So, before you go out and buy new graphic cards or a fancy pro controller, see if you can improve your present setup. Controllers, for example, are often used and may not always withstand the test of time.

After a few years of use, there appears to be a lot of controller drift and input difficulties, at least with recent models. This becomes a serious issue if you’re playing a competitive game. How can you aim properly when your stick moves on its own or doesn’t record an input? This is known as the controller deadzone.

Here, we will discuss what a controller deadzone is and ways to find it and fix it. Read on to find out!

What is a Controller Deadzone?

When you push your analog stick in a specified direction on your controller, it doesn’t fully register input since it has a deadzone. Regardless of how hard you press the stick, the controller acts as though you aren’t pushing it all the way – if at all.

This causes several annoyances when playing video games. It doesn’t feel like your actions are fully transferring to the game when you try to move your character or the camera around.

Deadzones on controllers are easy to spot, but they’re a little more difficult to correct. Until recently, deadzones on controllers were an issue that you had to live with. Things have, thankfully, changed.

Finding and monitoring your controller deadzones is crucial to resolving the issue. In the next section, we will discuss the ways to find the deadzone and fit it.

How to Find Deadzones on Controllers

With an Xbox or a PS controller, it is not difficult to find out if you have a deadzone. Over time, you will realize that the left or right analog stick on your controller is not responding as effectively as it previously did. Your player in the game would act as though you had only pushed it halfway up every time you pushed it straight up (or in any other direction).

Gamers find it aggravating in competitive games. You can use a controller deadzone test like Gamepad Tester to help you with this. It’s web software that can identify controllers hooked to your PC and show up diagnostics for them automatically.

You’ll notice two crosshairs with white dots in the center once the diagnostics are activated. The white dots shift when you move the sticks on the analog stick testers.

When the dots are static, it’s fine if they “jitter” a little; just move the sticks about and check whether the dots match up with your motions.

How to Fix Deadzones on Controllers

Some games or platforms that enable you to correct for deadzone can quickly solve the problem; all you have to do now is determine how wide the deadzone is. Depending on your platform, there are many ways to achieve this.

Fix Deadzones on Steam

Steam is by far the most user-friendly mechanism for repairing deadzones on controllers. Go to the general controller settings once your controllers have been recognized. Then press the calibrate button.

You can now see how your controller motions are being recorded and, more crucially, adjust the settings to compensate.

Conclusion

It’s a little more difficult to fix deadzones on controllers beyond the software. Things are no longer made to last as they once were. The original analog stick on the Nintendo 64 sliced your palm up before breaking, and now controllers like the one you have on the PS5 will crumble if you just abuse them a little bit. The only viable long-term solution is to purchase a new controller. You may even disassemble it for repairs if you’re extremely technically inclined.

The cost-effective approach for most PC players, however, is to employ software to correct for a deadzone and return to a regular playing experience. After you’ve rectified that, double-check that all of your settings are working properly to compensate for the lack of accuracy.

However, it is strange to imagine that hackers can gain access to your computer’s peripherals like mouse and keyboard and utilize it for their personal goals. Sadly, it isn’t as unusual as you may assume.

Hackers and vicious cyber attackers now can monitor or control a user’s input information into a PC within a 100-meter distance by exploiting a security problem in some adapters.

It is frightening for PC and laptop users, but don’t worry. In this post, we’ll explain how your mouse and keyboard can be hacked and how to protect yourself against it.

How are Mice and Keyboards Hacked?

Let’s look at how wireless or Bluetooth adapters function to see how this hacking works. Simply connect the adaptor to a USB socket and activate your Bluetooth mouse or keyboard.

When you operate the keyboard or mouse, it sends information to your receiver, like when you move the cursor, press a button, or input a key. In theory, this opens the door to exploitation.

Consider somebody attaching to your Bluetooth adapter and claiming to be a wireless mouse or keyboard. They would then gain access to that person’s device’s keyboard and mouse. They can then use this access to carry out malicious acts on that machine.

However, tech manufacturers must have considered this and constructed security measures into their adapters. This is correct; however, not all wireless keyboards, as well as mice, suffer from this defect. But, some do, and there’s a tale about how this issue got into the Internet.

AES encryption is used to safeguard most Bluetooth keyboards. Nonetheless, even encrypted Wi-Fi signals may be captured using a Raspberry Pi setup as a Software – defined Radio. One attack captured the user’s protected PC login passwords and replayed them again to decrypt and unlock the system.

The Bluetooth USB receiver is also vulnerable. Even if the keyboard is in a protected session with the dongle, unencrypted input can still be delivered to the receiver and playback to access the associated system and send commands.

How Does the Attack Occur?

To begin with, a hacker attempting to hijack a wireless adaptor does not require pricey special tools. With only an antenna of a few dollars and several lines of Python code, they can connect to any adaptor within a 100-meter radius.

Not something you’d expect to see in a public location!

When a hacker discovers an open adaptor, he or she has two options:

• They can start sending information to the adaptor to simulate mouse and keyboard activity. At this stage, they can reroute the user’s system in ways that the user might not even like them to. A malicious hacker may remove files and directories, but a more devious hacker may instruct the victim’s PC to install spyware.
• Otherwise, they can get access to the adapter and examine what you’re entering. This implies that any passwords or sensitive information input into the wireless keyboard can be viewed by the hacker and used to log into sensitive accounts.

So, this is how the keyboard and mouse can be hacked by malicious hackers and put your data at risk.

Steps to Secure your Wireless Mouse and Keyboard from being Hacked

Following are some of the adoption and implementation and items to consider to ensure device safety and protect hackers from hacking your mouse and keyboards. So, to proceed, follow the steps outlined below.

Device Security

Examine the Bluetooth keyboard and mice security features given by the maker. Because some manufacturers are unconcerned with secure connectivity alternatives, they design devices in this manner solely. Try to choose with a well-known brand or the manufacturer, but this is generally taken care of.

Get Wired Mouse and Keyboard

You will go with a wired mouse and keyboard if you want the easiest but most secure option. This might be a rock-solid answer for your device’s ultimate security, and if you can go for it, you should do so right away. There is no other approach that can compete with this one!

Choose a More Powerful Device

If getting wired is not even a solution, you might consider buying gear with enough privacy built-in. Investigate merchants who do not show on the susceptible device listings and buy the products they offer.

You can also use a wireless mouse and keyboard if your PC supports it, but you should be mindful of the security concerns that Bluetooth raises.

Firmware Update

If you suspect that your wireless keyboard and mouse are vulnerable to hacking assaults, the producer may have released a driver update to address the problem.

You should look for the most recent version of the gadget on the company’s site.

Encrypt Data

The easiest way to prevent your information from being stolen through the wireless mouse/keyboard hijacked procedure is to encrypt the files or folders with a passcode, which will prohibit the hackers from accessing your computer data.

This might not aid you in detaching up towards the hacker’s connection from the wireless link, but it will help you avoid additional difficulties!

