I've always been scared of wireless stuff. I guess it goes back to the underpinnings of my electronics knowledge being in the 1990s when such stuff was less than good. A friend of mine has a wireless mouse though and he insists that its battery life is pretty much forever.
Given the setup I've got in my living room with my sofa within easy viewing reach of my computer but not actual reach....I am really tempted by wirelessness.
So...is there anything one should look for in wireless stuff? I noted in the shop when I was looking they all seemed to work by lasers- this I would imagine would not be good should you get out of line of sight (considering my computer is under my desk that is me screwed from the get go), are there radio alternatives? Pricey?
Any clues?
My personal and limited experience is that they simply do not work. When a computer boots up and can't find the wireless keyboard, it will tell me to fix it in windows. Of course, this becomes a hopeless chicken and egg situation - no keyboard, can't boot up; can't boot up, can't reconnect keyboard in windows. Only way out is to first boot up the computer with a wired keyboard.
Wireless mice. Well. The lag is so bad that it just isn't worth it, even if I don't play first person shooters.
I have used a wireless combo from Logitech for four years for gaming and surfing and must say I don't agree with the honourable Mr Monoriu. Mine works by radio frequncy, and have a dongle you connect by USB to the computer in question. Mine worked straight out of the box. No need for drivers at startup of my new computer.
The laser thing might be the way the mouse works?
Battery life is 4 months with old rechargeables and about a year with quality batteries. The only time I've experienced choppyness is when batteries are running out or connection is bad. No experience with any noticeable lag. The range isn't spectacular, but if you keep things like tables out of the LOS, you're good.
Ofcourse, wireless helps the Russians spying on you.
Laser is for positioning, not communicating.
They all communicate by radio?
I never really looked indepth, just saw laser in big letters on the box. Weird they'd make a big deal of a mouse being optical these days :s
Quote from: Tyr on November 03, 2011, 06:20:03 AM
They all communicate by radio?
I never really looked indepth, just saw laser in big letters on the box. Weird they'd make a big deal of a mouse being optical these days :s
Yep.
I have a wireless mouse (Logitech M505) but a wired keyboard (Logitech G-15). I used to have a wireless keyboard, too, but Princesca kept saying she wanted one of those so I just gave her mine. For reasons I can't recall I had some trouble with the wireless keyboard, but the mouse has never given me any trouble at all. Battery life seems to last about six months, but I use rechargeables and I get a warning well before they actually die, so I just charge up another set and swap them out before my mouse actually dies.
Microsoft Natural Wireless Multimedia Keyboard. Accept no substitute.
Battery life is about 1 month with ni-Mh batteries for the mouse, about a year for the keyboard.
You should still keep an old keyboard and an old mouse though, in case you ever need it. It migth be that you'll get a Windows problem sometimes and you will need this to restore your driver. It happens to me less than once per 3 years, but for such times, I'm glad I have it.
I have used wireless stuff for my mac for years now.
Quote from: Martinus on November 03, 2011, 09:43:22 AM
I have used wireless stuff for my mac for years now.
I believe the Mac keyboard & mouse are both bluetooth, not radio....and it seems to work great
I use wired keyboard and wireless mouse on my desktop. Mouse works great unless the batteries need changing. Tried a wireless keyboard once (the model I wanted happened to be wireless) but had some problems so I found a different keyboard.
For my laptops I obviously use wire mouse. Wireless = you will forget it somewhere.
My experience with wireless mice and keyboards is limited to the ones that Dell sold me. And yes, I place my desktop on the floor under the table.
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2011, 01:41:13 AM
My experience with wireless mice and keyboards is limited to the ones that Dell sold me. And yes, I place my desktop on the floor under the table.
the transmitter needs to be in clear view of the mouse&keyboard. If you were to buy a decent setup instead of the cheapest one... :P
Quote from: viper37 on November 04, 2011, 09:56:23 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2011, 01:41:13 AM
My experience with wireless mice and keyboards is limited to the ones that Dell sold me. And yes, I place my desktop on the floor under the table.
the transmitter needs to be in clear view of the mouse&keyboard. If you were to buy a decent setup instead of the cheapest one... :P
It does?
