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Add to FavoritesMost would agree that the performance difference between USB & a Serial Port isn't really an issue when it comes to keyboards. Both are fast enough to perform the task at hand. Furthermore, I would submit that price is a small issue at best and the no frills cheapest keyboards are less than $20. As a matter of fact, if you watch the specials around Christmas you can sometimes get them for almost nothing (maybe even free with another purchase). So, those two factors aside, in my opinion the main factors I feel you need to consider is compatibility and flexibility. In todays electronics USB is much more widely used and offers you the best option for versatility. Some laptops do not even have a serial port and although I have not noticed a desktop missing a serial port (my suspicion is they're out there), I have bought one without a parallel port. In general a wide array of products are now using the USB for connectivity. A few of the more popular items that use USB are an iPod, Playstation 3, Sony Cybershot Camera, Motorola Razr Cellphone, I even have a AA & AAA battery charger that uses USB. Aside from the Playstation 3 (which can use a keyboard, not sure if it's wired or bluetooth) these products don't need a keyboard but, my point is to show you the direction technology is headed. In general I don't buy outdated technology when I'm buying something new. The other thing that you should consider is flexibility. A good example would be my own computer workstation. It is a fairly large roll-top desk. Before I switched to a wireless keyboard my wire was not long enough to reach the back of my computer. However, since it was USB it could be plugged into the front where I have 2 USB inputs. The last thing I noticed with my last wired USB keyboard was that it had 2 USB ports on the keyboard. One thing I sometimes used 1 of them for was to plug in my USB powered laptop light when I needed to see the keys but wanted darkness in general. Beyond the keyboard the same reasoning should apply to other peripherals such as a mouse, track-man, printer, external hard-drive etc. So, the bottom line is. If you want to save a couple of dollars the go with serial (which may change as USB mass production drives down cost). If you're not concerned with a few dollars and want to have more flexibility then go with USB. While your at it, spend some more money and get wireless (that's the current trend).
Learn more about this author, William Bartholomew.
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Serial
Serial has certain advantages, especially when setting up a computer for the first time, some older computer systems and older operating systems don't recognize the usb ports before the keyboard and mouse scan is preformed by the BIOS, (I know not so prevalent in modern systems with modern BIOS's and newer operating systems.) But the bulk of the systems out there still running ARE older systems. Every where I do business, I see older slower systems, doing there best to continue as workable systems running Windows 2000 at the minimum.
Which can at times lead to complications in the setup process, when the system refuses to boot, because of the error generated when it doesn't find a mouse and keyboard present. I know that this argument only makes sense with much older systems, and those that still have serial keyboard and mouse ports, do you know about the original serial mouse ports, came on an add on card, used a DB-9 connector? Those were really fun to set up, because the same card generally was also the video card.
I always keep around a serial mouse and keyboard just for this instance. For the reason that when the USB bus hasn't had a chance to come up yet, or gets confused by the operating system...
It makes the setup more seamless, and once getting the system up and running, then I can introduce the new element of the USB bells and whistles.
Though true, predominantly I use USB keyboards and mice, because that's all my XP running laptop can use. And there are currently more wireless set ups for usb dongles to keyboards and mice. The old serial ones are rarer and harder to find anywhere except possibly the online auction web sites.
But, whenever the availability is there, I'll use the serial keyboard and mouse ports just to free up the USB for all the other *gee whiz bang* peripherals I can plug in. Can't get enough of the "hot swap" multipurpose feature. Can never have "enough" USB ports.
As a side note which I should roll into another article... Has anybody else noted that the overall speed of machines has gotten incredibly faster, yet... the software has become so "feature rich" that it soaks up all those speedy resources, and the net result is we haven't gained any speed whatsoever? I only note this because of the pre-USB system I once had to get Windows 98 installed upon, but first I had to install Windows 3.1 on it... (yes, I'm that old, my email user name predates the internet...) Well, even though Win 3.1 operating system didn't support USB, on an old 90 Mhz Pentium system, it flew...
Learn more about this author, N. D. Plume.
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