Lock Your PC

If you are concerned for the safety of your computer and believe somebody is managing it, you should lock your Computer in the administrator panel. Even though you cannot avoid the previous assault, this will assist you in securing your PC from being accessed by the attacker.

Conclusion

Yes, your mouse and keyboard can be hacked. We have outlined methods that are basic but efficient techniques for securing your wireless mouse and keyboard from hackers and thereby safeguarding your computer data.

All of these approaches will not require you to perform any complicated operations on your computer; instead, you can proceed with your protecting wall development by following a few basic steps.

Simply follow these steps to protect your mouse and keyboard from being hacked.

Though a standard mouse is much more comfortable to use and provides higher accuracy & control, a trackball gives extra efficiency and accessibility.

There are several valid reasons for this affection! If you’re curious to know if you want a trackball mouse, here is why it’s the best tool for you.

Who is a Trackball Mouse Ideal For?

A trackball mouse is perfect not just for professional workers sitting in front of a computer for long periods and general consumers who want a more relaxed alternative, but also for individuals who have mobility or skill challenges gripping and using a mouse.

Trackballs provide enhanced availability and ease of use for such people who may have difficulty handling and using a mouse in a conventional manner.

Because a trackball is a fixed peripheral, it can aid by enabling you to spin the ball and click keys in whatever way you feel fits. All you want to do is choose a form and size that works for you.

Now, we move on to the reasons to buy a trackball mouse. Let’s find out!

Design and Build Quality

Ordinary mice exist in a variety of styles but always have the same fundamental layout: right-click, middle-click/scroll wheel, and left-click. Some may add extra buttons, although they seldom deviate from the standard three-button configuration.

However, Trackball mice are available in several different layouts depending on the size and position of the trackball.

Trackballs that move with your thumb typically have a more traditional layout of left, middle, and right clicks. Trackballs with a bigger, finger-operated core ball are more inventive in their designs. Some even employ a scroll ring instead of a clickable wheel.

Trackballs rely on several ball bearings beneath the globe to ensure the ball moves smoothly and effortlessly. These bearings might become dusty or gunked up over time and may need to be cleaned with a Q-tip.

Comfort and Ergonomics

Due to long hours of sitting each day, the discourse regarding good ergonomics in the workplace has expanded in recent years.

Although standing up is good for your health, using more ergonomic input gadgets can help you avoid repetitive strain injury (RSI). These problems are generated by stressing your muscles in almost a similar way over and over again.

Because of the trackball’s secure location, trackball mice might be a godsend for professionals suffering from wrist-based RSI.

Whereas a standard mouse requires you to rotate your arm and wrist, a trackball merely requires you to move your fingers. Your wrist will be at a healthy angle if you utilize a wrist-rest on your trackball. This relieves it of the strain caused by swiping your mouse around.

Efficiency

It may take some time to get used to using a trackball. However, after a week or so of getting used to it, your cursor’s accuracy can improve significantly.

That’s also especially important for small, precise control that trackballs are more responsive to. Trackballs also make it much easier to whip the cursor from one side of the working space to another.

Durability

A mouse is among the few PC parts that still have spinning parts, and these parts wear down and break over time. Inexpensive mice fail the most rapidly, but high-quality mice also age out.

Because trackball mice are immobile, they are not subjected to the stress of violent situations or falls. A trackball may outlive a high-quality office chair if the buttons are kept in good condition. A well-cared-for mouse may live just as long, although they appear to break down a bit more often compared to trackball mice.

Great Alternative to the Travel Mouse

Travel mice are useful, but they need enough space to move around. Trackballs are ideal for accurate work, even when traveling. As such, it might be better for people short on space (such as those who use a lot of tiny motel room desks).

Conclusion

Essentially, if you suffer wrist or forearm pain from using a mouse or touchpad, it is strongly recommended to check out a trackball mouse. The ergonomics are a significant advantage of utilizing this as your primary cursor control.

The trackball is a strong, classic option, even though it is misinterpreted and underestimated. The trackball is a smart alternative for experts and regular users, with a broad range of styles and advantages extending from ergonomics & RSI avoidance to speed and accessibility.

Of course, it goes without saying that gamers have no need for a trackball mouse and should stick to what they are using right now.

Some PC users prefer to use a separate wireless mouse to handle a multimedia PC. Others may be like to keep one arm on an additional keyboard for fast access to commands.

Whichever your reason, this post will explain to you the benefits of utilizing several mouses and keyboards, as well as how to install them.

How to Install Multiple Mice and Keyboards?

Having multiple mice and keyboards is a configuration with several fascinating applications. After attaching numerous peripherals to your PC, there are multiple ways you can use to set them up.

The Basic Way: Connect Both Keyboards or Mice Directly

Simply connect your additional mouse or keyboard through Bluetooth or put it into a USB port. When Windows has finished installing the appropriate drivers, you may type with either keyboard and control the cursor with both mice.

To view anything you presently have connected:

• Step 1: Go to Settings
• Step 2: Click on Devices
  
• Step 3: Click on Bluetooth & other devices.
  

You may fine-tune how your mouse functions underneath the Mouse, keyboard & pen option. However, these choices will apply to all linked mice. Based on how varied your mice are, one may feel too sensitive or underly sensitive, so make adjustments accordingly.

Unifying Receiver

A unifying receiver is included with modern Logitech mice and keyboards. This little dongle connects up to six Logitech gadgets to your PC through a USB connection. As a result, if you wish to utilize numerous Logitech keyboards or mice, you may save a few USB ports.

Work Simultaneously on Multiple Monitors

Suppose you have numerous displays and separate apps operating over each. In that case, you may set two (or even more) keyboard/mouse pairs to simply transition between the display and task.

Many software can assist Windows in distinguishing between several mice and keyboards, permitting you to utilize several cursors and enter information at the same time.

Pluralinput is one such piece of open-source that performs a good job at multitasking. Because it is in beta, you may encounter some issues. These are the steps involved to set it up:

• Install and run Pluralinput, then select “Set up a new device option” from the left menu.
• A list of all linked keyboards and mice will be shown. Simply tick the box next to each mouse or keyboard you wish to be used as Pluralinput and then click the “Apply changes to devices” button.
• The application will install new drivers and display a new configurable cursor (orange by default). This cursor, however, will have limited control. It can only be used within apps like Word, Notepad, browsers, and others.

If Pluralinput isn’t for you, TeamPlayer is a far more robust alternative. It also includes an old free version that is remarkably enough for essential use.

Now, what are the benefits of having multiple mice and keyboards? Read on to find out!

Benefits of Multiple Mice and Keyboards

There are two major advantages of using multiple mice and keyboards. Let’s take a look!

Control Your PC from Different Locations

Two keyboards/mice would be useful if you want to operate your PC from different locations.

But, for this to function, you must have a wireless keyboard/mouse or a keyboard/mouse with an extremely long cord.