That....makes the decision hard then; as said the computer is under the desk and mouse on top.
I've used wireless mice and keyboards for years. They do not have to be within view if the receiver, unless they are really old infrared jobs.
Quote from: Tyr on November 05, 2011, 03:08:50 AM
Quote from: viper37 on November 04, 2011, 09:56:23 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2011, 01:41:13 AM
My experience with wireless mice and keyboards is limited to the ones that Dell sold me. And yes, I place my desktop on the floor under the table.
the transmitter needs to be in clear view of the mouse&keyboard. If you were to buy a decent setup instead of the cheapest one... :P
It does?
That....makes the decision hard then; as said the computer is under the desk and mouse on top.
The receiver is attached to a cable and I just put it on my desk. Using it under the desks, it won't work. Well, it will, but it will be jerky.
I'm using Microsoft's keybaord and mouse, they're the only ones with a decent layout and decent sizes for the keys (Logitech are too small), and I know they won't work under the table.
Doing a bit of research, and the Logitech MK 520 might be just what you are looking for. You can get it for about $40 here, and it is the updated version of the mouse and keyboard I have been using for years. Users report that it has a range of about 25 feet with no problems, and under desk isn't an issue (it is, like all the modern wireless devices of which i am aware, a 2.4 GHz device, so it easily goes through wood and fabric, though not metal). Lots of reviews on Amazon, where it is rated 4.5 stars. 5 out of 5 at Newegg.
I was at the shop again today on something unrelated...I notice a lot seem to say bluetooth in addition to those lasery ones.
Is bluetooth the standard? Or lame?
This logitech set seems to go for a decent price on J-amazon, have to sort out how to buy stuff properly on there though <_<
Quote from: Tyr on November 06, 2011, 07:10:42 AM
I was at the shop again today on something unrelated...I notice a lot seem to say bluetooth in addition to those lasery ones.
Is bluetooth the standard? Or lame?
This logitech set seems to go for a decent price on J-amazon, have to sort out how to buy stuff properly on there though <_<
Bluetooth gives you better range, has better resistance to interference, and doesn't take up a USB port if your computer is Bluetooth enabled. I don't know of any comparative downsides to Bluetooth mice/keyboards, except cost. If you find two equivalent options for about the same price, I'd go Bluetooth for sure.
In honour of this thread I bought a set of Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard, and they work flawlessly in the same set up.
I have reason to suspect that Dell gave me crap :mad:
I guess I am more of a curmudgeon than grumbler, I like my stuff wired.
Fuck batteries.
Quote from: Tonitrus on November 09, 2011, 04:04:37 AM
I guess I am more of a curmudgeon than grumbler, I like my stuff wired.
Fuck batteries.
Wired is better when going wired is as easy as going wireless, but that's not always going to be true. It is a tradeoff. My current home setup would leave me with insufficient scope in the wires after I ran them being furniture and through the back of the desk, so I went wireless. I'd be happy wired, too.
I currently hate wired since my mouse wire has the reach of a crippled midget.
Quote from: Tyr on November 09, 2011, 07:44:43 AM
I currently hate wired since my mouse wire has the reach of a crippled midget.
You can get USB extension cords...
Quote from: Barrister on November 09, 2011, 09:38:32 AM
Quote from: Tyr on November 09, 2011, 07:44:43 AM
I currently hate wired since my mouse wire has the reach of a crippled midget.
You can get USB extension cords...
If only crippled midgets had such a solution. :(
Quote from: Barrister on November 09, 2011, 09:38:32 AM
Quote from: Tyr on November 09, 2011, 07:44:43 AM
I currently hate wired since my mouse wire has the reach of a crippled midget.
You can get USB extension cords...
Could do. But it wouldn't let me use it on the sofa too.