GADGETS
Once you own a computer, gadgets will bring a light to your eyes like Tinkertoys did when you were a kid. A nifty trackball can change the way you control your cursor. A new keyboard can speed up your typing. Some unusually designed screws can have you twisting and turning the chassis of your computer. All of these gadgets make your life easier and often make computing more fun.
The Cable the Cloners Forgot
Mark Twain Computer Manufacturing
$9.95
If your PC and your monitor come from different companies, chances are you can't plug the monitor into the back of the CPU. Using this cable, you can connect the monitor to the computer. The advantage is that, when you switch on your computer, the monitor turns on, too.
Computer Speed Screws
Curtis Manufacturing
$5.95
While you're adding a sound board to your PC, switch your old screws for Speed Screws. You can tighten and loosen these screws with your bare hands, so you can forget where you hid the screwdriver.
DISCalculator
The Computer Giftware Company
$19.95
Slide back the shutter on this 3½-inch disk and you'll find a calculator. This solar-powered accessory can crunch numbers, and it never needs rebooting.
The Executive Pad
The Computer Giftware Company
$15.00-$18.00
They may be a little more expensive than your basic, royal blue mouse pad, but these come in assorted styles and sizes. Most elegant is the marbleized mouse pad. Try this company for other unusal gifts, too.
MouseCAT
H & H Enterprises
$6.95
When it comes to keeping your desk tidy, a mouse holder can really help. There are several species, but one of the more unusual varieties is the MouseCAT. This plastic holder looks like a cat and, in an unlikely pose, hugs your mouse instead of eating it. The MouseCAT sticks to the side of your computer monitor with a Velcro fastener. Check this company for other mouse accessories, including a cheese-shaped mouse pad.
OmniKey PLUS
Northgate Computer Systems
$119.00
If you know someone who's still using the old PC keyboard—the one so poorly laid out that you're as likely to hit the slash key as the shift key—get that person a new keyboard like the OmniKey PLUS. Among other advantages, the function keys are on the left, the cursor arrows are laid out in a diamond, and the backspace key is very big.
Print Muffler 80
Kensington Microware
$49.99
A Print Muffler 80 may be a better gift for the people who sleep in the room next to the home office. This device softens the sound of the printer— perfect for those late-night writers.
TrackerMouse
Penny & Giles Controls
$126.75
When you don't have enough room for a mouse, try a Tracker-Mouse. It's a trackball with buttons mounted on the sides of the trackball case. The side-mounted buttons let you drag (click and hold the button while you move the trackball) more easily.
