The Replacements

Bose/Microsoft/Apple

Computer peripherals are like referees in a sports event. The only time that you ever notice that they’re around is when they mess up. That might be changing—for the peripherals, that is.

Manufacturers of keyboards, mice and speakers are adding more features to their products that not only make them work better but also make you interact with them more consciously to accomplish your tasks. Now, for example, there are premium keyboards for gamers that include LCD (liquid crystal display) screens that can show you game stats and touch-capable mice that you don’t even have to move to control the cursor that’s on your computer screen.

What’s better news is that prices of premium computer peripherals and particularly keyboards and mice have dropped an average of $50 over the past 3 years (although new features pushed prices for some of these devices far past where they were when we last looked at the market in 2005). And entry-level wireless mice and keyboards that are loaded with features now start at $30. Three years ago, you would’ve been hard-pressed to find anything wireless for less than $40.

THE AGE OF WIRELESS. Almost 90 percent of the keyboards and mice that are on the market run over a secure wireless connection by using a USB adapter (known as a dongle) that is smaller than a thumbnail. The major change in wireless peripherals is that most now use the 2.4-GHz radio-frequency (RF) standard that long has been used in cordless phones and other wireless consumer electronics products. In the past 2 years, this technology has supplanted Bluetooth as the wireless connectivity method of choice, and it delivers a far more stable, less interference-prone connection for mice and keyboards that are in all price ranges.

As a result, keyboards, mice and speakers can function up to 40 feet away from the wireless receiver and last for 6 months on a single set of batteries. Bluetooth has trouble working around corners or obstacles in the path of the receiver. It also cuts out near radio sources and typically lasts only half as long on batteries.

Of course, having several wireless products that share the same frequency can lead to interference and reduced performance. That certainly was a recurring problem with wireless peripherals in years past. But now, most keyboards transmit with technology that helps to block out interference from other portable wireless devices and household appliances that use the same band. Manufacturers also added 128-bit encryption to prevent  anyone from hijacking any of the data that fly from the keyboard to the computer. It’s not that this type of data theft is a real concern anyway, but it’s good to know that now it won’t be at all.

HARD-CORE HARDWARE. Gamers have inspired the rapid evolution of keyboards over the past 3 years. Their gear is designed for durability, performance and reaction speed—vital attributes when you’re playing the latest shoot-em-up-game for hours at a time! Consequently, much of that functionality is in keyboards that are at all price ranges, and that’s a boon for accountants, editors and just plain regular folks who repeatedly use the same keystrokes.

Now keyboards in all price ranges have macros, which are functions that allow you to program a set number of commands, such as fast-forwarding or pausing movies, or zooming a still image, into one key. This greatly speeds up tasks. More-complex keyboards include programmable keys, which allow you to rearrange the position of some keys on the board. As a result, for example, writers can drop in a byline with one keystroke, and HTML programmers can add links and images to their code with the press of a single button. You can expect to pay at least $50 for a keyboard that has these features.