Even when a cable keyboard/mouse is attached, the wireless mouse or keyboard will effortlessly link to your computer. After that, you can control your PC from anywhere in the house. If your PC is streaming to a wireless display, having another keyboard and mouse that can connect to your PC wirelessly will be a huge help.

Use Multiple Keyboards for Multi-Key Functions

A membrane keyboard (which we usually use) enables four keypresses together or simultaneously. In most circumstances, this is adequate. Nevertheless, if you are playing a multiplayer game (a split-screen game where both players are using the same keyboard), one keyboard will not suffice.

Luckily, if each person connects a keyboard, the PC will receive up to 4 key pushes from each participant. As a result, you’ll be capable of playing any game without stuttering or button collisions. You will not have an issue playing Tekken or Fifa with your friends while using multiple keyboards.

But, do remember that the computer cannot tell which keyboard is sending the information. To avoid this, just assign distinct command keys to each participant within the game.

Below is a guide to identifying your keyboard form factors and layouts to make it easy for you to understand.

Form Factors

The form factor of a keyboard relates to its overall size and shape, such as full size, 60 percent, or 80 percent. A form factor’s layout might be winkeyless or Winkey, ANSI or ISO. Another type of layout that is referred to as “logical layout” comprises QWERTY, Dvorak, QWERTZ, and so on.

Full Size

Full size is the most popular keyboard form factor. If you’re using a PC keyboard right now, it’s probably something like this:

The following are the primary characteristics of a full-size keyboard:

• The primary alphabetic cluster
• Above alphanumerics + Function Keys + Print Screen/Scroll Lock/Pause
• Standard navigation cluster with arrow keys, plus PgUp/PgDn, and so on.
• To the right of the navigation cluster, there is a numeric pad.
• Most current full-size keyboards (like the Filco seen above) feature a conventional layout, with a rectangular alphanumeric cluster, a 6.25x spacebar, and 1.25x bottom-row Winkey modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Win, Menu), and key placement/size as shown above.

Tenkeyless

Full-size keyboards without a Numpad are known as tenkeyless keyboards. “Tenkey” refers to digits 0 through 9.

The tenkeyless design has numerous potential benefits:

• It takes up less space on your desk.
• This enables you to properly orient your keyboard to your body.
• Allows you to position your mouse closer to your body (which many people prefer).
• It is more transportable.
• It is more suited to the minimalist aesthetic.
• The standard function key row is retained.

75% Keyboard

The majority of laptops come with a 75 percent keyboard layout. These keyboards are extremely small, with no spaces among the keys. The keyboard lacks number keys as well as several navigational keys. Because of their small size, these keyboards are extremely portable. Replacing keycaps for such keyboards is difficult to come by.

60% (compact/mini)

This is the keyboard for you if you want a customized keyboard. The 60 percent keyboard layout is smaller than the 65 percent keyboard layout. These keyboards do not have any underutilized keys and just have alphanumeric keys and a few control keys. They are excellent for typing and give an excellent typing experience.

40% Keyboard

This is the smallest workable keyboard layout. Because this is the smallest keyboard, it lacks numeric keys, function keys, navigation keys, and the number row of alpha keys. It simply contains letters and widely used controls.

Keyboard Layouts

After forms and factors, now, we discuss keyboard layouts.

QWERTY keyboard layout

In the United States, the QWERTY keyboard layout is widely used for laptops and computers. Christopher Latham Sholes, a newspaper editor and printer invented it in the early 1870s.

If the initial letters on the top-left corner row are Q, W, E, R, T, and Y, you have a QWERTY keyboard. This configuration is intended to improve typing speed by adjusting the gap between the hands on the keyboard. According to research, this style generates the most typing strokes and is the most efficient when compared to several other layouts.

QWERTY Layout on Windows

Dvorak Keyboard Layout

Dr. August Dvorak developed the Dvorak layout throughout the 1930s. Dr. Dvorak positioned the most popular vowels and consonants on the home line, except for the letter U:

• A (3rd)
• O (4th)
• E (1st)
• U (13th)
• H (8th)
• T (2nd)
• N (6th)
• S (7th)

As can be seen, the Dvorak layout also places the most frequently used characters in the English, E (1st) and T (2nd), on the largest digits, the middle finger. Most frequent punctuation is indeed located right just above left hand’s home row, which is being found to benefit typists who use this keyboard layout.

Because the Dvorak layout is not commonly used, the sample size of typists using it is too small to determine if the layout is innately quicker than the QWERTY layout. However, early research suggests that Dvorak (and Colemak) typists are more accurate.

Standard Keyboard Layout

Now that you understand the fundamental keyboard layout, we may move on to the various keyboard standards and forms for those layouts. ANSI, which stands for American Standard, is now the most popular (and normal) keyboard layout as well as style. Also, there are ISO and JIS standards and forms that are Japanese and European, respectively.

These two alien layouts radically affect the look and action of the keyboard. We’ll concentrate on ANSI and ISO standards since they’re widely utilized in Europe and the US.

The two layouts differ substantially in two ways. The enter key on the ANSI keyboard is a huge rectangle, whereas the ISO keyboard is an upside-down L-shape. Thus, the backslash button is located just above the enter key on ANSI keyboards. However, on ISO keyboards, it is located towards the left of the enter key.

Language layouts

The language layout (also known as virtual layout or logical layout) is the final step in the chain of keyboard properties:

• Form factor
• Layout
• Language layout

It is simply how the operating system determines which character to display on the screen when you hit a key. However, mechanical keyboards may be supplied in a variety of languages. All of this implies that the keyboard comes pre-installed with keycaps that correspond to the language.

An ISO Nordic keyboard is just an ISO layout keyboard with a Nordic keycap set. You may still change the language of the operating system to anything you want.

To demonstrate it properly, here’s a comparison image of the ISO Finnish layout and language (1st image) and the ISO Estonian layout and language (2nd image):

MAC Keyboard Layout

Both hardware and software on the Mac enable multi-language input.

Hardware

When you order Apple Macintosh hardware, you have the option of selecting a keyboard layout. This has an impact on how the keys on your keyboard are configured. Apple Knowledge Base HT2841 includes information on 32 various keyboard layouts.

The US keyboard is based on the ANSI standard:

The International English and Dutch keyboards are based on the ISO 9995 standard:

Software

The keyboard layout software converts a key press into an on-screen character. There are 139 software keyboard layouts available in Mac OS X.

Here are three examples: US, US International, and ABC-Extended (previously: US Extended).

The US keyboard and the US International keyboard are very identical. The US International version converts the tick (‘) and single quote (‘) keys into modifier keys (for grave accent and acute accent). The alt key on the US keyboard is the only one that accomplishes this. This is something that US International does all the time.

The distinction between the US keyboard and the expanded keyboard is more pronounced. The enlarged keyboard enables for much more modifier keys to be used to construct ligatures.

Conclusion

We hope you found this guide useful. If you are used to an ANSI or ISO keyboard, you should keep with that physical layout when purchasing or building a mechanical keyboard.

