I work at a institution where we need to buy a few keyboards and mices for replacement.
The problem is: we have to do that through a "inverse auction" technique where the interested sellers have to read the specification first and then make the offer. Lowest price win.
We cannot require a product from a specific brand or model, but we can give specifications to be followed.
Just for you to understand the problem, last "inverse auction", the company that won offered $2 mouses and $5 keyboards that probably wont last much or even be usable.
I would like to find good specifications for mid-tier keyboards and mice to stock up, knowing that we cannot replace these every so often or go to the closest shop and buy a new one.
However, I did not find good standarized metrics for keyboard and mice specifications, so I need community opinion on how to constrain offers to a reasonably good Office standard.
In my research, I've already have gotten some ideas: One guy at Superuser suggested "travel for the keypress, kind of switching, keyroll over" and Cable Lenght.
I also thought about Microsoft's 2 year warranty that usually does not apply to third line chinese branded keyboards, but not sure if that's enought.
Any other hints?
