This article is designed for individuals seeking a high-quality mouse and keyboard for their PC, specifically for work-oriented use. We are talking about:
- Webmasters, Systems engineers
- Photographers, Graphic designers
- Engineers who work at the CAD
- Writers, Bloggers, and Journalists
- Employees working at the terminal
The market offers a wide range of input devices; however, a significant gap appears to exist in products specifically designed for business users. On the other hand, we found a lack of attention to high-end mouse and keyboards by the professional users themselves, and this, as we shall see later, is a mistake!
Before recommending the right devices for professional use, this article emphasizes the importance of investing in a quality mouse and keyboard specifically designed for business use.
Why use a specific mouse and keyboard?
Reflect and think of a comparison with the drill of an assembler of furniture (to give an example): if a quality drill, although expensive, allows you to make the same holes in less time than an economic drill, to the professional user will be spared a few hours of work and effort at the end of the month or money.
Consider the cost of an hour of work and multiply it by the duration of the drill. It is easy to see how the greater cost is largely repaid, and indeed, it is an investment that makes sense. On the contrary, for the amateur and occasional user, an expensive drill would not be amortized: nothing changes for him to make his five monthly holes in 5 minutes instead of 3!
We have the same dynamic as those who work on the PC. We have seen many professional users use inexpensive mice and “toy” keyboards, wasting a significant amount of time simply clicking icons without even realizing it. This is absurd for someone who relies solely on these as their working tools!
We point out that these considerations apply to both the entrepreneur and the employee, as working well and carefree is the basis of productivity and good results.
What’s on the Market, the important features?
The market segments for input devices at leading manufacturers are generally three: economic, medium to good, and high-end gaming-oriented (for video games). In the catalogs of leading producers, there are no specific lines of peripherals designed for individuals who work with a PC all day, so you must search for them. We have done it for you!
However, let’s examine the characteristics that these devices should possess. In our opinion:
- High accuracy
- Reliable wireless with long-life rechargeable batteries
- Ergonomics combined with a sober aesthetic
- Reliability and durability
The first characteristic of precision is, in our opinion, the most important and the most underrated in offices all over the world. This is a grave mistake! A keyboard or mouse with poor resolution implies tiny but constant inaccuracies that result in wasted time, misprints, and errors, which, when combined, constitute a significant productivity deficit. Investing in precision allows you to work with fewer mistakes and frustration … in one word: better.
The mouse and keyboard are bundled with the PC
, do not use them and keep them at maximum stock. This applies to virtually all PCs, whether cheap or top-of-the-range, branded or not; even professional workstations are often sold with a basic mouse and keyboard. Can we understand the economic reasons, but at least in high-end computers, do manufacturers not realize that a low-quality mouse compromises the overall system’s use, diminishing its value? Please do not fall for it and leave it in the box!
And for the Mac?
Note that this also applies to iMac peripherals: beautiful and of high quality, no doubt, but inadequate for intensive use. The articles we suggest you work with primarily involve Apple’s systems, as verified by their respective technical characteristics. Of course, the aesthetics will not be the same, but we must prioritize efficiency.
Recommended Devices
Features of the Professional Mouse
For those who work all day at a PC or with a Mac, the mouse is the primary tool and deserves the best attention. The right mouse to work must necessarily be wireless and equipped with a long-lasting battery, as well as the ability to recharge even during use (to avoid the risk of being “on the go”). Our preference goes to the mouse with replaceable AA batteries, but it should also be said that dedicated batteries allow better performance.
Accuracy must be very high, which is ensured by both a quality-free, interference-free reception and transmission system, as well as a high-resolution tracking part. Our preference goes to laser pointers with dark light (dark laser) that work well on every surface. Ergonomics is also essential for optimal use. The ideal mouse is wide, allowing for comfortable hand support.
The keys must be where they are needed, and, above all, they should not be too numerous. The wheel must have a smooth movement, and possibly a “launch” release system, a feature that, once tested, will no longer require a mouse. The second wheel is only helpful for certain types of programs, generally those of graphics and photo editing, or working with large spreadsheets.
And here we are at the paradox: the mice that meet the ” business ” requirements of precision from the optical point of view are mostly the mouse for videogamers, a kind of device invented by the legendary Razer and now present in the catalog of every manufacturer of PC peripherals, including some specialized producers.
The gaming mouse boasts high-precision characteristics that are unparalleled in a standard mouse; this is an indispensable feature, especially in shooter games, but we assure you that it is also very comfortable for office use.
Using a gaming mouse for business purposes is not optimal: ergonomics are designed for use with video games; they are fast, have many buttons and programmable functions that are often completely useless, and have an unacceptable appearance in an office, including (usually) LED lights and other unnecessary amenities. However, almost all gaming mice are wired, as otherwise, the transmission would limit their response speed. The prices are also high for branded items, and as we mentioned, you incur unnecessary duties in the office.
A model that should always be considered when seeking a high-quality work mouse is the top-of-the-range Logitech, but even in this case, we do not always receive a quality sufficient for intensive office use. Fortunately, the current model is excellent; we will examine it in the following paragraph.
Mouse models to buy
In our opinion, a mouse stands out among all as a reference article for business use: the Logitech MX Master 2S. Now in its second version, this mouse, obviously wireless, boasts almost perfect ergonomics. Everything is in place, except that the buttons on the thumb could be improved, as they are not very intuitive. The wheel features an automatic electromagnetic release system with adjustable scroll speed, a well-thought-out and well-realized design. You quickly become accustomed to it, and it becomes a permanent fixture. There is also a button for classic shots.