Learning one of the alternatives will take time and may not be worth it even after months of practice if you’re used to typing in the QWERTY layout.

You can quickly select content, display menus, and change views using double-clicks, triple-clicks, the right button, and the scroll wheel.

A trackpad is a mouse that is incorporated into a laptop (also known as a touchpad). It can double-click and triple-click like a mouse. However, right-clicking and scrolling are different.

Here are some mouse tips and shortcuts for Windows, Mac, and Google Chrome you may use to shorten the time it takes to accomplish certain basic word-processing and surfing tasks.

Double-clicking

You’re undoubtedly used to double-clicking with the left mouse button or double clicks on a trackpad to launch files and apps, but you can also double-click to execute other activities.

When dealing with text in a word processor or email, double-clicking a word selects it. You also manage your open window (i.e., minimize, maximize). The text can then be copied, deleted, or formatted.

Triple-clicking

Most people are unaware that triple-clicking with the left button or three clicks on a trackpad is a valuable shortcut for generating selections in a variety of circumstances.

• Most word processing programs allow you to triple-click on a paragraph to choose the entire section.
  
• You may also pick a URL by triple-clicking it in your web browser’s address bar. If you like, you may copy the URL using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac).
  

Right-clicking

Use the right-click menu whenever you wish to highlight text or inspect the details of an item. For example, if you select a file or paragraph, you can right-click it, copy it, and then right-click somewhere else to paste it.

Choosing a word and right-clicking it in your web browser will allow you to look for the term (for example, in Google Chrome, Opera, etc.).

Scroll Wheel

A trackpad lacks a scroll wheel, although a mouse does. To scroll on a trackpad, you’ll need to use two fingers to swipe up or down. Scrolling may be advantageous in some situations (like with your web browser).

• You can also use the scroll wheel to pick an URL and launch it in the Google Chrome tab, much like a mouse button. On trackpads, this option is not available; instead, you must right-click to launch a new browser tab.
  
• Some websites and apps, such as Google Maps, let you zoom in and out by scrolling up and down.

Open Multiple Links

This method helps you access many URLs in real-time. You simply press and hold the [CTRL] button and click on the URLs you wish to open. Every one of them will open in a new tab.

Select Multiple Text Pieces and files Using [CTRL] Key

You may use this approach to select numerous text fragments in a file. Pick a text part, then hit and hold the [CTRL] key to choose the next text part you desire.

Select Vertical Text Using [ALT] Key

It’s quite simple; simply hold down the [Alt] key while selecting the text with your mouse’s left button.

It is important to point out that this method does not work on internet pages. You may also use this approach, but only on Microsoft Office documents.

Shift + Click

To select the full paragraph, hit and hold the shift button and left-click on the paragraph, it is so simple, and it reduces your work time.

Mac Mouse Shortcuts

Here are some major Mac mouse and trackpad shortcuts that can save your time when doing work.

Trackpad gestures

To learn much about these gestures, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Trackpad. You may disable a gesture, modify the kind of gesture, and learn which gestures are compatible with your Mac.

Trackpad motions necessitate the use of a Magic Trackpad or a built-in Multi-Touch trackpad. You can also Force click and receive haptic feedback if your trackpad supports Force Touch.

• Click with your finger.
  To click, use one finger to tap.
• Secondary click (right-click)
  Use two fingers to click or tap.
• Smart Zoom
  To zoom in and out of a webpage or PDF, double-tap with two fingers.
• Scroll
  Scroll by swiping two fingers down or up.
• Zoom in and out.
  To zoom in and out, squeeze with two fingers.
• Rotate
  Rotate a picture or even another item by wrapping two fingers around each other.
• Swipe among pages
  To see the previous or next page, swipe two fingers left or right.
• Show desktop
  Spread your thumb and three fingers to display the desktop.
• Swipe between full-screen apps
  To switch between full-screen apps, swipe four fingers left or right.
• Display all active apps
  Swipe up with three fingers to exit your current window and see all of the apps that are presently open.

Mouse Gestures

• Click
  To click, use the left part of the mouse as you could use some other device mouse.
• Secondary click
  As with a typical computer mouse, click the right side of the mouse.
• Scroll
  To move up or down, swipe one finger up or down the Magic Mouse.
• Smart zoom
  To zoom in or out of a webpage or Document, double-tap with one finger.
• Swipe between pages
  To see the past or next pages, swipe your finger left or right.
• Swipe between full-screen apps
  Swipe two fingers left or right to switch between full-screen apps.
• Launch the Notification Center
  Swipe two fingers left from the right side to see Notification Center.
• Mission Command
  To access Mission Control, swipe up with 4 fingers.

For more details about trackpad and mouse, check out this Apple support Site.

Conclusion

If you’re a gamer or your job demands you to spend a significant amount of time in front of a PC, you should use mouse and keyboard shortcuts to reduce your work time.

The trackball mouse is a good option as well, and you can do your work faster increase your productivity by using these tips and shortcuts mentioned in the post.

You can avoid straining your eyes by changing how you use mobile phones, PCs, tablets, and other screens.

Do Screens Make Your Eyesight Worse?

Almost everyone uses a screen in their everyday lives; digital eye strain (DES) is more frequent than ever.

While hardly anyone spends their whole day staring at a computer screen, the majority of people do use cell phones. According to experts, digital eye strain occurs in approximately 50% of screen users.

So, do screens impair your vision? The good news is that eye strain isn’t a long-term issue.

There is little evidence that strain causes long-term eye damage. Still, it can produce considerable discomfort and make getting through a workday difficult.

Computer Eye Strain

What is the impact of the screen on the eyes? There are various indicators to be aware of, and they differ significantly based on whether you use a PC, TV, or mobile phone.

When using a TV (LED, LCD), and even if you are playing games on your calibrated TV Screen, it can also cause eye strain.

Let’s look at a few of the signs and how to prevent digital eye strain.

Computer Eye Strain Symptoms

The most common symptoms of eye strain, according to the American Optometric Association, are:

• Headaches
• Dry Eyes
• Red Eyes
• Blurred Vision
• And in severe cases, Neck and Shoulder Pain

These symptoms will appear after viewing a screen for extended periods if you use a computer all day for work.

How To Prevent Eyestrain From Computer Screen

Follow these measures to prevent your eyes from computer screens.

1. Use The 20/20/20 Rule

Your eyes are not intended to stare at something straight in front of you the whole day. Using the 20/20/20 principle, you can start by giving the eyes more rest throughout long workdays.

Unless you stare at the display for twenty minutes, you must take a glance at anything at least 20 steps away for 20 seconds. However, the longer you look away from the display, the better it is for your eyes.

2. Ensure Your Room Is Well Lit

It may seem contradictory, but having less light in your room is beneficial to the eyes when looking at the screen. Offices should not be overly bright, so shut your curtains and use fewer lighting systems when feasible. The light should not be too dim, but not too bright either.

Choose fewer power lights and keep your artificial light half as bright as the usual office.

