Posts Tagged ‘keyboard’

Buying a New Keyboard – A Guide For PC Users

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Laser Virtual Keyboard - Yes, it's real

Several weeks ago, we brought you the article Your Keyboard is Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat.  For some of you, cleaning that old keyboard became a top priority and the Clorox wipes probably made an appearance.  For others, it might just have been easier to toss that old keyboard and purchase a new one.  After all, if you’ve been using the same one that came with your computer 5 years ago, you may have other issues that needed attention, like broken or sticking keys.  Or maybe you belong to another group of PC users completely.  Maybe you are just looking for a change or upgrade.  No matter which group you belong to, you should take a minute and read this guide for buying a new keyboard.

Buying a new keyboard my seem like a simple task, but you might be surprised to find that not all keyboards are created equal.  In a recent trip to Micro Center here in Houston, I found myself on an aisle full of these necessary components and honestly, a little overwhelmed.  There were close to 100 different options that ranged from $9.99 to almost $200.00.  I needed a new keyboard to replace my aging, frustrating hunk-of-junk that required 40 pounds of force to press the “a” and “e” keys.  Where should I start?  Why hadn’t I already researched this?  Oh, the choices!

Before stepping foot in an electronics superstore or hitting up Amazon.com, you should go through a checklist of needs and double-check your bank account balance.  Determine what you want and how much you want to spend, then get in and get out.  Here are some helpful topics to narrow down your choices and speed up your decision-making process:

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Your Keyboard is Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat

Monday, April 12th, 2010

It’s a shocking title for an article, but several studies performed over the last decade prove it is possible.  Our computers are a big part of our lives at work and home and we (JumpstartMyPC.com) have spent countless hours preaching about the importance of “maintenance,” but always from the digital side of things.  The physical components of our computers (internal and external) also need some TLC and, as it turns out, we should get started yesterday.

“Keyboards were swabbed and those swabs sent off for analysis by a microbiologist. Frighteningly, several keyboards were highly contaminated, and at least one was removed on the scientist’s advice as it harbored four times the amount of harmful bacteria compared to a toilet seat, used as a reference point.”  This quote, taken from the article Study: keyboards make excellent homes for nasty bacteria is a sobering “call to arms” for PC users everywhere.  We spend countless hours on our computers and the majority of that time is spent “communicating” with our PC via the keyboard and mouse.  Ironically, these user input devices are often the last to receive any maintenance or cleaning.

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Your Smart Phone Can Be Used as a PC Remote

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Have you ever used your television as a monitor for your computer?  Have you wondered about the possibilities of connecting your PC to your home theater, for watching movies and surfing the web?  These are examples of the natural progression of entertainment technology.  Over the last decade, computers have become much more than word processors and televisions have evolved to sleek, high-definition devices capable of playing media from almost any device with a cable attached to it.  The two are starting to merge into one device, but we are only beginning to see this in the newest displays.

If you have ventured down the “computer+television” path, or are thinking of doing so, one hurdle quickly prevents itself.  How do you control the computer from the couch?  You need an input device of some sort and a keyboard with a super-long cord is really not an option (safety hazard!)  There have been some great wireless keyboard/mice combos released over the last few years, but they are often costly options and are only useful for that one purpose.  At $100 or more, this is not the kind of cost-effective resolution that most are looking for.  So, why not use a device you already have as the solution?  Your smart phone is just the thing and we have a quick rundown on two applications that can get you up and running today!

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