When did double-shot keytops disappear?

[Jules Richardson]

Zane H. Healy wrote:
> One of these days I'd like to find a really high quality USB keyboard.

I remember my father acquiring one new about a year ago from Staples (UK 
office supply store, if you don't have them overseas). IIRC it was made by 
Packard Bell.

It was silver, and it stayed silver for about two weeks of use - after which 
the silver had worn off the most commonly used keys (key legends too of 
course) and exposed the black plastic underneath.

I think that has to get my vote for "most unfit for purpose product" that I've 
seen in a good ten years.

Incidentally, he lived with it for six months then bought another, identical 
one. It did exactly the same thing over the next two weeks, so PB obviously 
never got around to fixing them. (he's a bit of a technophobe is my dad, so 
he'll tend to stick with the same broken product line in preference to 
'risking' an alternative that might somehow hook up differently :)

cheers

Jules