Keyboard With Touchpad, or without ?

keyboard with touchpad

If you’re looking for a notebook, you’ve got a few options for the mouse. You can either get a mini-mouse, an analog stick, a trackball, or a touchpad. If you can’t get a mini-mouse, the touchpad is the way to go. The analog stick is really kind of tricky to use, usually wedged between a couple keys and really tiny, and the trackball is the only control system so clumsy that even the Atari 2600 felt it was outdated. The touchpad isn’t quite as nice as a touchscreen or a mouse, but it gets the job done a lot better than the other built-in mouse alternatives.

On the other hand, if you’re shopping for a new keyboard and want to use a touchpad in place of a mouse (hey, some of us get accustomed to it, and a mouse isn’t that necessary if you’re not doing graphic design or anything), there are some good options available.

Fentek Industries Mini Touchpad Keyboard

This one isn’t really meant for computer use so much as for online gamers who want to send quick messages, hence the small size, for quick typing rather than writing at length. The keyboard is about the size you’d expect to see in a notebook, and, while it’s intended for use with video game consoles, it is USB compatible. At $50, it’s a little steep for such a small package, but it is a comfortable keyboard to use, and the touchpad responds well to a gentle touch (where some touchpad’s require a bit of pressure).

iKey DT-5K-MEM-TP

The iKey DT-5K-MEM-TP is built primarily for durability. A so called industrial membrane keyboard, the keyboard is made with a hardcoated, textured polyester film, and trampoline mounted switches to give you a better feel than most membrane keyboards (in other words, you get that satisfying “click” when you hit a key).

Keysonic Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad

The wireless Keysonic board is geared mostly for multimedia enthusiasts. Hooking your computer up to a sound system or your television, you can place the keyboard on the coffee table and access all of your media from a comfortable seat. The touchpad serves a very practical function here, being far less cumbersome than dragging a mouse and a pad with you. Best nine feet or so, the signal from the board to your PC tends to get a little weak, but this is the only real downside.