Key Bounce?

Interesting - as i just posted on http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2434016#2434016

I have expirienced it on different machines and with different OS with the mac-usb-keyboard... i havn't tried other mac's than Intel Mac's - maybe there's a allready patch in the good old PowerPC Version which solves the issue?
Also - I can remember a old thread, where some users have had the same issue a long time ago with some PowerPC's - they finaly got a software patch to fix this issue...

Well - i just hope someone at apple actually reads this !? 🙂

Regards,
Søren

Yes, I'm having this same problem. Like you, I extended the key delay but that didn't seem to help. Also like you, this is a new keyboard for me, the previous one being a Microsoft wireless. This is wired - I couldn't do without a scroll mouse and two buttons!

I've had some problems with this as well. However, I changed the preferences for the keyboard so that "Delay until repeat" is on "Long" - that seems to fix it for me.

I used a PC with a different style keyboard for a decade or so; the Mac keyboard seems a bit "soft" to me. Just a personal comment; it's a great machine.

iMac Core Duo 2Gb 256 VRAM Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Nobody else but Jon joined into this discussion so I
thought I would refresh the topic. Are we the only
two having this problem? There are other larger
discussions of other keyboard issues but I am only
having this slight problem and none of the others. I
have upgraded to 10.4.5 since I first noticed the
problem but that has not fixed this issue.

I have the same problem too, and have not been able to resolve it. I have also completely turned off key repeat, to no avail.

I first noticed it on a bluetooth wireless keyboard, so plugged in the USB wired keyboard where I noticed the problem as well.

I'll post if I learn anything new.


20" intel iMac Mac OS X (10.4.5) 1.5GB RAM

I had this problem when I got my first Mac using the Apple keyboard, and to varying degrees, so did several of my friends who got Mac minis at the same time. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just a matter of getting used to the new keyboards.

It's something about the keyboard itself. The one I'm using on my PowerMac doesn't seem to do it. If you've got one that's really objectionable, try getting Apple to replace it, see if it's different. (I suspect a flaw in the keyboard's firmware, not correctly handling normal variations in key switch 'bounce')

It's something about the keyboard itself. The one I'm
using on my PowerMac doesn't seem to do it. If you've
got one that's really objectionable, try getting
Apple to replace it, see if it's different.

Thanks very much for the suggestion. I had considered this, but was hoping to find news of a known problem that could be addressed without hardware replacement. It's still definitely a possibility, since I have not yet been able to resolve it via other means (slow keys, repeat off, etc). I'm inclined to think it's a driver issue, since I have two keyboards with exactly the same problem. If I had a working mac nearby, I could test either theory, but unfortunately I don't.

I'll post when it's resolved - it's cut my productivity as a programmer by at least 30%, so it will be resolved soon.

To be completely honest, I had all but forgotten about this issue.

I've discovered that the problem exists for me only with the USB keyboard that was bundled with my mac. The problem does not exist with my wireless keyboard. I haven't tried the USB keyboard in quite some time, but other than for testing, I have no reason to use it.

It would still be nice for Apple to address the issue, though.

Thanks to WebSailor for replying to a post I placed elsewhere and directing me to this topic. Now I know I'm not going crazy.

I think something worth noting was that I get this problem even when just pressing a single key. It's nothing to do with how we "type", just how we "press". I feel strongly that there must be something wrong with the keyboards--but others don't see it. I feel like the kid in 6th Sense.

I'd really like to know if anyone who has had this problem, has successfully switched to another Apple USB keyboard and had the problem solved. Right now, I don't think it's worth getting a replacement keyboard.

For completeness, this is what I said in my original post:

Previously I used an Apple wireless keyboard with no problems. Now, with my first USB keyboard that came with my new iMac, I get double-keypresses every 5 to 10 times: Typing is messed up and 2 emails are deleted instead of one.

I took it to the Apple store and they had no problems with it (plugged into their iBook). I tried one of their keyboards and it did the same thing! So it's basically ME. However, they watched me type a row of alternating letters (eg, "tytytytyty") and can see that I'm only pressing the keys once, however the letters come out as, "tyytyttytyyttyy".

They keyboard repeat is set to never, so this isn't a software setting. It's all between the hardware and my fingers.

Yes, I have this problem, and have had it since I first got the computer. It doesn't matter what settings you use, it always occurs. I don't know if there are particuular keys that are really bad - I think I just found one in the word "particular" above - I see it didn't do it the second time.

It happens just enought to be annoying. I love my iMac, but it would be a better machine if this problem were solved. I've used computer keyboards since the late 1960's, and this is a first for me.

iMac Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.4)

For what it's worth: this issue still occurs for me, but only with the USB keyboard that came with my Mac. The bluetooth keyboard I bought separately does not exhibit this behavior at all, regardless of settings.



20" intel iMac Mac OS X (10.4.6) 1.5GB RAM

I didn't make it clear in my original posting:

At the Apple store, when they plugged it into their iBook, they didn't have the problem, but I did. It didn't seem to be limited to the Intel iMacs.

Very interesting that you say it got better after a restart. The problem did seem to go from unnoticable when the iMac was new, to intolerable a few days later.

I have a friend with a G5 iMac. I'm going to try his keyboard next.

iMac 20" Intel (early 2006) Mac OS X (10.4.6)

So today I tried something that really illuminates our problem:

I brought my keyboard into work to try on my Windows PC here, and a friend with a iMac G5 brought his Apple keyboard in.

I still get the problem when my keyboard is plugged into a PC (and not with the "Key Tronic" cheapo keyboard that I use at work). I still get the problem when I use my friend's Apple USB keyboard, plugged into my work PC.

He doesn't have the problem with either keyboard. Well, with one sentence he tried, he got two "n"s but that was it.

I would blame Apple's "softer" keyboard, but since we don't have this problem with the BlueTooth keyboards, and they have very similar keys to USB keyboards, that can't be it. Or can it?

I'm sticking with the BlueTooth one and forgetting about Apple USB keyboards for now.