Buy a keyboard - you should pay attention to this

If you want to buy a new keyboard, you should not only pay attention to money when shopping. It is at least as important that the keyboard fits your daily requirements.

Your new keyboard should have this

Keyboards are now available in a wide variety of designs, shapes and colors. It is more important than the outside, however, that you get along well with the keyboard. Therefore, you should think about some things before shopping.

• How extensively and, above all, what do you use the keyboard for?
• There are numerous, very inexpensive keyboards on the market, but they are primarily suitable for those who write less.
• However, if you need the keyboard regularly and also write a lot with it, the keys must have a good and quiet stroke. big enough and ergonomically shaped.
• If you work a lot with numbers, the new keyboard should have a separate number pad.
• In addition, function keys - on which the most important commands are already programmed - are practical and time-saving.
• If you have various routine commands that you use permanently, the keyboard should also have some individually assignable keys.
• Of course, you should also make sure that your new keyboard is a so-called QWERTY keyboard and that you don't accidentally grab the American version, the QWERTY keyboard. The main differences are the reversed position of the Z and Y keys and the umlauts.

Some nice keyboard extras

• A keyboard with a touchpad is very practical. If you are not currently doing graphic work, you have an almost full mouse replacement. You also save time because you don't always have to make the annoying switch between mouse and keyboard. The touchpad on the right side has proven itself so that you don't always accidentally hit it with the heels of your hand.
• It is also very practical if the keyboard has a USB port. If you work more often in darker rooms, you can plug in a small USB LED lamp and therefore have enough light to clearly recognize the buttons. In addition, a USB stick can also be quickly attached to the USB port.
• Illuminated keys are of course chic and practical, as they are often used for gaming keyboards.
• If you would like various information such as date and time or system information to be displayed on the keyboard, a keyboard with an LCD display may be the right choice for you.

The wireless keyboard

If you hate tangled cables and like to sit back and relax while typing, a radio keyboard is a good choice.

• It offers you a lot of freedom, so that you can easily lay your legs on the table and place the radio keyboard comfortably on your thighs.
• The rechargeable batteries usually last quite a long time and in an emergency just have two batteries ready so that you are prepared for all eventualities.
• Wireless keyboards with an on / off switch are recommended.

The gaming keyboard

Gaming keyboards are often among the most expensive keyboards because they are mostly of very high quality and have numerous additional functions.

• As a rule, you have some freely assignable keys that you can assign with your programmed macros.
• The keyboards also have an improved response time in order to implement the respective commands at lightning speed, since games can decide whether to win or lose every second.
• Often, the gaming keyboards also have illuminated keys and an LCD display, which you can use to obtain information about the respective game, such as the display of game statistics.
• Relatively expensive game keyboards often also have a touchscreen.

If you have changed the operating system and Windows 8 does not recognize the keyboard, you do not have to buy a new one straight away. We'll tell you what to do.