It’s a new year and with that comes new upgrades. At least for most techies it should, I’ve been a little more frugal with my spending the last year or two since gaining a mortgage sadly. 😛 Having said that, I’d really like to upgrade some of my peripherals this year as the current ones are growing a little tired and I’m interested in revamping my setup a little. Currently I work from an iMac with a separate monitor to give me a dual display setup. This monitor is attached to a KVM along with my speakers, keyboard and mouse to my gaming PC. At one click if a button, I can swap the display and controls from my Apple setup to my Windows one. It’s nice, but I’d quite like to be able to access the iMac without switching back while gaming sometimes.
- Apple Wireless Keyboard – I used to swear by needing the number pad and extra keys the wired Apple keyboard gives me, but my current keyboard is getting very tired; some keys are starting to feel unresponsive and (not that it’s important to a touch typer) the lettering’s worn off & is generally looking dingy in places. It’d also be nice to shrink down the space this takes up on my desk a bit. Being wireless will also let me stay connected to the iMac even when my 2nd display is being used for gaming via my Windows PC.
- Apple Wireless Trackpad – I never thought I’d ever want one of these, but after testing them out in the Glasgow Apple Store, I kinda fell in love with how smooth and responsive they are. If I’m working at a computer for long using a mouse, I’m finding that I tend to get achy from time to time and it’d be nice to swap the repetitive scroll for a smoother experience when simply browsing or not needing a mouse.
- Apple Magic Mouse – Probably interchangeable with the Apple wireless trackpad at no2, I can stay connected to my iMac when gaming without flipping the KVM switch, get the mouse experience without the scrolling of a wheel and the touch responsiveness of the trackpad all in one.
- (or 5.) Razer Gaming Mouse (Naga Epic, Hex or Molten) – I currently use an old Razer Diamondback and while it’s still comfortable to use, it’s definitely seen better days! I’ve been a long time fan of the Naga Molten edition, it looks absolutely gorgeous and has always had good reviews amongst gamers, but if I’m going to be shelling out the cash for a new mouse, I’m stuck debating whether I should go back and pick up the Molten or go forward and pick up the Naga Epic. Then again, there’s the debate between the Naga and the Hex…do I really need all the buttons or just a basic 6. GW2 is apparently great using the Hex and it’s 6 buttons, but if I ever go back to WoW and PVP, I know I’ll want the number of buttons the Naga offers. Ah, decisions, decisions…
- (See above.)
- Gaming Keyboard – OK granted I’ve pictured a Razer Deathstalker keyboard, but I haven’t really decided nor researched much into keyboards at this point. There are other brands out there, but given my experience with Razer’s mice, I’d probably be easily swayed in their direction. It’s not that it’s hard to game using an Apple wired keyboard, it’s just that I’d rather not have to edit keybinds for certain things in every game (even printscreen!), although granted I only have to do this once when I pick up a new game. I’m also just looking for a change and to be honest, I want a nice keyboard with programmable functions! 😛
Just a few of the things I’m hoping 2014 will bring me. I’ll probably change my mind when researching some options to death before making the final purchase, but at least for now, this is my current peripheral wishlist of goodies for early 2014. All of this has to follow my iPhone 5s when I finally manage to pick it up, so watch this space!
I faced similar problems last year and thankfully upgrading my iMac made the decision to use the magic trackpad an easy one for me since it came with it. It really takes the strain off repetitive actions while browsing.
I’m also a bit of a gamer and thoroughly recommend switching to a proper gaming mouse! Button choice’ll be up to you depending on the game you find yourself playing most. I’m still a Warcraft player so the Hex doesn’t have enough buttons for me. Naga Epic all the way here. ^.^
Hehe, yeah I’m quite keen to nip the aches in the bud to stop it becoming chronic. It’s not been as bad the last week thankfully, but I don’t want it to become a habit.
And yes! Right now I play more Guild Wars 2 than anything else, so I’m leaning toward the Hex, but I wanted the Molten for so long I may just grab the Epic for the up-to-date-ness of it all … or the Molten for old time’s sake. 😛 Argh, can’t decide!
Razer makes some really sleek looking products and I think most of them live up to the hype, (although the Deathstalker has had some mixed reviews). I think the Naga mouse is the absolute best for MMO gamers. I am jealous of the fact that you must have a Windows and Apple set up! One for gaming, one for web development and design stuff would be a dream come true haha. Anyways nice list Drea. Hope you get everything you wish for.
Hey Corbin, thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I’m a girl with a foot in both worlds, though if you check out my tech list here on the site, you’ll see how dated some of my kit is! *shame* Still, I’m hoping that 2014’ll be a year that brings quite a few upgrades. No idea what it says about me, but I was lucky enough to land a Razer Epic 2014 for Valentines just a few weeks ago and it’s been amazing! 😀 Now I’m on the hunt for keyboards, which I’ve spied on your site so I’ll be popping over for an education! 😛
Thanks again!