3. Use High-Resolution Screens

Most individuals are no longer need to utilize CRT screens. Those were the old desktop screens with weak refresh rates that produced a perceptible flicker and made your eyes itch.

Screens today often have refresh rates of 75Hz or higher—the greater the number, the better. Additionally, higher resolution screens look more alive and provide a better user experience. When you can’t see the pixels, your eyes have to work much harder to interpret the visuals in front of you.

4. Reduce Glare

Glare on the PC screen can produce eye strain because it tries to stop your eyes from adjusting as smoothly as they do to the content you’re trying to focus on.

Get an anti-glare matte screen where feasible (instead of glass-covered LCDs). If you wear glasses, keep in mind that they have an anti-reflective coating. If you are playing video games, then you should have the best gaming glasses.

5. Take a Break

It is necessary to take regular rest if you work at a PC or watch TV all day. These pauses do not have to be lengthy. Take a few moments every hour or so to get up, go for a simple walk, and expand your hands and feet.

Taking a break from the PC can greatly decrease not just eyestrain and dryness but any other neck or back pain you may be experiencing from sitting at a screen.

6. See an Eye Doctor

If you’ve attempted everything above but still can’t find relaxation, it’s time to have your eyes tested. Schedule a meeting with an eye specialist or ophthalmologist to determine whether you require a new prescribing for glasses or contacts.

Your specialist could also advise you to use over-the-counter or prescription medications, like artificial tears or lotions, to alleviate your symptoms.

Mobile Phone Eye Strain

Smartphone screens, like computer screens, can produce eye strain. We all need to talk about it because we utilize them in place of pen and paper for almost anything. But how would cell phones damage your vision? What are its symptoms? Let’s take a look!

Eye Strain From Phone Symptoms
Mobile eye strain symptoms are similar to computer eye strain signs.

Smartphone eye strain can cause:

• Dry Eyes and Discomfort
• Terrible throbbing headaches all around eyes
• Impaired vision

How To Protect Eye Strain From Phone Screen

Let’s look at ways to shield your eyes from phone screens.

1. Adjust Screen Settings

It’s easy to overlook that you should personalize the device since it looks great right out of the box. Everybody’s eyes are unique, and all phones enable you to adjust the brightness, contrast, and text settings.

Reduce the brightness when you’re at home, or enable automatic brightness adjustments to allow your smartphone to react to your surroundings. Increase the font size to make it simpler to read text messages.

2. Use Night Mode

Night mode capabilities on recent Android and Apple devices make this simple to automatically lessen eye strain at night. When you enable this feature, your mobile will automatically switch screen set up based on the time of day.

3. Keep A Sensible Distance

From 16 to 18 inches away, you must be able to see anything on your phone’s screen. Keep your handset away from your face, but if you find yourself trying to bring it nearer, consider zooming in on your screen instead.

4. Don’t Forget To Blink!

According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, when utilizing a screen, a man blinks up to 66 percent lesser frequently.

Blinking is necessary since it aids in the transmission of hydrating chemicals such as tears in your eyes etc. When you blink fewer times compared to normal, your tears evaporate quicker, leading to red & dry eyes.

Digital technologies have advanced dramatically in recent decades, and a standard CRT monitor is no longer appropriate for household usage.

The majority of consumers have no idea what their monitor is made of and only care about attractive metrics like curve, size, price, and year of manufacturing.

Many of us were brought up in a period when historical evidence was sufficient to determine whether a myth was true or not. We didn’t require quantitative research or trials to know if a good friend’s word was accurate or unfounded.

Today, we’ll look at some of the most common computer monitor myths. Hopefully, this post will assist you in making a better-educated decision before making a purchase.

Myth 1: Monitors Can Impair Your Eyesight

Although medical experts agree that spending too much time gazing at a monitor isn’t healthy for your eyes, the amount of damage it does varies depending on who you ask.

The most serious concern is that staring at a large screen may induce macular degeneration, which is one of the significant causes of blindness. Is there, however, any evidence to back up this fear?

At this moment, there is no convincing evidence that long-term visual impairment may be caused by monitor use. However, it would help if you were cautious since monitors can induce eye strain, which might result in temporary problems.

Myth 2: You Should Get a Monitor with a Refresh Rate of 120 Hz

This is also something to which you should pay close attention. The vast majority of customers are unaware of the differences between 60 Hz and 120 Hz displays unless they make that comparison.

If you want to test the difference for yourself, go to a local tech gadgets store and look for two displays with different contrast ratios and refresh rates. Each of them should, ideally, be of the same company and product range. Request that the expert plays the same video on them. On a 120 Hz display, the picture will be smoother and more detailed, so you’ll see the contrast right away.

To eliminate the misconception regarding an adverse effect of a high refresh rate, it’s important to remember when it first appeared. CRT displays with refresh rates more than 80 Hz had a detrimental influence on human eyes in the 1990s. However, this issue was resolved with the introduction of LCD and LED displays.

Myth 3: It’s Always Better to Have a Faster Response Time

The time it takes for a monitor to process a signal is known as the response rate. In simple terms, this is the timeframe when the image on your monitor is refreshed.

When you input words on your keypad, for instance, there is a slight pause between your system processing the action and showing it. However, you will never see it because the reaction rate is recorded in milliseconds and cannot be recognized by the naked eye.

It is true that the lower the response rate, the better. You will notice unpleasant delays if you operate with a display with a 30 ms or greater reaction rate.

Lower response time, on the other hand, does not imply higher performance. If the reaction rate is less than 10 ms, the human eye will not perceive any changes. As a result, if you wish to get a monitor with an 8 ms reaction rate, you will be wasting your money and not seeing any improvement in performance.

Myth 4: Sleep Quality Is Affected by Screen Light

Is it unhealthy to stare at a monitor in the dark? Artificial light reduces the quality and length of sleep in general. Furthermore, computer screens emit artificial light. In this way, screens do have an effect on sleep.

However, using a monitor in the darkness isn’t the only way we come into contact with artificial light at night. Many other items, such as street lights, fluorescent tubes, and so on, emit this type of light. What’s the difference between the two?

Our circadian rhythm is our body’s normal sleep/wake cycle, which is disturbed by intense artificial light, particularly light in the blue-to-white range of the spectrum.

Brighter light colors, like yellow and orange, have a similar influence on sleep quality as the cooler blues, although not as much.

When you use bright monitors in a dark environment before night, your circadian rhythm is disrupted since your brain thinks it’s daytime. This inhibits the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep and prepares you for the night. As a result, changing the blue light on your screen to orange light might really help you sleep easily at night.

It is true in both directions. People have utilized artificial blue light to cure some mood-related diseases, including seasonal affective disorder, because of the genuine impact.

Myth 5: A Bigger Monitor Means a Better Display

On ultrawide screens, people like watching movies or playing video games. The size of a monitor is said to be the most important feature. However, this is only partially true; a monitor’s size is only relevant if it matches a particular resolution. As a result, purchasing a large display with a poor resolution will be a huge error.