Thanks to the Darkfield laser, precision is at the highest levels: the dpi is not specified, but we are at the level of a discrete gaming mouse, only that this is wireless, and it works in two modes: Logitech Unifying or Bluetooth. It works on every surface, including crystal. However, we always recommend combining a good mat.
Its battery is integrated with Lithium and ensures a stated duration of 40 days of work for 6 hours a day: we found that the data declared are correct, and you can recharge the mouse simply by connecting it with the thin USB cable and continuing to use! Of course, some mice guarantee a battery life of a year or more, but they have significantly lower performance.
We repeat: this is absolutely the best mouse ever produced for professional use! If you want to save money, consider buying the next lower model or the Logitech Marathon M705, but don’t do it! This is an old-fashioned mouse with significant inaccuracy, one of the worst mice we’ve tried. In comparison, a basic model is better!
Features of the Professional Keyboard
A premise is a must: unlike the mouse, which is a basic device for every type of computer user, the keyboard is mainly used only by some categories of workers, primarily writers, webmasters, and programmers but also from those who have a busy social life and those who work mainly via email (for example, all managers). There are not a few categories of workers who make intensive use of the keyboard!
Despite the touch devices and decades of attempts to supplant the keyboard with more advanced systems of writing (primarily, voice dictation), this remains one of the basic devices of contemporary computing, and just as for the mouse, it would be absurd not to invest a few tens of dollars for a quality device.
Once the keyboards were ” click-click ” and weighed a lot. Today, they are lighter and quieter because they have transitioned from the microswitch to the membrane system. The membrane allows you to make thin and very cheap keyboards, but the response under the fingers is not always ” solid,” and the typing may present uncertainties and errors.
These defects are amplified in the fast use, that is to say, those who work for the whole day and the … of videogamers! Here again, the technology applied to the “first-person shooter” meets the needs of those who use the PC for intensive work, but for work-related reasons.
Modern gaming keyboards have made a return to the past, reposing the much-loved yet often-hated microswitch technology, which comes with its share of noise, weight, and cost, but also offers top-level typing performance.
If in video games the switches are indispensable for fast play action, using a ” mechanical ” keyboard for work has pleasantness and precision far superior to the best membrane keyboard, and you do not need to be typewriters to appreciate it: we recommend it even if you work only a few hours a day with email and office.
Choosing a mechanical keyboard model is not easy, as there are numerous types of switches and layouts, resulting in each brand having at least a dozen peer models that differ in terms of use.
Types of Cherry MX micro-switches
Modern switches are primarily manufactured by the Cherry company, which offers a range of “interrupters” that differ in hardness and response. Let’s see them:
We continue to define the characteristics of the ideal office keyboard. Unfortunately, it is not wireless, which is a shame. Although the first wireless micro-switch keyboards have just appeared on the market, we believe it is still too early to purchase them. If using a mouse with the wire is now unthinkable, we can still adapt to the keyboard, especially if the use of the wire allows us to use a qualitatively better device.
Remembering that we are looking among the gaming models, we must then find a relatively sober model, because in the products of the sector, there is every kind of frill … keyboards with a spatial look, additional all sorts of commands, programmable keys, up to the LED lighting keys, which could also be helpful to someone.
Finally, we must pay attention to the keyboard layout, as it is likely that you will want it with the classic key layout, according to the Italian standard, followed by QWERTY, and featuring classic accented letters.
Keyboard Models to Buy
Fortunately, not all keyboard manufacturers for video games offer hyper-accessorized models, and you can find keyboards that are more streamlined without too many frills. The brands that convince us the most are Corsair and Cooler Master, and we opted for the MX Brown micros, which offer the best compromise between noise and responsiveness in use. The models we have selected for you are cumbersome, solid, and compact.
The build quality is excellent, and it is first noticed by the hated cable, which is often protected by a braid. There are some replacement keys and tweezers to remove them. In use, they are fantastic, allowing faster typing with fewer errors, but above all, they are pleasant to use. Here is the much-appreciated Corsair model:
Keyboard & Mouse
The “all-in-one” keyboard and mouse systems are certainly the most practical solution for business use, but in our opinion, none of the all-in-one systems on the market meets the quality we have targeted. In particular, the integrated systems always exclude the top of the mouse, while the keyboards are always of the membrane type (as we have seen, this is not the right choice).
In general, the most expensive systems are so because they have additional multimedia functions that are entirely useless in business use, and in some cases, even obstructive. Well, instead of battery life, which is improving year by year despite the increase in functions and device consumption.
The first kit we recommend is from Microsoft and features a well-shaped keyboard, one of the best membrane keyboards on the market. The paired mouse is exact and has an extremely long battery life: up to a year with two classic styluses. It features a classic wheel with smooth, non-jerky movement and two side keys. The wheel uses a “bluetrack” LED that is minimally affected by shiny surfaces.
We could then not insert a Logitech system, but not the top of the range, which costs almost double the following and has more useless multimedia features. The MK520 is a better option, designed for business use and offering an inviting price. In our opinion, the Microsoft kit above is preferable in terms of precision and ease of use, but we recommend the Logitech option to those who simply do not like the curved keyboard of Microsoft.
