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With that said, there a few things listed below that our product specialists recommend our customers to look for when buying a this important piece of the computer setup.
Ergonomics: It is important that you find a mouse that is comfortable for you. This can help prevent things such as Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI). Though these typically come from excessive use with a keyboard, the mouse also plays a role.
Left/Right Hand Design: If you are left handed, and use your left hand for the mouse, you may want to check and see if the mouse was created for use with the left hand, or for both hands. If you are right handed, this won't be much of an issue as almost all mice are made for use with the right hand.
Optical vs. Ball: We strongly recommend you get a mouse that is optical, not balled. This is because the DPI (Dots per Inch) level is usually higher with an optical mouse, and an optical mouse doesn't require the constant cleaning that a ball mouse needs for optimal performance. There are even some mice that can switch the DPI level on the fly, which is ideal for video games so you can have a slower more precise movement when sniping in a shooting game, or quicker movements in a driving game.
DPI Level: As was previously mentioned, optical mice generally have a higher DPI level. The higher the DPI level, the more sensitive the mouse will be to your movements. A higher DPI level would make sense for you if you plan on playing first person shooter video games, where quick movements may be needed. On the other hand, if you only plan on using the mouse only to surf the net, a high DPI level (which can add to the cost of the mouse) wouldn't be necessary.
Frame Rate: Optical mice work by taking little pictures of the surface below and comparing them to previously taken pictures to see how much the mouse it has moved. The higher the frame rate, the more “pictures” the mouse will take, therefore giving it much more to work with giving you a more accurate movements.
Buttons: Virtually all mice come with the left and right click buttons, but many mice are coming with much more nowadays. You can find mice with a scroll wheel that is located in between the left and right buttons, which can be used to scroll up and down a page, and with some models even left and right. Some mice come with two buttons in reach of your thumb, which can be handy when trying to go back and forward in your browser while surfing the net. You might want to consider a mouse that has more buttons, which can make your computing experience a lot easier and more efficient.
Wired/Wireless: You have two options for how your mouse will connect to your computer. Either it will be connected with a wire, or without a wire. There are many advantages and disadvantages for both types of mice. For example, a wired mouse will never need new batteries, while a wireless mouse won't keep you tangled up in wires. Choosing whether you want a wired or wireless mouse is more a matter of personal preference than anything else. A few years ago wireless mice were rarely seen, but with the rechargeable battery packs and portability wireless mice are offering, wireless mice have become more popular than ever.
Size: If you plan on using your mouse with a laptop computer, you should consider the size of the mouse. Generally the smaller the mouse is, the easier it will be for you to take it around.
Definitions:
Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome (CTS): A common disorder in the wrist and hand; symptoms include pain and weakness in the muscles caused by pressure on the median nerve in the wrist area.
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI): A type of injury where soft tissue in the body, such as muscles, nerves, tendons, and joints become irritated or inflamed.
Ergonomics: The science of the human body doing work related tasks in order to reduce the risk of injury.
DPI (Dots Per Inch): A measure of the resolution of a printer, scanner, monitor, or mouse. It refers to the number of dots that are fit into a one-inch line. The higher the DPI, the more accurate the image/information will be.
Frame Rate: The number of frames that are shown or sent each second.
Rechargeable Battery Packs: A rechargeable battery a compatible charger that are sold together.
You can have the best computer in the world, but without a monitor you can't even use it! A lot of times people can get so caught up trying to find the right computer, they forget all about the monitor that goes with it. The fact is, when using your computer; the monitor is what you'll be looking at all the time. If you have a great computer but a poor monitor, it may be time for an upgrade. The question is what do you look for in a computer monitor?
Below, you'll find a few things that our product specialists recommend our customers to look for when shopping for a computer monitor.
Screen Size: When buying a monitor, its important that you get a screen that is big enough for you to be able to see details with ease. We recommend monitors 17 inches and up, but having one slightly smaller can still work for you.
Screen Type: Generally you have two types of screens that you can choose from, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). CRT's have traditionally given better color quality and response times, but as technology has advanced there are many LCD's that can compete. The advantages of an LCD (flat panel) monitor is that it almost always takes up less desk space and is more energy efficient than a comparable CRT monitor.
Response Time: With the older LCD models, or the base LCD models, you'll often see slow response times. The response time is how fast the pixels within the monitor turn on and off. With slower response times, you can see trails left behind of fast moving objects when watching a movie or playing a video game. We recommend getting an LCD monitor that has a response time of less than 16 ms (milliseconds). The faster the response time (the lower the number), the better results you will get as far as response time goes.
Inputs: Most monitors come with a single standard VGA style connection, but some can come with many more options. These include inputs for S-Video, Composite, Component, and even HDMI. The most important thing to consider is whether or not your computers video card will be compatible with at least one of these inputs.
Format: Most monitors come in either the 4:3 (Standard) format or the 16:9 (Widescreen) format. If you don't have a particular preference for either one, you should go with the 16:9 as this is the format used for HDTV, and it allows you to view more on the screen at once. We recommend the 16:9 format because if you upgrade your computer in the future (which might have a HD or Blu-Ray DVD Player), you won't have to upgrade your monitor as well. This will prolong the time you use your monitor and you'll get more from your investment.
Extra Features: You might want to consider a monitor that has more capabilities than just the standard features. Some of today's monitors come with USB hubs, memory card readers, and even built-in speakers. If you want to save desktop space this can be a good option for you, but note that the cost associated with these extra features will be higher.
Definitions:
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube): An electronic vacuum tube containing a screen on which graphic or alphanumeric information may be displayed.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display): Refers to a flat panel technology that uses liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates.
Response Time: A measure of how quickly a screen can display a change in the brightness of the screen image.
VGA (Video Graphics Array): A monitor standard that has evolved into a term used to designate an image consisting of 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels tall.
S-Video (Separated Video): An analog video signal that carries the video data as two separate signals.
Composite: A single video connector that combines all the color and brightness signals into one cable using a single RCA male connector. Often color-coded yellow, it is the most common type of analog video connection between older VCRs and TVs.
Component: Video signal in which the luminance and sync information are recorded separately from the color information. Component is superior to composite.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface): HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio all on a single cable.
Video Card: An adapter card used to manage the display on the monitor.
4:3 Standard Aspect Ratio: The shape of standard (non-widescreen) TVs, which simply means the picture "frame" is 4 units wide for every 3 units tall.
16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio: The shape of widescreen TV's, which simply means the picture “frame” is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. This ratio is used for high definition televisions.
USB (Universal Serial Bus: Connection port on a computer that is universally compatible with many types of electronic devices.