From TNPC issue #4.25...

eXPeriencing USB for Input Devices

by Al Gordon
December 13, 2001

We like to think of ourselves at The Naked PC as being on the leading edge of computing. But when it comes to keyboards and pointing devices, we tend to be traditionalists: Hey, if we weren't meant to use PS/2 ports, why are there two of them on every PC?

But the hardware world has been moving aggressively toward using USB for these connections and with the advent of Windows XP, we have run out of reasons to avoid giving USB a try. XP does two things of importance here:

First, USB is a plug-and-play technology and XP has made the process of adding peripherals much less of a--to use the familiar computing joke--"plug and pray" proposition. Plug in a new hardware item, such as a new mouse, and Windows XP will install it fairly automatically via a wizard. In contrast, you need to turn off your PC before you can swap a PS/2 device.

Second, XP it makes it exceptionally easy to switch users and their personal settings. A new user now can log on without the current user logging off. Accordingly, the new user can take advantage of USB to swap to his or her preferred input devices as well.

And there are a LOT of input devices from which to choose. Microsoft--which supplied test examples of its hardware for this article--alone has a staggering variety: five keyboards (with a sixth on the way), 11 pointing devices (nine mice and two trackballs), and 11 game controllers (including three joysticks and two racing wheels).

For more details on Microsoft hardware, please see my supplemental page:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/425/tr.cgi?al1

In my household at least, this is not some idle concern.

I mouse left-handed and use the Microsoft Natural Keyboard, a "wave" design. My wife prefers a trackball (she currently is testing the Microsoft Trackball Explorer) and a conventional rectangular keyboard such as Microsoft's Internet Keyboard Pro. And we have trouble with each other's hardware choices. Inputting becomes a habit and using unfamiliar components can easily throw you off. Your fingers search for a key while touch-typing and you repeatedly hit the wrong one. Manipulating a trackball seems weird if you are used to a mouse.

Natural Keyboard Pro:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/425/tr.cgi?al2

Intellimouse Explorer:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/425/tr.cgi?al3

USB plug-and-play is also importing in gaming. After all, you aren't going to get very far in a "shooter" game if you have a racing steering wheel hooked up to the PC. Nor do you want to be using a mere game controller when your flight sim begs for a joystick. When you switch from one game to another, you can switch gaming hardware as well.

While XP will not support as many games as Win9x, it will run most of the ones you are likely to have on your system. And XP Professional has the same game support, which Windows 2000 did not. (Yes, IT people, Microsoft does provide administrative tools so you can prevent your corporate network from being overwhelmed by "Quake" tournaments.)

Let me hasten to add that perfection and Windows is a combination we are not likely to witness in our lifetimes. Even under XP, USB connections sometimes misfire--your system will periodically refuse to recognize a device. But is a lot more painless than it used to be, and as a result, the pluses now outweigh the negatives.

You can reach Al Gordon at:
mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com

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