# Why is it so $%@# hard to find \*wired\* mice and keyboards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432 "2011-09-24T04:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/21 "2011-09-25T21:09:25Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Yes I’m not debating the fact that they don’t exist. I’m stating that if you walk into any store and look at their selection (I like to feel the keyboard/mouse before I buy them), the overwhelming majority are wireless. You’re going to the wrong stores. Big box stores long ago ceded the keyboard/mouse aisle to wireless stuff because it makes them more money. But if you go to any reasonably well stocked mom and pop computer store, you’ll find a ton of wired peripherals. I’m writing this post on a KeyTronic keyboard I bought from one such store that actually has heavier feeling “clicky keys.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/22 "2011-09-25T22:34:19Z")
Where do you live that “reasonably well stocked mom and pop computer stores” even exist any more? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/23 "2011-09-25T22:54:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Where do you live that “reasonably well stocked mom and pop computer stores” even exist any more? Don’t we have several owners of such businesses on this very board? Where do you live that they don’t exist any more? This is my favorite local computer shop: [http://www.microworx.com](http://www.microworx.com). It’s not a huge operation, but their selection on most equipment (and customer service) puts Best Buy to shame. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/24 "2011-09-25T23:18:36Z")
Personally, I have a Bluetooth mouse for my laptop, because it only has a couple of USB ports, and it’s more convenient to not have to use one on something I _always_ have hooked up. I don’t notice any latency in it, albeit I’m not a really heavy gamer. Though I can certainly understand the appeal of not having to change the batteries. And mice last friggin’ forever (at least, compared to any other computer component), so you should be able to get a good one from a used computer store. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/25 "2011-09-26T02:11:52Z")
I should try to get a non-USB wired keyboard sometime so I have a way to access my BIOS settings. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/26 "2011-09-26T02:21:55Z")
I don’t like the idea of wireless given I’d like my mouse to always work, not have to hope that the battery doesn’t die at 2 a.m. There are plenty of wired mouses still, but why do 98% of them come in black or gray? I’d like, oh, I don’t know, orange or maybe an acid green. If I wanted a wireless mouse, I could drive to Staples 5 miles away and get one in either color right now. If I want a wired one, **and** would like to pay less than $50, I’d most likely have to trust a overseas eBay seller and hope that it arrives at all. sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/27 "2011-09-26T02:53:17Z")
Try and buy a DSL wireless that connects to a phone line. Not one store in my city carried them. I too prefer wired devices. One less thing that needs batteries. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/28 "2011-09-26T06:21:33Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > I should try to get a non-USB wired keyboard sometime so I have a way to access my BIOS settings. Huh??? Never made any difference on my different machines over the years… From Win-98 to Win-7, linux. Never had a Mac so??? Or Dell… What computer do you have? I be curious… ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/29 "2011-09-26T06:29:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Try and buy a DSL wireless that connects to a phone line. Not one store in my city carried them. Why would they? All DSL providers that I’ve seen require you to rent the modem from them. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/30 "2011-09-26T08:55:28Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Try and buy a DSL wireless that connects to a phone line. Not one store in my city carried them. Are you talking about an ADSL Modem with a wireless router built into them? Because they’re readily available from pretty much any computer store/department here for under $100. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432/31 "2011-09-26T14:54:15Z")
I feel your pain. Most of the mice I see in the stores are wireless; I’ve had to replace my laptop mouse a couple of times (hate the touchpad that comes with the thing) and there is definitely a better selection of cordless ones. Our desktop computer came with wireless keyboard and mouse. We immediately bought a wired mouse - because the KIDS use the computer and I knew it would be less than a week before the wireless one went missing. I kept the wireless keyboard, because I figured that would be harder to misplace :). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-wired-mice-and-keyboards/597432.md?page=1)