USB-Connection on Keyboard

Ever since I can remember, or at least from the moment that USB had become a standard, Apple made their keyboards with one or two USB-connectors. 

And in the decade before USB the keyboard had a connector for the serial mouse. With this Apple indicated that they think seriously about making computers work the way we 'users' want or like to. 

PC's have taken over this method of connecting USB-devices to the keyboard, among which of course; the mouse. Although I still see that most PC-keyboards ship without this connection possibility. At my office for example, there are no connectors on the keyboards. Why factory’s still ship those keyboards without USB-connectors, I don’t know. Maybe because it’s cheaper? And they don’t care about the consumer?

It’s much more intuitive to connect a mouse through the keyboard, than to have a long cable sitting on your desk and working its way to the back of your computer casing. My mouse is fitted with a short cable (50 cm) which is long enough to connect it, and it easily twists on the desktop. No more long cables on my desk, and no more pulling at it because it snaked beyond your desk again…

I hear you think: "Do you not use a wireless mouse then?!" Oh yes you have a point there, however a wireless mouse had a considerable number of disadvantages in my experience; their batteries always run on empty, which you can RE-charge of course. Could be through a dock system or you replace them once in a while. Whether by new ones or reloaded batteries. I have a wireless mouse though for use with my MacBook and notebook PC, but I do not prefer them. For a computer which is stationary it makes not much sense to me to have a wireless mouse. Maybe it’s me but I think it lacks functionality. 

Anyway if you dislike cables on your desk, it’s a good option. To me it’s okay to have it connected thru cables, it doesn’t bother me at all. 

Besides the mouse there are other uses for connecting devices to the keyboard: USB-Flashdrives, USB-Lights, iPod, digital camera, etc.... there are a couple of devices which you cannot connect to the keyboard though. These are devices that need a certain amount of power, such as external hard disks. If you connect such an apparatus it’s possible that it will not work because of the lack of power. The OS will report this on screen, so you know you have to connect it directly to the computer. 

In the near future we will use keyboards which work by means of a laser technique, and control on the screen by means of hand gestures. COOL!  

-