Need a Keyboard and Mouse for a Programmer!?

Question

Hello, looking for advice on purchasing a new keyboard and mouse to do mainly web programming work. I dont want a gaming one or a cheapo, something between around 120 dollars. Are their specific keyboards for more technical people as well as fast precise mice.
Are wireless worth it?

I need a sleek, quick, no crazy buttons USB keyboard and mouse

Any thoughts or links

Answer 1

No specific keyboards for programmers, just regular ones, straight rows, no twisty wavy ergonomic crap, type properly and you'll be fine, USB or PS2 doesn't matter if you BIOS is recent enough (>=2004).



The mouse matters even less, if you're doing coding you're going to be spending much more time on the keyboard. Actually many programmers don't need a mouse at all if you're working with a suitable enough editor like Vim or Emacs.



My rule is cheapest is best as I'll probably spill something on the keyb sooner or later, and mouse wires are just too fragile these days they'll end up being torn up on the insides within 12 months tops.



As keyboards and mice are a matter of a pure taste I suggest you testdrive them before you buy them. Avoid too small mice for you palm.

Answer 2

I don't program but I am on my computer all the time, and I use...



An Apple aluminum keyboard. I don't have a Mac (you don't need one to use an Apple keyboard), but I love the feel of the keys, and it definitely makes me type faster. Highly recommend.



And a Logitech MX Revolution mouse. Very comfortable, has tons of shortcut buttons that you can customize to do almost anything you want, and you can pick one up relatively cheaply on eBay.



Whatever you buy, make sure you try it out first. Make sure it's comfortable and that you like it before you plunge so much money into it. Remember, getting good quality keyboards/mice DO make a difference, especially if you use your computer a lot!

Answer 3

Avoid wireless for serious work, too much chance of failing with low batteries or a wireless fault and destroying a system. I would NEVER use a USB keyboard as long as I can get a ps2 port version, if you ever need to get into bios, most machines can not read a USB keyboard in bios mode. I always use simple,cheap keyboards and mice, they never let me down.