The Basics: Keyboards and Mice

When we speak of input devices, we're usually referring to keyboards and mice, although there has been a variety of other peripherals that have tried to break into this genre over the years. However, the lion's share of the input device market continues to be owned by mice and keyboards.

That said, mice and keyboards come in all shapes and sizes. New technologies and features are continually added, changing the way you interact with your system, but the basics have mostly stayed the same. In the past, mice and keyboards connected to a computer via PS/2 ports, but most new input devices are USB. You can still find some input devices that ship with a USB-to-PS/2 converter, or you can purchase a converter separately if you want to connect a new mouse or keyboard to an older machine.

Keyboards range from basic, no-frills models like the ones that ship with budget PCs, to high-end ergonomic wireless boards that let you program all sorts of functionality into shortcut keys. Even the most basic keyboards include a number pad, usually on the right side, for faster entry of numbers. You'll also find a row of function keys across the top that can be used for accessing menu features without a mouse. More advanced (but by no means top-end) features include multimedia controls and programmable "hotkeys." There are keyboards that are geared towards specific users, such as digital photo editors or gamers. Some models include built-in wrist rests and USB ports.

For mice, the biggest breakthrough came several years back with the integration of optical technology. This utilizes a laser sensor that lets a mouse be used on virtually any surface. The sensor never needs cleaning, unlike the ball inside a traditional mechanical mouse. Mice have seen some major changes and features added as well, allowing you to change the optical resolution on the fly and adjust the heft of the mouse. Some new models are designed to be held in the air, and you control the mouse cursor via 3-D movements. This is especially useful for home theater PCs located in a living room instead of on a desk in the den.

Other input devices like trackballs are still around, but their popularity tends to ebb and flow, and in recent years this has been mostly ebb. Unless you have special needs, you will most likely be shopping for a traditional mouse and keyboard.

How to Shop

Input devices range greatly in price, from less than $10 for a basic keyboard or mouse to well over $100 for a full-featured combination package, with a lot of middle ground in between.

The first thing to consider when shopping for a keyboard is whether you want to go with a traditional QWERTY design, with keys running straight across the board, or an ergonomic "natural" keyboard. Natural keyboards split the keypad in half, providing a better angle for typing. They're a bit more expensive, but many users feel that natural keyboards are more comfortable input devices and can reduce the possibility of carpel-tunnel syndrome (CTS) or other repetitive stress injuries (RSI) over the long term.

No matter what features are built into your input device, they're only as useful as they are usable, so try and spend some time with a keyboard before you buy it. Type at least a paragraph or two on the keyboard so you'll be sure that it is comfortable and matches your ergonomic preferences. If you'll be using the keyboard for several hours a day or more, consider one with an integrated wrist rest (unless you own a separate wrist rest). This keeps your wrists at a proper angle while typing, lessening the possibility of developing CTS or RSI.

After you've found a comfortable base design, it's time to think about the extras you might like on your keyboard. If you listen to a lot of music on your PC, you might find built-in multimedia controls useful. These allow you to play and pause songs, adjust the volume and mute the sound directly from the keyboard.

Multiple programmable hotkeys are very handy to have on a keyboard, as they let you bring up often-used accessories such as the Windows calculator or the My Documents folder at the touch of a button. Some keys can even be used to shut down your computer or put it in standby mode.

In addition to programmable hotkeys and ergonomic designs, you can find keyboards that function as more than just input devices. Many models have USB ports, so they can serve as USB hubs for low-power devices such as mice. You won't want to connect your printer via these usually unpowered ports, but they're nice for users who want a couple of close connections for low-power peripherals.

A relatively new design option takes keyboards into the wireless realm. Wireless keyboards often come in input device bundles that also include a mouse. You'll need to change batteries periodically, but it can be useful to have a keyboard that works at a range of 6 feet or more, especially if your PC is located in your living room and is integrated with your home theater system.

If you are in the market for a new mouse, don't bother looking at traditional ball models. The advantages of optical mice over the traditional ball design are huge, and the cost increase is minimal. Optical mice never need cleaning, they can be used on almost any surface, and their resolution and accuracy are much higher. You can find optical mice with resolutions as high as 2,000 dpi. Many gaming mice even let you switch between resolutions on the fly, as lower resolutions are more useful for slow movements such as aiming a sniper rifle in a shooting game, while higher resolutions are great for fast-twitch movements.

Today's high-end mice feature extra buttons beyond the standard left and right clickers. You can find mice with thumb buttons, buttons that let you zoom in on screen content, and a scroll wheel that can be depressed for a middle-button action. Most of these mice let you program the buttons, so you can choose which function you want tied to which click. In addition to using the scroll wheel as a button, many new mice also feature the ability to tilt the scroll wheel, letting you scroll from side to side as well as up and down, which is a handy feature for large web pages on small screens.

Like keyboards, wireless mice are readily available. For a while, you could find rechargeable non-optical wireless mice or optical wireless mice that used normal batteries. Today, many wireless optical mice include rechargeable battery packs. Wireless mice are available as stand-alone input devices or bundled with wireless keyboards.

Mice come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including compact designs intended for use with a portable computer. You can also find ambidextrous mice that work equally well in either hand. Gaming mice let you add or remove weights to find the perfect heft for whatever game you wish to play.

Input devices continue to evolve and change, but the basic appearance of today's mice and keyboards would be familiar to computer users from 20 years ago. It's the subtle touches that make an input device work even better, such as the comfortable typing on an ergonomic keyboard, the extra buttons and shortcut keys, or the freedom to compute without wires. There is enough diversity of design that you can find the perfect input devices to suit your needs.