Wireless Keyboard

A wireless network gives you ultimate flexibility in terms of where you place your desktop computer within your home or office, but if you are still using a traditional corded keyboard you are missing out on being completely free from physical constraints. Rather than being tied to your computer and  forced to sit in an uncomfortable position for hours at a time, with a wireless keyboard you can always work in the position that is most comfortable for you at the moment.

What to Look for in a Wireless Keyboard

Wireless keyboards come in two different flavors (RF and Bluetooth) which are differentiated by the technology which is used to communicate between the keyboard and the computer itself.

RF Wireless Keyboards: A corded RF transmitter is plugged into either the PS/2 port or USB port of the computer and then placed near the wireless keyboard. The RF link serves as the communication path between the computer and the keyboard. Based upon our experience the RF range on many models has been disappointing and prone to interference. In some cases the keyboard could not be placed more than 2 feet away from the receiver without encountering dropouts.

Bluetooth Wireless Keyboards: A Bluetooth dongle is placed into a free USB port on the computer and serves as the communication path between the keyboard and the computer. Using Bluetooth as the transmission medium guarantees a secure and interference-free connection and the ability to place the keyboard up to 30 feet away from the computer.

Summary

Bluetooth based wireless keyboards get a strong recommendation over their RF based counterparts in our book due to the robustness and hassle-free operation they offer and the $20 premium for the Bluetooth models is well justified. See our complete selection of wireless keyboards, or if you are interested in a wireless mouse in addition to the keyboard, shop the selection of wireless desktops.