They lived a fringe existence in their early years, but they are now standard parts of the home office: wireless keyboards and mice. The rise of the laptop in particular has helped accelerate the spread of these cordless devices.
Wireless mice and keyboards open up space on the desktop. They are designed to broadcast signals to a receiver, typically attached to the computer’s USB or PS/2 port.
Devices communicating via the Bluetooth standard are typically more expensive than standard wireless devices. That said, many newer computers already offer Bluetooth connectivity and don’t require a separate receiver.
There can be quite a broad price spectrum, however. There are keyboard/mice sets available from 18 dollars, but it’s also quite easy to spend 70 dollars or more, reports Germany’s Computer Bild.
The magazine tested a broad range of models.
When making a purchase, the buyer should check that the mouse fits comfortably and ergonomically into the hand. Two navigation buttons and a scroll wheel in the middle are at this point considered standard equipment.
It can also be helpful if the scroll wheel is capable of moving left and right as well. “That makes it easier to flip through a large Excel table, for example,” the magazine says.
One thing to watch for in keyboards is how far the keys need to be pressed before the letter appears. Keys that require a lot of movement before the letter appears can make fingers tired on longer documents.
The keys should also be divided into clear zones, such as a zone for the numerical keypad.
For a long time, the benefits of wireless connectivity were mitigated by performance issues.
The devices were simply unable to deliver data to the computer via the wireless connection as quickly as a standard cable-bound model could. Newer, more refined technology has since been introduced and closed the gap somewhat.
Hardcore gamers, for example, continue to rely on cable-bound mice.
Among serious gamers, where split-second reactions are needed, the Razer Mouse Bungee offers a compromise solution. A special apparatus uses a rail to guide the mouse cable through the air. This is intended to simulate the convenience of a wireless mouse while still delivering the precision of a cable-bound mouse.
Manufacturers are trying to address a broader target audience through wireless input devices featuring new technological refinements, performance, and precision. The way the mouse measures movement is one example.
Computer mice have traditionally detected movement by scanning an infrared light against a defined surface. A second generation of mice achieved greater accuracy by using a laser beam to scan the surface.
Microsoft is now putting a new technology called BlueTrack in its Arch Touch Mouse. It involves a blue laser beam instead of a red one, combined with a special mirror optics system.
The benefits of the technology: The mouse can be used on difficult surfaces like an optical mouse, yet still offers the precision of a laser mouse.
The blue light beam is “four times as large” as on standard laser mice, allowing the mouse to scan even the surface of a deep pile carpet with precision, according to reports. A mouse working with a red laser beam would be fooled by the gaps in the rug.
Among the disadvantages of wireless input devices is that they can’t draw their energy from the computer, and thus require either standard or rechargeable batteries.
That means extra costs for the consumer, who must calculate those costs in when making a purchase, advises Computer Bild.
The troubling dependency on additional batteries is also in the sights of at least one hardware maker, Logitech.
The Swiss peripherals specialists have developed a computer keyboard that draws its power from ambient light. The Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 can be used even if direct sunlight isn’t available.
“The first solar keyboard from Logitech draws energy from light, regardless of whether it’s from a natural or artificial source,” says Markus Mahla, the head of the company’s German subsidiary. It has been available online since mid-November and will be in stores in January.
