Remove the delete button on a digital picture viewer to make it safe for Grandma

Remove the delete button on a digital picture viewer to make it safe for Grandma
Inspired by the homemade digital picture frame here, I went searching for the parts to build my own. Embarrassingly, I found a cheap enough finished product that I just bought rather than building my own. However, I still managed to figure out a reason to open it up and modify it: the delete button on the front was too easy to hit by mistake. Since I plan to give this to my Grandmother, I didn't want her accidentally deleting the images and having to wait for someone with a laptop to copy the images back.
 
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Step 1Delete key is just too easy

The key with an "x" that is the same size and relative position as the "i," power button key is the delete key. Pressing it twice deletes whatever image is currently displayed. When I was playing with the viewer, I accidentally deleted an image, so I was certain Grandma would as well.

Really, what were they thinking?
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14 comments
Aug 20, 2009. 7:08 PMpancho del rancho says:
foo dats coo foo do u really no a grandma that knows how 2 use a camera fooo but nice ible fooo
Apr 21, 2010. 3:44 PMDJ Radio says:
You are not Mr. T.
Oct 3, 2006. 2:03 PMacidrain69 says:
You can extend this idea to remove useless buttons on keyboards. Who puts the Sleep button on the upper left corner of a WIRELESS keyboard!? That's where I grab it to move it around. Oops! Computer going to sleep now! Stupid Logitech.
Jun 1, 2009. 11:48 AMReCreate says:
I think you can change those settings
in
When i press the sleep button on my computer do:Nothing Insead of go to sleep
Dec 16, 2008. 7:24 AMomnibot says:
Unfortunately my wireless Microsoft keyboard is harder, for some reason they decided in all their wisdom to move the delete & home to the position for printscreen insert and delete, delete covers two buttons in size.
Oct 2, 2008. 7:31 AMmunchman says:
I hate that! Honestly... Whoever designs these things obviously doesn't think they will be moved around. If I wanted a stationary keyboard I would have bought a wired one. At least going to sleep isn't as bad as having that key set to hibernate and not knowing why your computer is hibernating.
Feb 14, 2008. 3:47 PMCoolKoon says:
Well, I don't have a wireless keyboard, but nonetheless I removed all the sleep, shutdown etc. buttons after I accindentally pressed the "sleep" button (as you know, my crappy motherboard has NEVER woken up from standby mode)....
Dec 30, 2007. 1:42 PMSpartan Phalanx says:
I have the same keyboard... I'm just happy that its not a Shutdown button
Feb 1, 2008. 10:49 PMadamvan2000 says:
You could take the button right out, or you could do what I did to my tape measure when I got angry at the tape lock sliding down when it wasn't needed. Crazy glue the sucker into place!. Guarantee Grandma won't be able to press the delete button. ~adamvan2000
Sep 9, 2006. 10:46 PMjoedog86 says:
Hooray, I inspired someone! Clever of you to remove that button - really, what were they thinking?
Oct 6, 2006. 2:27 PMzachninme says:
It looks nice and symetrical, function over form.
Sep 21, 2006. 1:15 PMKoolKat says:
That's great. I know someone who accidently deletes pics regularly. Thanks for this.
Sep 11, 2006. 7:32 PMzachninme says:
:-P Hmm... I wouldn't be surprised if the card reader and USB cabled also dissappeared :P! Well, I think the reason why the DEL button is so easy to confuse with the PWR, is, like you said, it was cheap.
Sep 11, 2006. 9:33 AMPsyborg says:
Thats a grat idea! I will probaply try that on my digital camera preventing my girlfriend to delete pictures of her.

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Author:ewilhelm
Eric J. Wilhelm is the founder of Instructables. He has a Ph.D. from MIT in Mechanical Engineering. Eric believes in making technology accessible through understanding, and strives to inspire others ...
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