OK, some of u guys from the enterprising Far East has got to know this. I am looking to replace my laptop keycaps with electroluminescent (like analog watches) ones, so I can work under reduced lighting, like during a night flight. I do not want to carry yet another external USB-light gadget, plus that wouldn't be elegant I've found websites that makes cutom caption keycaps for regular keyboards but not what I have in mind. U mean NO ONE has thought of this superb idea before? Please, links, phone# blah-blah. Money is no object. Oh, and I do not want to replace my Sexy Sony with a boring IBM (with lighting). No offense if u own an IBM.
The reason no-one has thought of this idea before is that the technical implementation would be hideously complex (and definitely not a retro-fit option). Each EL keycap would require power leads --try working that into an existing keyboard. They would all need to go to an inverter powerful enough to feed such a relatively large EL surface area. Such an inverter would not be big, or expensive, but would drain your laptop battery fairly quick-ish.
No-no-no. I mean those (slightly radioactive?) stuff they have on analog watches. NO POWER, just absorts daylight and glow at night (very faintly mind u but that's all one needs for the application mentioned).
One thing you might want to try, is to paint the keys on the keyboard with UV reactive coating. Then all you would need to do is wire up a UV LED or two and presto, you have a glow in the dark keyboard. If you have an IBM keyboard, it would be even easier. they already have an LED light built into the cover to light up the keyboard. All you would have to do is swap it for a UV one, and you'd be set.
I'm not sure that would work. In order for that type of coating to glow, it would need to be exposed to quite a bit of light in order to produce a signifigant glow. With a laptop, unless it's in use, the lid would probably be closed, and hence the keys would not be exposed to any light. *Edit* Just came across this....http://www.keybrite.com/ Might be what you are looking for *Edit*
Am absolutely confident this works. I've thought this for several years now hoping some vendors will come up with it. U are thinking good lighting, sharp keycap relief etc. but u forget most of us touch-type and we don't actually look (and read) what keys we are punching. All that is needed (minimum) is that the eyes perceives the locations of the keys then the hands take over. In fact I don't want an actually light, the glow of the notebook screen in a darkened airplane is annoying enough. (Yes, I am one of them very considerate travelers). This gives me an idea, I may just purchase some electroluminescent strips and tape it around the contort of they keyboard and see how that works. Having actual electroluminescent keycaps would be much nicer though.
wait, you're contradicting yourself. do you mean glow-in-the-dark greenish paint or something which needs power (to-wit electro-...)?
Yes - yes, photoilluminescent thank u. No problemo, yup, I use it all day long, but I don't think it's a deal breaker, I have noticed the eyes are very sentive to even a smidgen of photo energy. Again, I don't need sharp visuals, just enough to tell my eyes where to place my starting fingers (the F and J key for those who didn't take speed typing lessons) and the different rows, the major control keys, that's the minimum I need.
Photoluminescent keys tend to lose their glow pretty quickly... This probably won't help, but Saitek now do a backlit keyboard. Apparently it's pretty good.
wouldn't letters cut from reflective tape or painted the reflective coating on street signs also be adequit? there's almost always some light, if only from the reflection off of your body of your screen. i suppose it may be abnoxious to those around you, though
It will have to be factory embossed. Home-made stick-ons will be rubbed off in no time. If this works as I envision, it will be very subtle. Next time you are on an airplane at night, look at people's wristwatch. Just like that.
