Ever had that experience where you need to accomplish a task only to find your tech is giving you a strange response? It might be an important device like your Heat or AC. It might be your TV. Maybe it’s your computer. What do all these devices have in common? Batteries. Of course, it’s always a relief to find the expensive device is functioning normally and it’s simply a matter of tracking down a AAA or AA battery for a remote control, a mouse, or a keyboard. Yet, I find a year’s worth of batteries is a surprising amount of un-recyclable chemical-laden garbage.
I’ve pondered over how to reduce my waste footprint while also saving time troubleshooting devices when the batteries have gone out. As I considered the modern reality of my wireless devices, I wondered if it was really necessary to eliminate cables. Yes, it’s aesthetically pleasing, absolutely. Yet, there are many inexpensive solutions on the market today that cheaply and easily help to reduce the clutter that I happened to have available. Velcro straps, cable cover solutions, and other such conveniences are easily attained.
A keyboard or mouse use very little energy and USB connected devices require no batteries. From my experience, they have substantially longer lives, they’re inexpensive, easy to find, and can provide a feature you won’t get with the wireless equivalent.
I began by thinking about what would I want most from a USB keyboard. I then remembered a USB keyboard that had come with an iMac that I’d had a number of years ago. It had two USB ports on the keyboard allowing for removable storage or a mouse to be plugged into it without having to fish around the back of the computer. It was a nice feature.
My computer uses USB-C and it seems like it’s been a standard for long enough that getting a keyboard with a USB-C connector would be possible. I also wondered what would it be like to get a keyboard where the cord was detachable rather than fixed?
So, I compiled my wish list with a few factors in mind. Comfort of typing, easy shortcut keys, a detachable cord, easy on the budget, and a hub. After hunting through a number of trusted accessory manufacturers. I found exactly what I was seeking and ordered a Perixx Periboard-416 keyboard. It has the features I was hoping for, has two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a detachable cable, and all for a very fair price of $50 USD (you may find it for less at your favourite retailer).
Not only does the keyboard check all of the checkboxes, it’s great value that I can use it for both my computer and my iPad. I have an Anker hub for my iPad that provides both USB-A and USB-C ports for accessories. But, since this Perixx keyboard uses USB-C it can also be plugged directly into my USB-C compatible iPad mini.
Finding a solid USB mouse was a simpler task as these are easily found at a local electronics store with a great display of different mouses to review for size, colour, and comfort before purchasing. Prices are also in the sub-$50 range. Two features I could not find were USB-C compatibility or a detachable cable for a mouse. Luckily, I had spare USB-A ports on my new keyboard. No more replacing batteries or fiddling with Bluetooth!
Underneath my mouse I have a mousepad with a charging corner for wireless charging of my phone. There’s a USB-A cable required to plug into my hub that provides the power to charge the phone. Admittedly, the charge is a slow one. But, handy to have a visible place to see the phone for notifications while having its battery charge.
While we are discussing wires, I had my local home-builder run Cat-8 cabling through my house to allow me to get back to using as much high speed wired networking as possible. I must say, having reliable networked devices has given me more up-time and saved a lot of needless re-booting and troubleshooting.
One of the most exciting technology purchases I have ever made was the first Apple Airport that I bought along with my grey clamshell iBook. It was like living in miracle times to be able to check my email while around the house without worrying about where to find a telephone cable. Of course, I still had to figure out how to share the phone line with voice calls so the family didn’t get too mad.
Wireless networking has been a part of my tech life for quite some time and will remain so. That said, the more I can minimize the necessity of wireless the happier I will be. Turning off that Bluetooth and not having as many interference issues with my neighbours has given me a lot more peace of mind. And, my pile of dead batteries continues to shrink. Overall, I believe going wired has been a time-saving and convenience upgrade.
I hope you have found my strange voyage of interest. I’ll be doing a write-up on the iPad mini here soon. Tune in for more.
