PC hardware links

Keyboards

KeyTronic http://www.keytronic.com/ Dell http://www.dell.com/ CompUSA stores http://www.compusa.com/: These days it's getting hard to find standard "101" style keyboards in stores, that aren't wavy, or compacted, or with trapezoidal keys, extra controls nobody needs, or otherwise messed-with. (The word I was thinking was not messed.) All three of these companies will still sell you one at a decent price, and you can even have it in black if you want. If you prefer the old style with the big L-shaped Enter key, go with KeyTronic or your local CompUSA store.
Saitek Eclipse keyboard http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/keyboards.htm
: Another very cool keyboard line with standard "101" layout. The original Eclipse keyboards have eerie blue or red LED light shining up through the cracks between silver-coated keys and illuminating laser-cut keytop labels. USB interface, very nice key action.
Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2166,CONTENTID=10717
: Another light-up keyboard. This one also has a pivoting backlit LCD text screen and a bunch of extra gamers' keys, but it lists for $100.

Joysticks

Thrustmaster http://www.thrustmaster.com/
: Nice ergonomic joysticks
Saitek http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/joysticks.htm
: Interesting line, including models adjustable for different size hands by raising and lowering the surface the heel of your hand rests on. Some models are ambidextrous; in my opinion this tends to result in a joystick that's equally awkward for either hand.
Logitech http://www.logitech.com/
: The various Logitech Wingman sticks are a nice choice for people with big hands.
Gravis http://www.gravis.com/
: Gravis was acquired in 1997 by Kensington (see Wikipedia article) and the joystick line was dropped, but there are lots of them out there, and the site is still maintained for drivers and docs.

Mouse related

3M Precise Mousing Surface http://www.3m.com/product/information/Precise-Mousing-Surface.html: A $10 mouse pad that makes ordinary ball mice tolerable. It has a surface micro-texture of tiny pyramids; dust particles settle between them and the ball rolls on the points. Sounds doubtful, I know, but they work. I used two of them with two Compaq ball mice for more than two years, doing full time tech support (no hardware changes allowed) and never had to clean the mice. There's a version with a gel wrist rest.
KeyTronic Lifetime Mouse http://www.keytronic.com/home/keyboards/mice/mice.html: A simple ball-less electromechanical mouse you never have to take apart and clean; just wipe off the outside occasionally. No lasers, and no special mouse pads needed; in fact, if you feel like it, you can use it against the wall, or the underside of your table. A low-tech solution to a low-tech problem.

The problem with old-school ball mice is that the rubber-coated ball tends to pick up some of everything it rolls over, typically ambient dust, oil and dead skin flakes from your hand, and maybe textile fibers from the mouse pad. It all builds up on the rollers inside the mouse, eventually leading to spastic mouse-pointer behavior. When you take the ball out and scrape the crud off the rollers, some of it can end up loose inside the mouse, maybe leading to more problems later. Of course, most new systems now will probably come with a laser mouse anyway and if not, they're cheap, less than US$15.

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Other

Cyberguys (Rancho Cordova CA) http://www.cyberguys.com/: Great resource for all sorts of geeky computer widgets: drives, external enclosures, media, cables, adapters, cases, helper fans, and you name it. Online and phone shopping, or request their paper catalog.
TigerDirect.com http://www.tigerdirect.com/: A source for cheap hardware, including corporate lease returns.
Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/: More cheap computers.
ZIP-LINQ (Concord CA) http://www.ziplinq.com/
: Zip-Linq makes compact retractable cables including USB, FireWire, network, modem, and hardware-specific. See the resellers page for outlets.
How DSL Works http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dsl.htm
How Cable Modems Work http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cable-modem.htm
Dan Kegel's ISDN Page http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~dank/isdn/
Modem init strings http://www.modemhelp.org/inits/: A dialup Internet connection may not perform well unless your modem is initialized correctly; init strings for dozens of models here, plus instructions
SCSI FAQ http://www.faqs.org/faqs/scsi-faq/: Frequently Asked Questions about SCSI
Charles Spurgeon's Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) Web site http://www.ethermanage.com/ethernet/ethernet.html: Resource for LAN techs

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