The majority of contemporary displays have a resolution of 1080p (1920×1080). However, if you’re thinking of getting a 27-inch monitor, be prepared for a lot of pixelation. It occurs because the monitor’s size is insufficient to guarantee a smooth image with the available pixels.

If you’re looking for a 30-inch screen, be sure it has a resolution of at least 2048 x 1152 pixels. It still is widescreen, and it’s known as QWXGA or quad-wide extended graphics array.

Get a screen that supports a resolution of at least 2560 x 2048, commonly known as the quad super-extended graphics array (QSXGA), or the newest resolution to hit the market, known as 4K (3840×2160), for massive panels like those you’d typically see at the stadiums.

With a resolution proportionate to the size of your screen, you’ll have plenty of viewing options and a lovely, clean image. However, obtaining displays that support such resolutions would be difficult.

Conclusion

So these are the most common myths about computer monitors that still exist, and you should know. While using a computer in the dark may disrupt your sleep and cause eye strain, you should not be concerned about long-term eye damage. You can always try the dark mode to lessen some of the impact.

Choose something that you enjoy. Put it to the test. Use it to your advantage, reasonably, of course. Make sure you don’t have any regrets about purchasing it. Most importantly, avoid the wicked little figures that lead you astray into purchasing something that, in reality, offers less than it claims.

You have definitely come across phrases like Anti-Ghosting, N-key rollover, and more if you’re trying to buy a keyboard and reading up on the different varieties, whether it’s a membrane keyboard or a mechanical keyboard.

The word Keyboard Ghosting is not quite as frightening as it sounds. Regardless, it has the potential to haunt particular keyboard users and create negative outcomes.

What exactly is Keyboard Ghosting, and why should you be concerned about a keyboard advertised to be Anti-Ghosting?
We will go over all you need to know about Keyboard Ghosting, including why it happens and how to avoid it, in this post. So, please keep reading to learn more about it.

What is Keyboard Ghosting?

When a user presses a random key on the keyboard correctly, the system does not register it. This is known as Keyboard Ghosting.

Suppose you hit numerous keys simultaneously on some keyboards. In that case, some of them will not operate and the keypresses won’t show up on the computer screen. Since you pressed the keys, but they did not show up on your screen, they did not work, so it can be said to have ghosted.

This is usually due to the keyboard’s manufacturer trying to save money by using lower-cost components. There are some really good budget keyboards you can buy that work effectively for gaming.

If you type normally on a keyboard, you may never experience Keyboard Ghosting. You rarely press more than three keys at a time, which is what most keyboards nowadays can handle. As a result, ghosting will never be an issue if you write an article or post something on social media using your keyboard.

Most gamers like mechanical keyboards when it comes to gaming; still, keyboard ghosting is a widespread problem. You can clean your mechanical keyboard regularly, and yet the problem won’t be fixated.

Does My Keyboard Have Anti-Ghosting?

When a keyboard is advertised as Anti-Ghosting, it could simply refer to a subset of the keyboard that works well together. It does not ensure that this group of keys will not ghost when used in tandem with several other keys on the keyboard.

Another marketing tactic is to claim that the keyboard can handle up to a certain number of keystrokes. Even if only a single combination of keys of such size may be hit simultaneously, many three-key combinations still have ghosting concerns; that would be a valid argument about a keyboard.

The remaining errors could be attributed to other sources by someone who uses a keyboard like this. For example, rather than the key not being detected by the hardware, a user playing a game might believe that they did not strike the key fast enough for the game’s rules.

What Causes Keyboard Ghosting?

Keyboard Ghosting is usually caused by one or more of the following three defects:

• The hardware cannot read the specified key combination.
• The computer’s software does not handle multiple simultaneous keys.
• The hardware and software communication protocol restricts the maximum number of simultaneous keys that can be reported.

What is an Anti Ghosting Keyboard?

Anti-ghosting refers to a unique keypress that is required when pressing more than two or three keys at the same time. It can happen during gaming when you repeatedly push the keys. Anti-ghosting is needed if you have a unique need for certain actions to be performed.

Keyboard Ghosting Fix

So, how can we address this core issue with keyboard designs? As it turns out, there are three options for manufacturers to address the ghosting problem.

• Keyboard designers can reconfigure the cables in the keyboard such that key combinations that are frequently used together are not affected.
• To avoid ambiguity when pressing key combinations, they can use extra wires.
• To register each key independently, a diode might be used.

Although the first solution is perhaps the simplest, it does not completely fix the problem. It just shifts the ghosting problem to a different group of keys, which are less likely to be used simultaneously and go unnoticed. Many Anti-Ghosting keyboards employ this technique.

The second and third options are more expensive. The second option is effective in resolving the issue. However, adding more wires implies putting more electronics into the keyboards, which means the keyboards will cost more.

A diode can also be used to solve the problem; however, adding one diode for each key on a keyboard is highly expensive.

What to Look For in the Market?

So, what can you do if you are on the market for a new keyboard and do not want to risk ghosting?

You might start by searching for Anti-Ghosting keyboards. The number of keys on the keyboard that support this feature, such as 25-key Anti-Ghosting, will usually be listed. This will not prevent Anti-Ghosting over the entire keyboard, but it will target keys that are frequently held down while other keys are pressed.

What is N-Key Rollover?

Another alternative is to search for keyboards that can handle a specific number of pressed keys. The term N-Key rollover is used to describe these, and you can test for this feature. A 4-key rollover keyboard, for example, allows you to hold down four keys simultaneously.

Suppose your keyboard supports N-key rollover, then you can press any number of keys on the keyboard at the same time with no problems. All key presses will be recorded on the keyboard.

On the other hand, N-key rollover is nearly useless without Anti-Ghosting measures, as you may have predicted. Anti-Ghosting is required on a keyboard in order to safely handle sequential pressing of any number of keys without problems.

So, if you are shopping for a gaming keyboard or a keyboard with a good typing speed, N-key rollover is an important feature to look for. If you play games that need you to hit many keys at the same time, this is extremely vital.

Conclusion

That is all there is to know about keyboard ghosting: what it is, why it occurs, and how companies can create anti-ghosting keyboards that do not have the same problems.

Although keyboard ghosting may not affect everyone, it can be a big irritation for those who use combinations like gamers. If you want an anti-ghosting keyboard, N-Key rollover keyboards are the way to go.

Due to the better responsiveness, life rating, and multiple other cool features of switches in mechanical keyboards, they have replaced membrane keyboards as the first preference of enthusiast PC gamers all over the world.

Before you select a gaming keyboard for yourself, you need to decide what kind of switches you want to use. After all, the keys can make all the difference during a clutch moment.

That is just the reason why in our guide below, we will get you up to speed with all there is to know regarding the mechanical keyboard switches, including their types and the top-notch switch manufacturers.

