A Keyboard Story

To begin with... why do I always get inspired to write my blog entries when I really should be in bed asleep?

Anyway, for tonight's topic...

While A. and I were discussing getting me a new computer, he asked me to make a list of things that I wanted it to have. One of things that I said I would like, but I did not find absolutely necessary, was an American keyboard.

First of all, let me tell my American readers who may not know this: keyboards all around the world are not the same. Some languages have completely different alphabets than we do and yet others have letters with accent marks or umlauts that are a necessary part of the language. For example, in German there are three letters (a, o, and u) that also come in the "umlaut" variety (ä, ö, and ü), not to mention the ß. Because these letters are used frequently, they must have a place on the keyboard. Therefore, the keyboard layout is different.

In the afore-mentioned situation, A. was a big supporter of getting me a computer with a German keyboard. His argument was simple and logical. We live in Germany and I will someday work and use a computer in Germany. As a cultural integration step, I should make the move to a German keyboard. Not to mention the fact computers in Germany come with German keyboards unless you order them specifically to come with an American keyboard.

After many heated discussions which usually ended up with me pouting about how I didn't want to use a German keyboard and that at home I will "always" type in English, I finally relented. I would get a German keyboard. After all, his "we live in Germany" claim did have a certain logic to it.

So, we went to our local hole in the wall, run by the Russian mob, for IT specialists or computer geeks only computer store. We had a particular computer for me in mind. I looked at it, played with the keyboard a little, and then we asked if they had any of that particular model in stock. No, they didn't. They had to order one. I saw a window of opportunity. Slyly, I asked how much it would cost to order it with an American keyboard. It was a mere 60 Euros. So, before A. could protest, I told the friendly Russian mobster that I would like to order it with an American keyboard. A. gave me the evil eye, but didn't say anything.

Upon leaving the store A. asked me what was up with the whole German integration thing. I replied that I changed my mind (at least as far as the computer keyboard went). I wanted an American keyboard all along and he knew it. So, I got what I wanted after all.

But here is the punch line...

Two days later we went to pick up the computer and learned that what they did was order a German laptop and an American laptop keyboard... separately. So, I got my computer, but the keyboard won't be here for another couple of weeks. I will have to take the computer into the shop so they can change the keyboards for me when the American keyboard arrives.

And after all that rigmarole, I am currently typing from a German keyboard but have Windows XP set up to default to an American keyboard layout... and it isn't so bad as long as I don't look at my hands when I type.