Peripheral power: 30 peripherals tested

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23 December 2002 01:00 PM
Tags: combo, 109, logitech, duo, usb, elite, mini, pro
Peripheral frenzy: 30 peripherals tested

Whether it's a mouse, keyboard or hub you need, we've got your plug-in needs covered with our Australian review of thirty different PC peripherals.

There are some things that are absolutely stock standard PC parts, and for the most part, people don't really pay much attention to them. Users will drool over speedier CPUs, obsess over chunkier graphics cards and fall over themselves to get thinner, lighter and bigger monitors, but when it comes to more mundane PC parts, it's often an absolute afterthought.

When you think about it, this is quite odd. Sure, you're not going to get very far without the above components, but equally speaking, every operating system out there still needs the basic peripherals in order to function. About the only category of computer users who do seem to care about peripherals are gamers, who can't afford to put up with substandard gear.

The rest of us tend to just put up with whatever we've got, no matter what problems it may cause. A poor keyboard or mouse can be an exercise in frustration, and more to the point, a great way to pick up some nasty repetitive strain injuries.

In that spirit we've gathered thirty different peripherals and evaluated them so that you don't have to. We've altered our standard review style for these peripheral reviews; you don't want to spend ages reading through a long review when a simpler style will tell you what you need to know. Each review breaks into the good and bad points of each peripheral, as well as a final verdict on the relative merits of each. We've also modified our Editor's picks to differentiate between the exceedingly different price points of most of these peripherals. As there were only a small number of non keyboard/mouse peripherals in this roundup, we've only awarded Editor's Choice awards to keyboards and mice.

Peripheral Power
Introduction
Editor's Choice
Contact Details

Keyboards
Belkin Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Logitech Cordless Elite Duo
Logitech Elite Keyboard
Microsoft Internet Keyboard
Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard
Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard
Microsoft Office Keyboard
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop For Bluetooth
RollAKeyboard Mini 85 USB
RollAKeyboard 109 USB

Mice
Belkin USB Mouse
Belkin Optical USB/PS2 Mouse
Belkin Combo USB/PS2 Mouse
Kensington ValuMouse 2 Button
Kensington ValuMouse 3 Button
Kensington ValuMouse Scroll
Kensington Mouse-In-A-Box Optical
Kensington PocketMouse
Kensington PocketMouse Pro
Logitech MX300 Mouse
Logitech MX500 Mouse
Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse
Microsoft Optical Mouse Blue
Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical

Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse Blue

Other peripherals
Kensington 2 port MiniHub
Kensington 4 port MiniHub
Kensington FlyLight
Kensington KeyHub

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