zCover keyboard skins are printed with the default US keyboard layout in regular or large print, the Dvorak layout used by OS X, or with keyboard shortcuts for common programs including Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, as well as blank translucent skins in many different colours.
Made of flexible silicone, the TypeOn skin is washable and durable; it helps protect the keyboard from spills, dust and crumbs.
So they won’t make your keyboard completely waterproof, but they’ll help protect it from crumbs, spills, and drool. The website lists skins available for the desktop keyboards, bluetooth keyboards, and for the PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro laptops.
- Ricky Buchanan
If you're interested in buying these products from the Amazon.com stores, please consider using the links in this article. If you do, I'll get a commission - a small percentage of the sale price. It won't cost you anything and it will help to support me and ATMac.
Wrinkles September 30, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Does the Typeon skin make the whole keyboard entirely waterproof – or is it just splash proof.
Ricky Buchanan September 30, 2008 at 9:19 pm
@Wrinkles: You’d have to ask the zCover people to be absolutely sure, but I’d assume it’s just splashproof. Underwater keyboarding is usuallly a fairly rare event!
Jeff December 9, 2008 at 4:23 am
No it does not make the keyboard waterproof. it is a skin that is placed on top of the key board so it keeps dust, dirt and spills out of the keyboard if you submerge the keyboard underwater the skin will not do anything to help.
Ricky Buchanan December 10, 2008 at 1:27 pm
@Jeff: Thanks for the clarification. I spent ages digging cat hair out of my Kinesis keyboard this week, so I am suddenly wishing there were skins that fit the Kinesis keyboards too!
Gigneeper December 20, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Thanks the author!
Karen February 1, 2009 at 4:43 am
Great tip, but I wish they made covers for non-US keyboards. I suffer from cat hairs, too! (And occasionally, a sick cat, which is not good for keyboards!) Oh well, for now, I must keep hiding my keyboard and mouse when I turn off the computer so they stay out of harm’s way.
Ricky Buchanan February 1, 2009 at 11:25 pm
@Karen: Great point! I will search for some international-style keyboard covers and do an article on those. Got some great stuff coming up – I’m excited about it