I disagree, static electricty, ground, and things like that are beyond
the understanding of everyday people that use computers.
My sister, my mother, my brother, your uncle, anybody could connect a
mouse and damage a piece of hardware.
It's the hardware designers job to try and prevent that from happening
as much as possible =D
Bye,
Skybuck.
Computers and the Internet are beyond the understanding of everyday
people that use computers, that doesn't stop them.
OK NEW RULE: no one is allowed to buy a computer without first
demonstrating complete mastery of the computer.
More seriously:
All engineering is compromise. You learn to make the best choices
operating within the scope of what is possible, and practical. All
solutions to problems contain the seeds of other, different, problems.
I think the manufacturers do plenty to make computers resistant to
static discharge. The problem is that when conductors and insulators
are measured in angstroms, there just isn't enough conductor or
insulating material there to withstand high potentials.
Insulation resistance is measured in volts per mil. Large scale
integrated circuit fabrications are orders of magnitude thinner.
Static discharges are thousands of volts.
The problem is intrinsic to the parts themselves. Use other parts?
Can't - - - or can but then the computer takes up a lot of room,
becomes slower, costs much more, and can't run the graphical software
your sister,mother,brother,uncle,et al can use.
Remember the old UNIVAC? sucked down tons of power, you had to learn
machine language to program it, no memory to speak of, not user
friendly, unreliable as all get out, but static electricity (short of
a lightening strike on the mainframe) wouldn't damage it.
Perhaps when the technology changes and photons become logical
elements or biologic self-repairing computers come along, it won't be
a problem. Until then this is the state of the technology available.
You are the one having the problem - it isn't as universal as you
probably think. Most of us know about it and how to work without
destroying the stuff.
Cost is still a factor too. A 100% metal shell keyboard, would be
better, heavy and costly. Connectors could be made that make the
ground connection before internal works are exposed to static, they
may be so large, and costly, as to be impractical.
There's no such thing as idiot proof. You wouldn't expect your car to
go without oil or coolant, is that a weakness in the design? Could
cars be designed to work without oil or coolant? Probably - low
thermal coefficient high temperature ceramics, increased pollution due
to wider tolerances, and a cost no one could afford.
Until the technology changes, why not just learn how to deal with the
limitations? It is the only choice, and griping about it won't change
it.
Why do you have so much trouble in accepting that you did something
wrong? Learn from it, stop doing it, and move on.
Your question: "Does static electricity travel via metal only ? or
plastics too ?" speaks volumes of your own lack of understanding. It
isn't a weakness to be ignorant about something, it is a weakness to
be unable to learn because of one's bias.
)