Important Terms to Keep in Mind

• Actuation point – refers to the extent to which your keyboard key needs to be pressed to get registered by your PC. It varies from one keyboard switch to the other.
• Actuation force – refers to the force required to reach the actuation point. Measured generally in grams, the actuation force, similar to the actuation point, varies from switch to switch.
• RGB – abbreviation of Red, Blue, and Green, RGB typically refers to the colored backlighting offered by some keyboards. Some mechanical switches also have clear housings, as an alternative to RGB, for improving light dissipation across keycaps.

Mechanical Keyboard Switches Types

There are three types of mechanical keyboard switches that you can get your hands on:

• Clicky – keyboard switch that makes comparatively louder sounds when being pressed.
• Tactile – switches that come packed with a bump used for confirming that you’ve reached the actuation point. On keyboards without tactile switches, you need to fully press down a specific keyboard key.
• Linear – refers to non-tactile switches in which you need to bottom out the keys to register them on your PC. These switches are particularly useful for gaming.

Best Keyboard Switches Manufacturers

Remember that whichever option you end up going for, remember that maintenance of your keyboard is compulsory if you want consistent performance. Regularly cleaning your mechanical keyboard ensures its longevity (and has aesthetic value). Mechanical keyboards are expensive, and it’s better to protect your investment.

That said, here is how mechanical keyboard switches of various manufacturers compare:

Cherry MX

Established in 1953, Cherry MX is probably the most famous keyboard switches manufacturer of modern times since you can find switches of Cherry in almost every other mechanical keyboard in the market.

Cherry MX keyboard switches usually have a shelf life of around 50 years, allowing you to fully benefit from them for a few years before any problem surfaces.

For gamers, Red, Brown, and Speed Switches work best due to their low actuation force. (Being slightly shallower than others, speed switches also result in faster actuation).

If you are a typist, however, Brown and Blue switches due to them being tactile, are your choices.

There are also less common, Cherry MX switches like Cherry MX Green, Grey, and Clear as well as silent and low-profile versions of Red and Blue switches.

Logitech

The Logitech keyboard switches are almost identical to Cherry MX switches. However, the difference is that there are two Logitech-branded keyboard switches, targeted specifically at gamers; the two Romer-G switches.

The Romer-G switches are designed in partnership with a well-known Japanese switch maker, Omron, and have shallower actuation points as compared to the Cherry MX switches.

Also, the redundant contacts inside these switches cause their life to extend to 70 million keystrokes.
The two Romer-G switches are pretty much the same in all areas; they both are quiet and quick switches, they both have a hollow center for inserting backlighting LEDs and they both have more uniform keycap lighting compared to Cherry MX switches.

If we talk about the GX Blue, Brown, and Red switches, they are largely similar to their Cherry MX counterparts. The only difference is that Red and Blue switches have a bit more actuation force while Blue switch has a bit less.

Like the Romer-G switches, GX Blue, Brown, and Red switches can also survive up to 70 million keystrokes.

Razer

Razer began to manufacture switches back in around 2015 and just like in the case of gaming gear, it has emerged as a big player in this area as well.

The Yellow and Opto-mechanical switches have lower actuation force than the Green and Orange switches while apart from the Yellow switch, all have tactile feedback.

As for the sound, only Green and Opto-Mechanical are clicky, producing a unique sound on actuation.
Green, Orange, and yellow switches have a life of 80 million keystrokes while Opto-Mechanical switch is rated for up to 100 million keystrokes.

Another standout feature of the Opto-Mechanical switches is that it possesses an optical sensor
which, according to Razer, makes it the quickest actuation of any switch available in the market.

Steelseries

Steelseries is another popular manufacturer of mechanical keyboard switches. All of its switches largely have the same basic design but there are differences in tactile and clicky functions so you can have your pick based on them.

What stands the SteelSeries switches apart is centrally located LEDs allows great backlighting coverage through the keycap. Another plus point is that all of the SteelSeries switches have a very light actuation force of 45 g.

Amongst QX2 Red, Blue, Brown, and OmniPoint, only QX2 Blue is clicky while only QX2 Brown and Blue are tactile.

Generally, QX2 Red, Blue, and Brown are shallower than switches of brands like Cherry MX and Logitech which explains why they have a rating of only 50 million keypresses.

However, Omnipoint has the keypress rating of twice as much. On top of that, you can adjust the actuation distance of this switch according to your need.

The only drawback of Omnipoint is that due to its linear configuration, it solely benefits the gamers.

Roccat

Although relatively new in the business, Roccat has already shown its potential in the industry with the release of the distinctive Titan switch design.

The Titan switch has an actuation force of 45 g and according to Roccat, due to the high-quality components used in manufacturing the Titan switches, there is a 20% reduction in key pressing time.

Moreover, the tactile version of the Titan switch has an actuation point of 1.8 mm allowing it to register the keyboard keys much faster than other traditional mechanical switches. The linear Titan switch, on the contrary, has an even better actuation point of 1.4 mm.

Finally, with the centrally placed LED and a clear switch housing, there is an equal distribution of backlighting for each keyboard key.

Kaihua/Kailh

Kaihua Electronics is a Chinese-based keyboard switches manufacturer and one of the oldest ones in town.

These switches resemble the MX Cherry switches almost in every department; they have clicky, tactile, and linear switches, with average actuation forces and a 2 mm actuation point. All the Kaihua switches have a life of 50 million keystrokes per key.

Another similarity of these switches with Cherry MX switches is their off-center LED backlighting.

The upside, however, Kaihua switches is that they are much more economical than their Cherry MX counterparts.

Gateron

Gateron is another one of the keyboard switches manufacturers that almost entirely apes the design of Cherry MX switches.

The company started to make switches back in 2000 and today, they have a variety of mechanical keyboard switches similar to those from Cherry X.

Whether it is the 2mm actuation point, the rating of 50 million keystrokes per key, or the RGB backlighting, the resemblance between Gateron switches and Cherry MX switches is quite apparent.

However, in the Western markets, you won’t find Gateron switches in the wild. These switches usually come integrated into mechanical keyboards like the Glorious GMMK in a modular fashion.

Greetech and Kailh

Greetech and Kailh are Chinese switch bands and two more in the list of manufacturers who imitates the style of Cherry MX switches.

Though not premium, the switches from these bands usually have all the features of Cherry MX switches and are relatively inexpensive. So, in case you’re looking for Cherry MX features for low cost, Greetech and Kailh can both be your go-to options.

Conclusion

Simply put, the keyboard switch that you should get depends on you. If you are someone with flexibility in your budget and a knack for gaming, either one of the following keyboard switches will get the job done for you: Cherry MX, Logitech, Razer, Steelseries.

Otherwise, consider going with relatively cheaper and non-premium options.

This company made some minor modifications in the basic layout of the QWERTY keyboard to turn it into the keyboard layout used all over the world today.

The idea behind the QWERTY keyboard layout was to space out the most often used keys to avoid their jamming, making it efficient for the users.

