Why do modern motherboards still have PS\2 connectors these days ?

[BurnItDwn]

Can you even still buy such keyboards /mice? I mean keyboards and mice in my world have a pretty limited life-span og couple years beyond which even with regular cleaning they tend to get too disgusting to use. Can't imagine usig a 20 year old PS2 keyboard. eeewwwh.

dont eat or drink by the computer, dont smoke by the computer, pull all the key caps off, wash them every year, use compressed air to clean out the keyboard from time to time.

My late 90s era keyboards dont look "new", but, all 101 keys still work on them. (note, i used to have 5 model Ms that I picked up at computer shows from like 95-98, 1 of them died, 1 I gave to my brother, still have 3)

I expect at least 1 of these keyboards to last until I die of old age.

 

[mikeymikec]

My ~1998 keyboard needs a clean again (at least the keys do, and there'll be some fur babies lurking behind them). My dad had some old electrical contact cleaner that I normally use to do it. As BurnItDwn said, pull the keys off, give it a good spray down with that stuff, some mild scrubbing, give it a good long drying time (say 24 hours), and it's good to go. This will probably be the fourth time I've given it a proper clean.

The rest of the keyboard I tend to spot clean with say a wet wipe.



I just find it odd that I've evidently worn the 'N' key down somewhat. Perhaps it's the resting position of one of my fingers when I pause typing?

 

[BurnItDwn]

My ~1998 keyboard needs a clean again (at least the keys do, and there'll be some fur babies lurking behind them). My dad had some old electrical contact cleaner that I normally use to do it. As BurnItDwn said, pull the keys off, give it a good spray down with that stuff, some mild scrubbing, give it a good long drying time (say 24 hours), and it's good to go. This will probably be the fourth time I've given it a proper clean.

The rest of the keyboard I tend to spot clean with say a wet wipe.

View attachment 9688

I just find it odd that I've evidently worn the 'N' key down somewhat. Perhaps it's the resting position of one of my fingers when I pause typing?

Damn bro, your rockin one of the new ones with those keys between control and alt!!!!!!

 

[Amol S.]

I noticed that even today this still seems to be standard.
Is there a special reason for this ?
Seems like a bit outdated.

Actually a PS/2 port is very useful in desktops still, not for laptops though. Although all devices require drivers to work, there is a catch when it comes to USB keyboards and mouse. The USB port itself requires a driver. USB ports not functioning properly due to a driver issue that occurs during a Windows Feature Update or a update provided by the OEM is nothing new. Sometimes the driver issue happens by itself.

In such a situation a USB mouse or keyboard is actually useless if the USB ports can't work properly. PS/2 ports in this situation can actually turn out to be a hero in this situation. Basically the PS/2 port acts like a backup, otherwise it's going to a store to buy a new desktop when in reality its a problem with the driver and not the physical machine itself.

 

[SPBHM]

I still use lots of ps/2 keyboards, I do use almost only USB for mouses

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Actually a PS/2 port is very useful in desktops still, not for laptops though. Although all devices require drivers to work, there is a catch when it comes to USB keyboards and mouse. The USB port itself requires a driver. USB ports not functioning properly due to a driver issue that occurs during a Windows Feature Update or a update provided by the OEM is nothing new. Sometimes the driver issue happens by itself.

In such a situation a USB mouse or keyboard is actually useless if the USB ports can't work properly. PS/2 ports in this situation can actually turn out to be a hero in this situation. Basically the PS/2 port acts like a backup, otherwise it's going to a store to buy a new desktop when in reality its a problem with the driver and not the physical machine itself.

Where do you find a ps2 mouse these days, your closet doesn’t count.

 

[mikeymikec]

Damn bro, your rockin one of the new ones with those keys between control and alt!!!!!!

Handy keys those, even in Linux.

Where do you find a ps2 mouse these days, your closet doesn’t count.

Heh - one of my suppliers has about 110 pointing devices in stock and 1 of those is PS/2

Another 10 have a USB to PS/2 adapter that ships with the mouse.

 

[ZGR]

My PS/2 keyboard is cleaned using a dishwasher and has a power button to turn the PC on. It is still going strong.

My modern mechanical USB keyboard will stop working for 24 hours if a drop of water falls inside a key.


I love how rugged that old keyboard is. A lot of shortcut keys are pretty out of date though.