pctoolbox.co.uk

Here are our Top 3 Keyboard and Mouse Desktop Sets!

1. Microsoft Desktop 1000 – Its cheap, reliable and has good battery life…what more could you want!?  We use these here in the office and they’re brilliant, a really nice feel to type with and we seem to replace the batteries every 6 months, Simple and Cheap is sometimes the best and most reliable way!  It’s easy to install and on Vista it doesn’t seem to need a disk!
2. Microsoft Desktop 3000 – For those who liked the old style natural keyboard this might be the one for you.  The curve isn’t quite so sharp but this is certainly a comfortable keyboard to use.  A bit more than the desktop 1000 but if you need the natural layout well worth considering!
3. We don’t have a third keyboard.  If you don’t want to use the one that came with your machine then we would personally go for one of the two above.  If you really don’t like those options then the best suggestion is to visit a local PC supplier and have a try on a few.  Most big stores have a variety of Microsoft and Logitec keyboards and mice on display for people to try out!

Do you have a keyboard and mouse desktop set that you can recommend?

The question I get asked so often is how much is the cheapest laptop? Which isn’t as black and white as people seem to think (or maybe hope!). Using our favoured supplier Dell let’s look at a some prices and see what we get!

The Cheapest…

Going on Dell laptops for Home you can buy a laptop for £269 including VAT and Delivery. Not bad. But what will the laptop be any good for? Well this is an inspiron Mini 9 running Ubuntu (not Windows) and really is designed solely for internet, emails and maybe the odd word document. But you won’t get much more out of it than that. It is small with a 8.9″ screen so isn’t designed for people who use a PC/Laptop a lot and want an everyday machine. Something portable for checking emails etc whilst on holiday or travelling then this is great! Otherwise…read on.

The Cheapest we would recommend for the average user…

For the cheapest machines you need to look at the Inspiron laptops of the Dell range and they currently start at £329 inc VAT & Delivery. I personally would upgrade the processor to an Intel Core 2 Duo from the Celeron and also increase the memory to at least 2GB rather than 1GB so therefore giving a cost of £439. Not so much because the user would need the specification straight away but most people will look at this being a long term investment and not change it as often as some businesses would. So for the extra £110 I would say it is well worth it.

Sound advice? We believe so, but contact your local independant IT Supplier and see what they have to say too.

The Short Answer

£269 but I would say spend £439 if you want the machine for more than just emails and internet.

Bank in Nov 07 we posted on the Brandstar Site about Microsoft Office 2007 being really cheap for students, well we noticed today that it ends really soon so if you haven’t taken advantage of this offer do so quick! 30th April 2008 is your last chance to get Office 2007 Ultimate nice and cheap!

Take a look at the Brandstar Blog post all about Office 2007 Ultimate for Students

There are many Wireless Keyboard and Mice Desktop sets available, and I have had the privilege of playing with quite a few, however the best one I have come across and the one I use is one of the cheapest, the Microsoft Wireless Desktop 1000.

At the time of writing ebuyer.co.uk have this selling for £24.95 which compared to some of the other big names is very cheap. Why is it my favorite? Because:

• Battery Life is Excellent, I forget how long ago I replaced the batteries in the set, probably around 8 months, and there is no sign that they are running out yet!
• Doesn’t randomly disconnect – I have found that a number of the others regularly need to be reconnected. Although this is only the press of a few buttons it is frustrating. I haven’t ever had to do it to this keyboard and mouse, not even on setup!
• Long Lasting – My last one of these lasted over 2 years, and why did it need replacing…I tipped coffee over it! – Not the keyboards fault!
• It has a few useful extra buttons including links to my docs, my pics, my music, volume/multimedia controls, mail, browser, messenger, calculator, log off and sleep.
• Comfortable to use. It is important that if you use a keyboard and mouse as much as me that you find them comfortable to use.
• Finally, it is cheap!

So there we go, a quick tip on what Wireless Desktop Kit to use