Recommend me a mouse and keyboard

[JPreston]

I'm a bit bored with my current set-up and want to replace one or both of them.
I have a Logitech MX510 which I never really fell in love with, it curves up too much in the middle and my little finger drags along the mat (I'm posh that way ). Also have a Logitech Elite Keyboard according to the sticker on the bottom, though I always thought it was called an Internet Navigator or something like that.

I like the look of the Logitech G15 keyboard and the Razer Diamondback mouse. How do people get on with these, or is there anything else I should consider?

[Steve B]

i'd go for the G15, as theres a few nifty proggies to use with the LCD.

i dont particularly like razer mice, i always find them too broad. Ive been using my mx1000 for over a year, and its never failed me, i love it.

you might consider one of the logitech revolution mice, although they're a bit on the steep side

e! Everyones got different hand sizes and preferences for mice, best thing to do is to try them out before you buy, and see what feels most comfortable

[danroyle]

i have a g15 excellent keyboard used to have a zboard but it was poorly made and unreliable the g15 is i good solid reliable keyboard and well made too also all the little extra features are cool like the performance monitor on the lcd etc

never used the razerback but not heard anything bad about it

so sounds like good choices

beware alot of retailers are selling the g15 in us layout not sure what the difference is but uk layout would be better

[Parm]

I have a Logitech bundle at the mo, not sure what model the keyboard actually is but the mouse is an MX1000. I think they're ok but not great.

I'm planning on getting a new PC around mid next year after Vista has launched and I have my sights set on the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 to go with it.

[shaithis]

I would get the Microsoft Habu mouse instead of the Razer......I have both and prefer the Habu, especially in games.

Also, depending on what games you play, it may be worth looking at the ZBoard.

[Puncr0c]

The other thing to consider with a mouse is the way you naturally move the mouse. Do you use ur wrist or do u use ur fingers? You tend to find mice designed to suit these two methods.

The ergonomic style:
(like the Logitech G5) are designed to be pushed around with wrist movement, whilst your fingers remain still on top of the device. These mice tend to feel more comfortable, but cannot be used by left handers (if you have the right handed version). An advantage is that these mice often have more buttons than usual, since ur fingers and hand are designed to rest on top of the device, the buttons are easier to press.

The universal/traditional style:
(like the Logitech G3) tend to be smaller and lighter in weight and are designed to be moved with ur fingers (e.g. holding the mouse between ur thumb and pinky). Of course you can still use wrist movement and these mice. They are symmetrical so can be used by left or right handed people (handy if u have both in ur household). These mice often dont have more than the standard amount of buttons, since ur fingers are being used to hold the device.

Another thing to consider if ur going for a finger controlled mouse is if the device is wireless or not. The wireless mice tend to be heavier (because of the battery) and therefore make it more difficult to move/lift when using finger control.

Everyone is different, so there's no right or wrong choice really, but I'd recommend choosing the method of movement u use first (wrist or fingers), then choosing a mouse that fits that style.

I agree with Steve B, the best thing is to actually go and try them out first (like in PCWorld or whereever). Obviously don't buy it from PC World though lol.

I personally prefer finger movement and have recently purchased a Razer Copperhead. £50 well spent imho.

[JPreston]

Thanks all keep 'em coming

I'm definitely a finger mouse user, but recently I have been suffering from RSI in my right wrist (insert own joke here ) which means that I actually use a trackball mouse for everything other than games (and at work, a trackball in my left hand) to give my right a break. So the mouse would be only for FPS's which I still play 'normally'. For these reasons I thought the razer would be good, being a finger-type mouse that is wider and lower than my MX510 (which I find too high and narrow ). Unfortunately the PC Worlds near me don't stock Razers so I cannot massage the packaging instore so to speak, to get an idea of the shape.

Also I have a belkin nostromo (which for £20 is a really good bit of kit that extends the life of your keyboard about tenfold) for FPSs so I wouldn't primarily use the keyboard for games so the zboards and similar don't appeal. I think I'm set on the G15 now, because of the ickle screen, programmable buttons, lighting and the USB hub.

@shaithis, I thought the habu had exactly the same shaped casing as the razer, but with fewer buttons - what are the other differences to make it better? I like to map my pistols etc to the side buttons, and couldn't live with fewer than the five buttons on my MX510.

@Puncr0c - OK then, diamondback or copperhead? I thought the laser was just a bit gimmicky and that I would probably never use the highest resolution anyway so I would save a few quid and get the diamondback. But there is only something like £15 between them - is the laser worth having and what else does the copperhead have on the diamondback (still 7 buttons isn't it - but i read the copperhead's button were trickier to use?)

[redsky009]

Another good keyboard if you don't need all the programmable buttons etc (and is a fair bit cheaper than the excellent G15) is the Saitek Eclipse II. I find the keys really easy to type and game on and the laser etched letters are illuminated for night time gaming

[snedger]

....I have been suffering from RSI in my right wrist .....

Look out for the new RSI friendly M$ mouse, which is probably due around Jan 2007.

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/hardware...s.aspx?pid=086

The G15 is the best gaming/typing keyboard I've used - but is very wide and more expensive than it should be.

I bought a Coolermaster Aluminium keyboard on Scan "Today Only" a few weeks back and it is excellent quality and very well suited to someone with smaller hands, or someone who uses laptops most of the time.

