Don't neglect your control devices

Zatni Arbi, Columnist, Jakarta, zatni@cbn.net.id

When people go out to buy a new PC, usually they are more concerned about the how much horsepower the machine has under the hood. How big is the memory? What is the hard disk capacity? Is the graphics processor unit (GPU) the latest and the fastest on the market?

And then they start looking at the display monitor. When the budget does not allow for a 17-inch flat panel monitor, they will go for a 15-inch. Seldom do they think of the other components along the input-process-output path. Like the keyboard and the mouse.

Yet, Logitech, a company that we all know, seems to have been growing a great business making the keyboards and the mice despite the neglect that these components usually receive from PC buyers. Last week, I got the chance to sit in on a group interview with Gavin Wu, the company's Vice President Sales and Marketing for Asia Pacific Region. He told those of us in the group that Logitech has also been making keyboards and mice for PC Makers, including Dell, and has been receiving a healthy stream of revenue from its Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) business.

* You cannot work without keyboard

Incidentally, just the night before I started writing this article, a colleague called me and told me that each time he typed anhe would geton the screen. He was busy answering his e- mail messages using Outlook Express when it began to occur. So, the first thing I told him to do was to check whether he still had the problem using a different application program, such as MS Word. It turned out that the problem persisted. He still got phantom characters on his screen.

I asked him whether he had another keyboard in the house. Luckily he did. I told him to replace the keyboard on the PC with the machine powered down to avoid short-circuiting the motherboard, of course. Less than a minute later, he called me back, saying that the problem had disappeared. "How could this happen?" he asked. How come the old keyboard still works while the newer one no longer does?" Well, he had his PC assembled by a local computer store, and it is very easy to guess that the store must have given him the cheapest keyboard they had.

Nonetheless, the story illustrates how important it is to choose a good keyboard. If this colleague of mine did not have another PC at home, he would have had to spend his free evening watching TV instead of tending to his e-mail and doing other more productive things. Besides, a good keyboard gives you more confidence as you type. A good quality keyboard should be very comfortable to use, too, so your fingers can dance on it without getting tired too quickly.

A spare keyboard and a spare mouse are also reasonable investments, too, as these devices do break down. If the keyboard breaks down, you cannot work. Although I have three PCs at home, I still keep one a spare keyboard and mouse on the shelf behind me. If something happens to the one I am using, I know I have a backup.

Speaking of keyboards, if you have been reading my column you would know that my real favorite is the old, original IBM keyboard, and I am using one now. I even have another on my shelf. This keyboard is big, heavy, noisy but very durable. We can pull the individual keycaps out and wash them in a pail of detergent if they get dirty and sticky. Unfortunately, they do not make it anymore.

Today, Logitech makes the most widely available after-market keyboards. You can find them in computer stores in Ratu Plaza, Dusit Mangga Dua and other computer shopping centers. This originally Swiss company manufactures a few different models of keyboards, including the cordless ones that you can combine with a cordless mouse.

* Personal Interface

Logitech considers itself a maker of personal interface devices. In addition to the keyboards and the mice, their product lines include trackballs; keyboards for PDAs; force-feedback joysticks, wheels and gamepads for PCs, Macs, PlayStation 2, etc.; detachable Webcams that can be used as digital cameras for capturing still images, and personal speakers. One of the highlights of the interview was a Bluetooth handheld controller device called the "Cordless Presenter". It functions as a cordless mouse and a laser pointer for your presentation. Logitech also launched its MX300, 500 and 700 Series mice (doesn't everybody seem to follow passenger car classifications?).

Like the BMW 700 Series, the MX700 mouse highlights the latest in mouse technologies. It has a rechargeable battery and a base station that also acts as the transceiver. Logitech claims that if you place the mouse on its base station for around ten minutes, the battery will be recharged enough to work for 24 hours. It also comes with other enhancements including cruise controls to make scrolling more convenient.

Going forward, Logitech will also have a number of headsets for the PCs and the cell phones. The company has been working with leading handset makers to design the right headsets. Some of these headsets have retractable cords, others use Bluetooth wireless connection. Bluetooth devices, including the Presenter, are not cheap," confessed Gavin. Of course, the story will repeat itself: As the technology becomes more popular, we can expect prices to come down.

One product that I'm looking forward to test driving is the Web camera with face tracking software. Surya Chandra, a distributor for Logitech in Indonesia, has promised to lend me one of the cameras and let me test the software. If you have a high-end Logitech Webcam with digital zoom capability, such as QuickCam Zoom, QuickCam Pro 4000, or QuickCam for Notebooks Pro, you can download the software from www.logitech.com/imagestudio.

Logitech mice are great, especially the optical ones that do not require cleaning. However, after years of using them, I have found out time and again that the tiny plastic pads underneath the housing peel easily, especially if you are not using a good mousepad. Without these plastic "shoes", the mouse will be heavier to move around. Worse, if you use a conventional mouse with the ball and the rollers, you may lose the traction between them as the ball now sits higher than the rollers. So, if you use a Logitech mouse, check the underneath regularly. If the pads become loose, take them out and clean them as well as the housing's surface thoroughly. Then use a medium-power glue to fix the pads back in place.