October Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 7

Mouse: Microsoft Intellimouse Optical

Current Cost: $15
Months on list: 9
Price Change: $0

For a value gaming system, an optical mouse is a great deal for a primary gaming controller, and the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical has one of the best price-performance ratios of all. In addition to being a high-quality controller, one of the most important features of this Microsoft mouse is naturally its excellent Windows XP support. The unit's optical eye will outlast any mechanical roller mechanism and doesn't require cleaning. This feature might come in handy in the middle of a hectic frag match, where pausing for even a second can mean utter defeat.

The MS Intellimouse Optical is quite similar to the incredibly popular IntelliMouse Explorer. It has many of the same features and ergonomics of the more expensive Explorer, but is just a bit smaller and doesn't quite look as cool. A nice side-benefit is that its shape is also totally symmetrical and can be used by either right or left-handed gamers. The Intellimouse Optical also includes four control buttons and a mouse wheel, each of which can be customized to your individual gaming needs. The type of mousing surface is the only real thing to keep in mind, as some surfaces (such as clear glass) may cause the mouse's optical eye to "jump" if moved quickly.

MS Internet Keyboard

Current Cost: $15
Months on list: 8
Price Change: $0

A keyboard is a very personal item, and we can only offer a very basic recommendation. It is best to try and test a few out at the local PC shop, and then decide which one is exactly the right fit for you. As a general rule, Microsoft makes excellent keyboards and their budget Internet Keyboard is probably the most fully featured $15 keyboard you'll ever lay your fingers on. And like with the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical mouse, Microsoft keyboards functions perfectly in Windows XP and the nifty extra multimedia keys work right out of the box.

Operating system: Windows XP Home

Since there is no use going backwards in terms of game or hardware functionality, we are recommending Windows XP Home as our operating system. At first, Windows XP had some issues with drivers and games, but as time has gone by, virtually all new PC hardware and software runs best on Microsoft's newest operating system. New games use XP as the default operation system and driver support usually centers on either Windows 2000 or XP. Jumping on the Windows XP bandwagon is the best long-term option, and while we're not too enthused with the hardware activation scheme, the performance, stability and features tend to override these concerns.

The approximate street price of $85 (and rising, unfortunately) represents the cost of a licensed OEM Windows XP Home CD, and not the boxed retail version. This means that in order to get the lower OEM deal, you'll have to buy the Windows XP CD alongside your new system or together with one of your individual hardware purchases. If you forget, remember that the retail version of Windows XP Home will cost significantly more, so don't blame us when you have to pay your local Best Buy double the OEM CD cost. Getting an actual Windows XP CD is also important no matter where you buy, and many prominent computer vendors are pulling a bit of a Three-Card Monty by hiding only basic restore files on the hard drive itself. This may have been alright for Win 98SE, but with the more detailed copy protection schemes found in XP, make sure you get an actual Microsoft Windows XP Home CD when you buy.

Name Brand Floppy

Current Cost: $8

Although the floppy drive is rapidly approaching obsolescence, you still need something to boot with and flash your system BIOS safely. Just buy a basic name brand (Panasonic, Sony, TEAC, etc.) for around 8 bucks and be done with it.