[Puncr0c]

@Puncr0c - OK then, diamondback or copperhead? I thought the laser was just a bit gimmicky and that I would probably never use the highest resolution anyway so I would save a few quid and get the diamondback. But there is only something like £15 between them - is the laser worth having and what else does the copperhead have on the diamondback (still 7 buttons isn't it - but i read the copperhead's button were trickier to use?)

Well, I've not used the Diamondback so cannot comment on it really. But as far as the 2000dpi mode goes on the Copperhead - I use it all the time in FPS games. TBH, u don't notice a massive difference between 1600dpi and 2000dpi, but it is there. It certainly enhances ur gaming experience too, although u may end up turning down the in game sensitivity (but this is the balance of letting the mouse do the work, rather than the in game multiplier).

The copperhead does have 7 buttons, the extra 4 than normal are placed either side of the mouse (symmetrical). So 2 of the buttons sit in a nice position under ur thumb. Unfortunately the other 2 are under ur pinky or ring finger and are pretty much unusable in a fast paced gaming scenario. On the plus side, this button config means that if u have left and right handed people in ur household, they can both easily use the mouse side buttons under their thumb if u see what I mean.

I leave the right side 2 buttons (the unusable ones) as their default setting which is to shift the dpi up and down. The reason for this is that in Windows doing general tasks, I find it easier to shift down to 800dpi.

The other gain with the copperhead is that it also has a small amount of onboard memory that can be used to store different mouse configs. This is handy if u take ur mouse elsewhere (especially LAN tournaments etc).

If ur into the aesthetics of ur mouse, then the copperhead is great. The side rails and middle mouse button light up blue (or whichever colour u've gone for) and the Razer logo on top of the mouse slowly fades in and out. It does look pretty cool.

I've not tried the 1000Hz polling mode either... (I might do that 2nite )

Is the copperhead worth the extra money? I'm not sure m8. In terms of cost, £15 extra is actually quite a lot more in terms of mouse costs. I guess it depends if ur buying a load of other stuff at the same time, then u dont tend to notice such small differences in overall price.

[JPreston]

Look out for the new RSI friendly M$ mouse, which is probably due around Jan 2007.

...

Aw but I've already bought two trackball mice (one for work, one for home) now....and that RSI mouse won't be a proper gaming mouse (it does look comfy to use though).

Scan have the G15 for £47, which isn't loads more expensive than the Eclipse II (well relatively speaking it is, but only ~£17 in absolute terms). The Eclipse II does look better IMHO, and is a more sensible size but I would miss the USB ports (that I have earmarked for my VoIP phone and my USB stick which lives on a big bunch of keys that are too heavy to dangle from a USB port in a drive bay). I guess it's a toss-up between those two, but if I don't get the LCD screen I'll never know whether I would have found it useful...

I've thought about some lesser-branded ones too like this one:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=215572

...but they aren't really any cheaper than an Eclipse II, and aren't the uber-keyboard that the G15 is, so will probably get one of those two... unless anyone knows of any other gems...

[Puncr0c]

Look out for the new RSI friendly M$ mouse, which is probably due around Jan 2007.

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/hardware...s.aspx?pid=086

Forget that, these guys made it first (and its even more vertical)...

http://www.evoluent.com/vmouse2.html

lol, looking at that arm twisting diagram on there makes my arm start to hurt!

I wonder how good it would be at gaming?

[redsky009]

Scan have the G15 for £47, which isn't loads more expensive than the Eclipse II (well relatively speaking it is, but only ~£17 in absolute terms). The Eclipse II does look better IMHO, and is a more sensible size but I would miss the USB ports (that I have earmarked for my VoIP phone and my USB stick which lives on a big bunch of keys that are too heavy to dangle from a USB port in a drive bay). I guess it's a toss-up between those two, but if I don't get the LCD screen I'll never know whether I would have found it useful...

Thats a good price for the G15, it was £30+ more than the eclipse when I got mine ( I was also v tempted but my desk just aint big enough).

Its such a pain trying find exaclty the right hardware - sometimes I envy people who just get generic part a and generic part b, and have never used decent stuff so they don't notice the difference. I would have a lot more money if I wasnt so fussy....

[magneticman]

microsoft/razer habu

http://www.razerzone.com/Products/Ga...-Gaming-Mouse/

[danroyle]

I would get the Microsoft Habu mouse instead of the Razer......I have both and prefer the Habu, especially in games.

Also, depending on what games you play, it may be worth looking at the ZBoard.

you must not have had a zboard as you are reccomending it i had one as did a couple of mates mine stopped accepting the keysets after a year and 6 months in half way through a game the keyset would lose its programming and the preset keys would go funny

mine now sits in my little boys bedroom were i let him use it to destroy stuff as it is all it is good for

spent a fortune too had doom bf2 and a few other keysets too but ended up stuck with just one that i could not take out

although there is the new zboard without removable keyset but it looks ugly and is huge

[danroyle]

I guess it's a toss-up between those two, but if I don't get the LCD screen I'll never know whether I would have found it useful...


it is not very useful but it does look cool although on some games like cod it does tell you how much ammo you have in each gun on the little screen but doesnt work on bf2 and css the games i play