Duo 280c keyboard problem

#1 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 - 19:34 68kMLA

So, I finally took the 280c out of storage where it's been since renovating the home office. Unfortunately, it seems to have developed some kind of keyboard problem in the interim.

It refuses to power up from the power button, only from the reset button in the back. Once powered, it seems to boot fine and responds to the trackball, but is deaf to any keypresses (with the exception of the fact that the CAPS Lock light will toggle if I press that key).

I don't think its a dirty keyboard issue as I would expect to be able to use a few keys.

Anybody have any thoughts?

Thanks...

John

P.S. Everybody always raves about the Duos, but I forgot how heavy one really is. I swear that it feels heavier than my Pismo.

#2 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 - 22:10 68kMLA

Yeah, for the time they were tiny.

By today's standards, not so much.

#3 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 - 23:23 68kMLA

Could be oxidation on the ribbon cable where it connects to the mobo. Unlatch the connector and wiggle the cable, then latch it again. Good luck. Yeh, the Duos are heavy as iBooks, not so thin & light as the Air.

#4 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 - 23:37 68kMLA

All of my Duos have suffered from keyboard issues... though mostly a slow death rather than everything going at once. So I'd guess it's more likely a connection problem as H3NRY suggest rather than just the inherent crappiness of the Duo keyboard.

They may not be the lightest thing going, but I find the dimensions are quite nice for lugging around, stashing under a car seat, throwing in a bag etc.

#5 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 - 23:29 68kMLA

This happened to me with a Duo 280c that I placed a Revision F keyboard in. The keyboard worked fine in a 2300c, but not in that 280c. So I went back to the original 280c keyboard, which improved with use.

The 280c later died (it now will not spin up a HD), so it went in the "to be fixed one day" box and the keyboard anomaly is no longer what you could call concerning. But it seemed to me then and now, in your case, to be most likely keyboard ribbon related.

#6 Thu, 1 Apr 2010 - 19:51 68kMLA

My keyboard works fine the only problem is that it is stiffer than hickory wood!

I think I might take the KB apart and lube it up or something.