Keyboards for kiosk/outdoor/abusive environments?
- by Justin Scott
We have a bunch of kiosks deployed into let's just say... abusive environments. The enclosures we had built are touch as nails, and the HP thin client computers are working great. The keyboards that were purchased for the project have been nothing but problems. They're a generic brand direct from a Chinese manufacturer. They're stainless steel with keys mounted from the inside and a trackball, but they've been deployed for only a month and nearly 20% of them are already out of service due to keys sticking, keys not working, trackball problems, water damage, and a variety of other issues.
Are there any kiosk keyboards that can take a beating without breaking so easily? Ideally they should be tamper-proof (keys can't be removed), waterproof, lettering should be engraved into the keys, trackball, option for a single mouse button would be nice, and some protection to keep debris out of the keys so they don't stick (sticky cleaners, food debris, etc.). Does such a beast exist? Everything we've looked at is susceptible to easy damage. We need the M1 Abrams Tank of keyboards. Any suggestions?