Nonetheless, some other keyboard layout alternatives might fulfill your need better than QWERTY, whether it is work, gaming, or anything else.

Below you’ll find a detailed list of them. So, let’s begin!

Best QWERTY Keyboard Alternatives

Dvorak

Named after its inventor August Dvorak, Dvorak is the most well-known keyboard layout out there after QWERTY.

The main feature of Dvorak that sets it apart from QWERTY is that it has the most frequently used keys on the home row. This explains why an average user of Dvorak makes 70 percent of keystrokes in the home row, compared to only 32 percent by a QWERTY User.

Moreover, since the majority of the world’s population is right-handed, you’ll find the most often used keys on the left side on a Dvorak Keyboard.

Colemak

Colemak is another one of the famous keyboard layout options available besides QWERTY.
The idea behind this Shai Coleman’s creation in 2006 was to ensure that the strongest fingers of humans press the most often used keys.

There is only a difference of 17 keys in the Colemak keyboard layout and the QWERTY keyboard layout, meaning that if you’re a QWERTY user who’s in search of a more comfortable and user-friendly keyboard layout, then Colemak is your choice.

Maltron

When it comes to unique keyboard layouts, then Lillian Malt’s invention, Maltron undoubtedly tops off the list.

With a number pad in the middle and two squared sets of letters on either side, the Maltron keyboard can be extremely convenient, especially if you need a keyboard for your workplace.

AZERTY

Used mostly in French-speaking countries of both Europe and Africa, there are some major differences between the AZERTY Keyboard and the QWERTY Keyboard Layout.

The first difference that is quite apparent by the name, AZERTY is that Q is replaced with A and W is replaced with Z. In addition to this, the semi-colon’s key in QWERTY is replaced with the letter M in AZERTY.

Other than that, in AZERTY, the functionality of the row of numbers and symbols is opposite to that in QWERTY.

QWERTZ

As indicated by its name, the QWERTZ Keyboard Layout is quite similar to the QWERTY Keyboard Layout, with the only major difference being the shuffling of the Z and Y letter keys.

This difference is mainly due to QWERTZ being commonly used in German-speaking countries like Germany and Austria.

In German, Z is more repeatedly used than Y. Likewise, T and Y are usually adjacent in German Orthography, meaning that the German Typing with this layout will be more effective.

JCUKEN

Used mainly in Russia, JCUKEN – formerly known as JIUKEN, is a Cyrillic Keyboard Layout.
The update in the name of this keyboard layout came in 1917 when the Russian alphabets were reformed.

QWDFGY

QWDFGY is another alternative Keyboard Layout for QWERTY.

Most of the keys in QWDFGY are in their QWERTY positions and even the replaced keys are close to their old positions. It means that the QWERTY Users won’t have a hard time adjusting to this keyboard layout.

NEO

Optimized primarily for programmers, this keyboard layout offers you some very special programming-related symbols and letters that you won’t find on any other keyboard layout.

Although this keyboard layout focuses on German-speaking users, you will also be able to type the English words commonly associated with German quite efficiently.

QWPRFY

There are 11 keys in QWPRFY that are different from QWERTY. However, except for P and Y, you’ll be using the same fingers to press them.

The standout feature of this keyboard layout and the one that makes it helpful for programmers is that by pressing its caps lock, you can conveniently access punctuation and arrow keys.

QGMLWY

The QGMLWY keyboard prioritizes a smooth typing experience. Its layout is useful not only for English but also for Latin languages.

The vowels and consonants are separated onto two different sides and since most of the Latin words are a combination of vowels and consonants, there is minimum jamming while typing the Latin words.

Norman

Compared to QWERTY, only four of the letters of Norman are moved, making it one of your top preferences to transition from QWERTY.

Just like Dvorak, Norman has its most frequently used keys towards the right, thus favoring the right-handed users.

Additionally, over 50% of Norman’s keystrokes are in the home row, explaining why it is considered a fast and comfortable keyboard layout.

Conclusion

All things considered, whether you want to change your keyboard layout from QWERTY or not, is completely up to you.

If the QWERTY layout is not supportive of the nature of your work or you’re just looking for a change, then consider shifting to a different keyboard layout.

However, at first, try out a keyboard layout similar to QWERTY so that you have an easy time getting the hang of it!

Monitor response time is as important in terms of specs as resolution, refresh rate, and screen size. It’s also often confused with input lag, but the two are vastly different (input lag is the delay between the time a process takes to show up on the screen from when it’s initiated, such as a mouse click).

What is monitor response time, then? This article will help acquaint you with an understanding of why it’s important, how to test monitor time, and how to ascertain a good response time for gaming monitors.

Defining Monitor Response Time

Monitor response time can be understood as a measure of what’s known as “ghosting” when three shots seem to appear together simultaneously. To a lesser degree, better monitor response time also lessens blurring, but just as response time and input lag are different, so are ghosting and motion blur.

In other words, the monitor response time is the time it takes for the monitor to respond to a switch in colors and present it. It can be as fast as exactly a single millisecond in some of the best ultrawide monitors or, more commonly, anywhere under 10ms.

While not all manufacturers have a standardized method of measuring monitor response time, it’s mostly measured in terms of the shift from black to white and then back (to black), again. In other situations, a full spectrum test might be used to test how it goes from gray to a finer gray.

As a rule of thumb, you can see that the lower the monitor response time, the better. This is particularly true when considering monitor response time for gaming, where ghosting and blurring are particularly irksome. Every second counts, and so the best gaming monitors pay very close attention to getting their response times as low as 5ms or less (at the same time, making them that much pricier).

Monitor Response Time for Gaming: A Word Of Caution

While the range of good response time for gaming monitors lies anywhere from less than 10ms to less than 5ms and even exactly 1ms, it’s extremely crucial to not rely on what the manufacturer claims the monitor response time is.

Some monitors come with disclaimers in the fine print that state how their reported response times (and the same goes for other specifications as well) are based on internal tests. This leaves a lot of room for doubt and technical leeway based on certain test conditions they would have used.

Independent reviewers also run their own detailed tests and the discrepancies can often be shocking to the point of disbelief, with even the lowest G2G response time being five times as high as what the manufacturer claims.

Researching it before buying will make sure you get your money’s worth. Knowing how to test monitor response times on your own is something that requires some serious hardware and time, so relying on expert reviews that have run their own tests is your best and safest best, and a step you can’t skip.

How Important Is Monitor Response Time?

Gamers, forum users, and even some reviewers can sometimes take potentially misleading claims such as the ones given as an example in the previous section and use this as justification for monitor response times being irrelevant.

To us, however, this is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. While adaptive sync and refresh rates can work as good measures to guess at the monitor response times, there is no alternative to having full knowledge of a purchase, especially one as crucial as a monitor.

Ultimately, your monitor needs to have an ideal mix of three aspects, particularly for gaming: low monitor response time, low input lag, but a high refresh rate (above 75 Hz, ideally 144 Hz), especially for PC gamers.