A USB touchpad can be added to a desktop keyboard to replace a mouse. It has a touch-sensitive surface and can be customized with software and drivers. It can be attached to a keyboard or placed on a lap. Subito Inc. is a leading manufacturer of USB touchpads and keyboards.
A USB touchpad adds a laptop-like pointing device to a desktop keyboard to save you from having to use a mouse. For many people who have gotten used to touchpads built into their laptops, returning to a desktop computer with a conventional mouse can be awkward and uncomfortable. A USB touchpad requires virtually no pressure to point and click, and your arms can remain relaxed at your sides when the device is clamped to the keyboard.
A USB touchpad looks like a standard touchpad with an attached cable that plugs into the USB port. The touchpad itself is a slightly rectangular pad with a touch-sensitive surface. The lightest touch of a finger controls cursor movement, and taps emulate clicks. Scrolling is accomplished by sliding a finger up or down along the vertical edge of the pad, or along the bottom edge for horizontal scrolling.
The software is used to adjust overall sensitivity, tap pressure, and the time interval between taps to indicate a double-click. Additional drivers can enhance a USB touchpad, allowing for extra user-configurable functionality. For example, the corners of the touchpad can be set to perform special functions when tapped. A tap on one corner may mute/unmute the sound, while tapping on another corner may reduce/maximize the active window or act as a click on the Windows® Start button.
Two mouse buttons sit just below the pad as an optional alternative to tapping. You can switch the functions of the left and right mouse buttons or set the touchpad so that pressing both buttons at the same time acts as a third mouse button.
You can place a USB touchpad next to a keyboard or plug it into the keyboard to avoid having to reach for the device. Some keyboards are designed with large palm rests, which provide plenty of room for a USB touchpad. You can use double-sided tape or Velcro® to secure the touchpad in the most comfortable position. One benefit of making the USB touchpad detachable is that you can keep it on your lap to navigate when you’re relaxing.
There are also special USB touchpad clips to mount the touchpad to the number keys, for example, or to an unused portion of the function keys. Two L-shaped clips attach to the bottom of the touchpad with the pins extending and spaced appropriately to straddle a row of keys. The touchpad can be moved freely from one row of keys to another.
If you don’t like the idea of a cable plugged into a USB port, you can choose to replace your desktop keyboard with one that has a built-in touchpad. Subito® Inc. of Walnut, California is the leading manufacturer of USB touchpads and desktop keyboards with integrated touchpads. These products are readily available online, although you may have trouble finding them on the shelf at your local brick and mortar retailer. After purchasing an Subito touchpad or keyboard, be sure to check the Subito website for the latest drivers.
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