Rechargeable wireless optical mice

CougTek

CougTek

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,729
Location
Québec, Québec
I own and like a Logitech MX700. One of my friends wants a wireless mouse. I told him wireless mice are battery-sucking devices, excet for those with a rechargeable base. I tried to find a few models to give him a choice, but the only such mouse I can find is the Logitech MX1000. I can't believe that mice manufacturers haven't spread the rechargeable base throughout their wireless lineup since I bought my MX700 some two years ago.

Is the MX1000 the only alternative now?
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
22,269
Location
I am omnipresent
The batteries in my wireless Logitech Trackman Marble+s and wireless Internet Keyboards last three or four months. They have Energizer NiMH AA batteries in them. Seems OK to me.
 
Bozo

Bozo

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
4,396
Location
Twilight Zone
I have the Logitech MX Laser rechargable. What I don't like about it is the recharable battery is not replaceable. When it stops accepting a charge, I will have to buy another mouse......and it WON'T be a Logitech for that reason.
Also, the software that comes with the mouse does not work with 2003 Server.

Bozo :mrgrn:
 
F

Fushigi

Storage Is My Life
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
2,890
Location
Illinois, USA
The MX1000's battery life is measured in weeks while the 700 is measured in days. It also has the 3-segment graph for battery strength. The 1000 is noticeably lighter & has the tilting side-scroll wheel.

The only bad thing about the 1000 to me is the thumb groove on the left is a little smaller/less comfortable than the 700. The 700, though, is finicky about placement in the charging stand.

I've been using Logitech mice almost exclusively since 1984. Right now, my wife uses an older 3-button wired model (I can't get her to accept a wheeled mouse), my home PC has the MX1000, and I've bought an MX510 (wired) for my spare work laptop and an MX700 for my main laptop. I use another MX700 on the laptop when working from home.

I've also switched to the wired Logitech Access keyboard. Decent feel although it's a definite departure form the IBM Model M it replaced. I don't use the extra multimedia keys; I really just want the basics. Only drawback is that whether or not the Logitech keyboard app is installed, after booting the F-keys default to their multimedia functions instead of acting like F-keys until the F-Lock button is pressed.
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
22,269
Location
I am omnipresent
There's a program to fix the F-key thing on more retarded Logitech keyboards

That kind of crap is why I only buy low-end Logitech keyboards.

Also, I am not sure it was clear from my previous post: I use rechargeable NiMH batteries in a non-rechargeable cordless trackball. The charger that came with the batteries rechages in MAYBE 20 minutes. 3 months of use for 20 minutes of recharge seems like a good deal to me.
 
Tannin

Tannin

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
4,448
Location
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Website
www.redhill.net.au
I've been more-or-less avoiding wireless mice and keyboards for the last year or so. The bottom line is that they just don't have an acceptable return rate. They play up too often. I don't know what our return rate for standard mice and keyboards is, but something like 1 or 2 in a thousand. I can't actually remember the last time we had a dud one. Wireles ones though, for them the rate is something like 1 in 5. Still worse, a lot of the returns are for niggling problems that you can't pin down reliably, so you struggle to get manufacturers to deal with them under warranty as they test it and say "no fault found". In the end you wind up giving the customer a refund out of your own pocket and throwing the unit away.

Conclusion: wireless stuff is a pain in the arse. Avoid it if you can.
 
Handruin

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,920
Location
USA
I agree with you. I've been avoiding (and tell people to avoid) wireless mouse & keyboards for a while now. Dealing with dead batteries, unresponsive delays, and odd behavior is no fun. Wireless stuff is a pain in the arse.
 
Handruin

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,920
Location
USA
Even that, you'll eventually run out of power at some point. I've seen it happen at LAN parties where one of the guys has this very problem. While playing games for a while it runs out of power. He can't use the mouse while it's on the base, even if the base is more convenient than swapping batteries. Not to mention I would never consider a wireless mouse for FPS games...they just don't respond as well as a wired mouse.
 
S

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I love my Bluetooth wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse that's on my HTPC. The mouse has NiMH batteries in it and it charges in the base when it's not in use.
 
Howell

Howell

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
4,740
Location
Chattanooga, TN
I bought the MS wireless natural multimedia keyboard and mouse combo for use at home around May. I'm still using the original standard alkaline batteries I put in. The life span on these batteries has been so long I've had to consider shelf discharge rate. I'm sticking with alkalines.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top