the problems I had with how Apple rearranged the keys around the number pad. On the down side, the Keytronic doesn’t have USB ports for the mouse. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/11 "2006-09-03T00:42:29Z")
Keybounce? I haven’t encountered it since the TRS-80 days. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-keyboards-with-sttickyy-keyys/366314/12 "2006-09-03T01:03:22Z")
Haven’t noticed sticky keys, but I’ve had PowerBook key tops fly off and lose their letter markings.