All-purpose enthusiast
Tired of the generic keyboard that came with your computer? What do you mean you aren't using an optical mouse yet? No hot keys either? You've come to the right place. The input devices you see here won't require you to relearn how to type or ask you to master a complicated set of mouse buttons. What they might do is help you find a comfortable, effective new way to interact with your computer. They might even dress up your desk a bit, too. |
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| Belkin Wireless Keyboard and Ergo Optical Mouse |
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At least this straightforward wireless mouse and keyboard set looks cool. It's not that Belkin's Wireless Keyboard and Ergo Optical Mouse are particularly awful, but we experienced too much glitchy weirdness when using them. From a desktop hot key that made the taskbar disappear to a sleep button that shut down the receiver (thereby preventing it from recognizing the wake-up button), we suggest you keep looking.
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| Kensington Keyboard for Life |
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One spilt cup of coffee, and your typical input device starts acting with a life of its own--generally, a shortened life, thanks to the liquid. Kensington's Keyboard for Life resists accidental spills. Its "sealed membrane" design allows liquids to run through the keyboard without damaging internal electronics, though you will still have to shut down and disconnect the device immediately and allow it to dry.
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| Kensington SlimType |
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If you wish your PC's keyboard were more like your laptop's, get the Kensington SlimType. It not only has the same shallow scissor-switch keys and an identical crisp, light feel, it also uses a more laptoplike layout, with character and function keys gathered in one main area instead of grouped into separate sections. Only the number pad is set apart slightly to the right.
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| Iogear Wireless Keyboard/Optical Mouse Combo |
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The sleek styling of Iogear's Wireless Keyboard/Optical Mouse Combo had us hoodwinked at first, but when we used this desktop set, it revealed itself to be better in concept than in execution. An unreliable IR signal caused too many repetitive key presses and manual reconnects. And while the high-resolution 800 dots per inch (dpi) mouse works well, Iogear opted for an irritating power-management scheme, with no visual power indicator and an irritating audible alarm when the battery runs low.
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| Logitech Football/Ladybug Mouse |
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Logitech's undeniably cute Football and Ladybug mice are about two-thirds the size of a standard mouse, making them perfect for a child's smaller-size hands. Using infrared optical technology makes them more accurate and less prone to picking up dirt and crumbs than their mechanical rollerball counterparts, as well, and their symmetrical shape means that they will be equally comfortable for lefties and righties.
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| Logitech Cordless Desktop LX 300 |
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The larger-than-normal keyboard portion of the Logitech Cordless Desktop LX 300 takes up plenty of desk space, and while the keys have a springy tactile response, you're denied the customary audio feedback because they don't click. Both the especially button-heavy keyboard and the three-button scrolling optical mouse take two AA batteries, which Logitech says will last through 12 and 3 months of regular use, respectively.
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| Microsoft Optical Desktop Pro 3.0 |
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There's not much new to the Optical Desktop Pro 3.0 wireless mouse and keyboard set that we haven't seen in previous versions of the product, with the exception of the zoom slider on the left side of the keyboard. By providing an easy way to enlarge Microsoft Office documents, Photoshop images, and other files, we can easily recommend this keyboard set to anyone with poor vision or who does a lot of fine image-editing work.
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| Microsoft Optical Mouse by Starck |
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Microsoft calls this Phillipe Starck-designed corded USB pointing device, the "first museum-quality mouse," a lofty description, but the simple, modernist styling grows on you once you put it to work. The two button "curved hemisphere" design has an ergonomic feel to it, and it's suitable for both lefties and righties--as well as both Windows and Mac users.
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| Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse (Mood Ring) |
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Essentially a cosmetic change, the Mood Ring version of the Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse retains all of the staid original's hallmarks, including vertical and horizontal scrolling, along with the same ambidextrous, ergonomic design. Unfortunately, this design still doesn't lend itself to fourth and fifth buttons for quick shortcut actions, nor is this mouse rechargeable.
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