I'd much prefer to take the train for all my trips to the city, but I've been operating under the assumption that driving to Jersey City is still the most logical way for me to get to Manhattan in the evening, in terms of cost and travel time. Now that the price of gas is up, the difference in cost is only $3.00, and if I don't mind carrying and looking after a laptop, I can work on the train, "buying back" some of the time I'd otherwise spend driving. 

These calculations don't take into account oil changes and periodic car maintenance costs, which probably adds another $0.08 - $0.10 per mile - when this is taken into account, the driving cost becomes $28.21. I think I can start taking the train again with a clear conscience. I sure miss those NJ TRANSIT off-peak round trip fares, though!

2x One-way ticket, New Brunswick - New York Penn Station: $13

Total: $26.00

Travel time: 1:20, including walking

2x One-way ticket, New Brunswick to Newark Penn Station: $18.00

2x PATH, Newark to Manhattan: $3.50

Total: $21.50

Travel time: 1:40, including walking (assumes 33rd St destination)

Drive 33 miles to Jersey City ($3.60 per gallon at 20 MPG): $5.94

NJ Turnpike toll, Exit 9 to Exit 14C (EZ-PASS peak): $4.35

Parking (evening, on-street): Free

2x PATH, Jersey City to Manhattan: $3.50

Drive 33 miles to home ($3.60 per gallon at 20 MPG): $5.94

NJ Turnpike toll, Exit 14C to Exit 9 (EZ-PASS off-peak): $3.20

Total: $22.93

Travel time: 1:10, including walking (assumes 33rd St destination)

- Nine out of ten evenings I can find a parking space on the street within two blocks of the Grove Street PATH station. During the daytime, Jersey City street parking is restricted to residents, so I'd have to park in a pay lot, making the train cheaper for weekday meetings.

- It's too bad the train + PATH option takes a full 20 minutes longer - it's not worth it for $4.50, especially because it's also hard to work on PATH due to the cramped seating. Train + PATH does have the advantage of avoiding going all the way up to Penn Station/33rd St if my destination is downtown. And PATH connects to more subway lines than the train. 

- One advantage of driving is flexibility - I can leave whenever I want. This is also a disadvantage, though - having to follow a train schedule ensures I plan ahead to get there on time, rather than leaving at the last minute. 

Logitech MK710 combo
Got this one on sale at Costco. Nice looking and solidly built. Both keyboard and mouse use a tiny wireless receiver - nice. I really wanted to like this one, but the Logitech Marathon mouse it comes with was too small for me, and the rounded edges of the square keys led to typing errors because it was harder to feel the edges of the keys. Returned.

Microsoft Comfort Desktop 5000 combo
Also purchased on a killer holiday sale. Nice, traditional keys on a somewhat ergonomic curved keyboard. Wireless. Large, tall mouse. Tons of special Win7 buttons that I had to disable because the software replaced the function keys on my laptop. Made a lot of errors on the keyboard due to the curve, not worth the adaptation since my wrist pain is from mousing, not typing. Returned.

Logitech K120
Your basic black cheap Windows USB keyboard, bought at retail to replace the Microsoft. Nice edgy keys with a crisp action, if a bit wobbly and noisy. Long travel. Thick, bold lettering. Able to type on this one without a problem, since I used something similar at my previous job. 

HP Wireless Elite Keyboard
Tried it out in a few stores. Highly regarded wireless keyboard with short travel and good feedback. Keys have a stepped edge to aid in edge feel. Several reviews complained of poor build quality, which scared me away, since I could probably toss the K120 off my roof and it would do fine.

Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
The vaunted Apple keyboard works fine with Windows, I've read, especially if you remap a few keys with Autohotkey. Tried it out in the Apple store. Nice short travel and good feedback, but I experienced poor typing accuracy due to lack of edge feel on the almost flat keys.

Sony Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard
The Sony is said to be closest to Apple in terms of key shape and feedback. Tried it out at the Sony Style store. Very slick, high build quality. Key feel is exactly like their laptops, a little mushier than the Apple. Had the same issue with typing accuracy due to the low-profile keys. Also, placement of the "Insert, Home, Delete" keys in a vertical row on this compact layout had me hitting them a few times instead of "Control, Shift, Enter."

Verdict: Logitech K120, for now.

Now on to the mouse...