Wireless Mouse and Keyboard

I’ve got this friend who works in an office close to where she lives.  And who also has some work for internet marketing companies and professionals.  What that means is that she practically works round-the-clock and is able to bill for more than 20 hours a day.

When she’s home, her desktop computer is about half a step from the bed.  And sometimes, she has this urge to work from her bed.  This is not being lazy, it’s about maximizing the busy schedule and shrinking work time of a busy person.  And she’s been thinking of getting a wireless keyboard and mouse.

She lives alone in her apartment and what she really wants is to work from her bed, which is about three feet from the computer table.  A wireless keyboard would be a big advantage for her.

When wireless keyboards first appeared years ago, the mouse wasn’t very common yet.  In fact, the wireless keyboard predated GUI interfaces (such as Windows).  The reasons behind the wireless keyboard was both to use the computer from a distance (allows the placement of the computer away from the user) and to free the user from the keyboard cable.

Early wireless keyboards were line of sight only.  This means that the keyboard has to be pointed at the computer, like a remote control for the TV.  This means that if someone passed between the user and the computer while there’s some heavy typing going on, some of the letters might be lost in transmission.

Nowadays, most wireless keyboards don’t have that problem.  It’s quite okay to have some items between the keyboard and the computer.  The signal will get from the keyboard to the computer, nonetheles..

Of course, with the wireless keyboard, there should also be a wireless mouse in use.  It wouldn’t do to be free of the keyboard cable,  but still tethered to the mouse cable, considering that the mouse usually has a shorter cable than the keyboard.

With the success of the Nintendo Wii, the concept which is next up at bat is a wireless mouse you can use without a desktop.  One such mouse has just been released.  You can swing it around as if you were also using an invisible desk.

These wireless devices come at a premium.  I would much rather use a trackball or a half-decent mouse rather than a wireless keyboard and mouse.  I don’t say that only because of the cost.  I am saying that because there is a limit at how far from the computer can a person can work on the computer.  Something like that.  My limit is about a six feet away.  Farther than that, and I need a larger screen.  Better yet, I need to use a  projector.  Now that would be a good reason to use a wireless mouse and keyboard.