[MorningZ]

Just saw this Engadget blog entry on how the keys are glued on

Why the BlackBerry Pearl keys suck - Engadget Mobile

doesn't give me too much hope on the "long term"-ness of my new purchase

[kmccarthy]

thats rediculous. i agree with the comment "you can do that with a computer and we pay a lot more for those"

[BES admin]

Don't be crazy! Lots of phone keyboards are designed this way. If you accidentally get water on the keyboard, (a little, like a raindrop) the design is such that the rubber backing which the keys are adhered to is one piece, and this keeps small amounts of liquid from getting to the guts of the phone.

As one poster on engadget replied, "What a waste of a post, if you took a screwdriver to any keyboard it might break it)"

PULEASE!!!

[snowskier79]

Still interesting information . . .

[xyrcncp]

What's next?:
"The Pearl's body is made of plastic, if you drop it, it will break!"

[MorningZ]

Originally Posted by BES admin

Don't be crazy! Lots of phone keyboards are designed this way. If you accidentally get water on the keyboard, (a little, like a raindrop) the design is such that the rubber backing which the keys are adhered to is one piece, and this keeps small amounts of liquid from getting to the guts of the phone.

As one poster on engadget replied, "What a waste of a post, if you took a screwdriver to any keyboard it might break it)"

PULEASE!!!

I totally agree that a screwdriver to almost anything will result in damage, but I didn't, and i seriously doubt many people would, realize that "lots of phone keyboards" are using glue to hold the keys onto a piece of plastic.....

just seems that with the general using/sometimes-maybe-abuse that a phone keypad/keyboard would get that glue is not the most reliable solution for lomg term use

[GrantMethePower]

All depends on the glue...the word glue makes too many people think of Elmers...some epoxys are ridiculously strong and will last a long freakin time.

[greggebhardt]

They don't build them like the used to.

[BES admin]

Originally Posted by MorningZ

I totally agree that a screwdriver to almost anything will result in damage, but I didn't, and i seriously doubt many people would, realize that "lots of phone keyboards" are using glue to hold the keys onto a piece of plastic.....

just seems that with the general using/sometimes-maybe-abuse that a phone keypad/keyboard would get that glue is not the most reliable solution for lomg term use

What is stronger than glue and flexible?

Our astronauts count on glue for a safe trip to outer space and back. The heat shield tiles are held on by an epoxy (A.K.A. Glue)

Glue is used to adhere rubber roofing to buildings. This has a 25 year guarantee and it's exposed to elements year round.

I guess all I'm saying is about the engadget poster: Glue holds more things together than most of us know. I bet some posters here can think of a "Brazillion" things held together by glue. It's not as negative as the Engadget blogger makes it out to be.

[takeshi]

No kidding. Are there any actual accounts of keys breaking loose due to normal use (i.e. not by prying the key with a screwdriver)? Why create a problem when one doesn't necessarily exist?

This sounds too much like the old "Doctor, it hurts when I do this..." joke. Yeah, yeah, someone already said that in another thread somewhere...

[mobrien118]

Originally Posted by takeshi

No kidding. Are there any actual accounts of keys breaking loose due to normal use (i.e. not by prying the key with a screwdriver)? Why create a problem when one doesn't necessarily exist?

This sounds too much like the old "Doctor, it hurts when I do this..." joke. Yeah, yeah, someone already said that in another thread somewhere...

Okay, How about this: I just bought my 8100, and no problems with the keys. However, the 7100 I am replacing lost the key about 13 months after I bought it (always happens shortly after the warranty runs out). This is when I first discovered how the keys were attached. Actually, at first the key just stopped working and was barely still attached. I would have to press it multiple times before it 'worked'. Then it fell all the way off, and it actually worked better without the button at all. I just had to jam my thumb down in the space where the button used to be.

I'm not making any claims as to whether or not there is a better way to attach the buttons, just relaying my experience.

[jacktriton]

Do you type with a claw or something?

[MorningZ]

Wow, i cannot believe what ****ing assholes some people are on this forum

all right... i throw the white flag, sorry for attempting to raise awareness on how the keys are attached, which took me for surprise that this was the way it's done.....

sorry for ****ing posting...

[KeithJ]

^Dude it's not that serious, I think it was more directed towards Engadget not you. Like others have said, a LOT of things are glued now-a-days so it's no surprise.

[joe allen]

i am just curious, what would be some other ways that they would be attached. would those ways be better?