Wireless Keyboards, Great things or Boat Anchor?

[alien_from_io]

Got a PC Concepts IR Kbd. Thought at first that it was going back. Besides the obvious no-wires deal, it's rather unique cause it has a little joystick that mimics the mouse. It is a little more controllable at slow speeds but less when flying. The degree of angle necessary for operation is 360 degrees. It will work pointed in any direction,, even 180 degrees away, (my rooms are light tan) the IR emitter must be strong. Battery life is said to be about 20hr or so.. Got 10 more days on trial before decision time. $49.99 at Office Depot,, on line found it for $54.99.. later Take me to your leader.

[daveleau]

That battery thing would be a real pain int he ****. How often do you use your system. For me I would be buying a new set of batteries every 3 or 4 days. Other than that it's a great idea. Those extension cords for corded keyboards are great too though. You can have great range but w/o the cost of batteries.
Dave

[M1pilot]

Got myself a Logitech iTouch cordless k/b a couple of weeks ago, and although I was a little skeptical at first, I have to say that I really like it now. It's not I/R...it uses "digital radio technology" and is not restricted to having a clear path for operation. The docs say it has a 6ft range, but I've been able to double that easily. The only time the k/b is actually on is when you depress a key so Logitech says 6mo to a year of battery life, depending on usage. Has a lot of nice features too; programable internet keys, a suspend key, and a set of keys that function like a standard CD player (play/pause, stop, previous, next, mute, vol, up/down)...a little gimmicky, but kind of nice once you get the hang of it. It also has a detachable wrist pad. Price was'nt too bad either (for here anyways)....$89.95 Cdn.

-M1pilot

[Dave_H]

M1pilot,
I was interested in that keyboard but the Logitech site didn't give to much info on what happens on the computer end. What does that thing connect to, a PS2 or serial?
Also, I assume there is an antenna or wire for it to pick up the signal from the keyboard. My problem would be that my tower is on a bracket hanging from the side of a real solid desk. Is there any way to extend the wire or antenna 2 feet from the tower so that is in "line of sight" to my keyboard?
I know it's not I.R. but it's a real solid desk. You get the mouse too? hows it "feel"
I would appreciate any input, I really liked that idea.
Thank-you
Dave

[chipbgt]

Dave_H,

I have one of the logitech wireless keyboards (and the logitech wireless wheelmouse pro also). They both have little playing card sized recievers on cords about 6 feet long that plug into there respective ports. I Love them. no cords. Sitting on a recliner with the keyboard on my lap and the mouse on the flat armrest. get them. get them now.

[OuTpaTienT]

I have the Logitech Cordless wheelmouse and it uses the same technology the keyboards do. The receiver is just a small box (like chip said, about the size of a deck of playing cards). I used a little piece of velcro to stick the receiver under a nearby shelf (and out of site). The receiver DOES NOT have to be in 'line of site'.

I use my system a LOT and the batteries for my mouse (2 AAA) last 2 to 3 months. I'd bet that keyboard batteries last even longer. A good thing about it's battery usage is the mouse functions perfectly right up until the batteries are completely dead. And when they're dead, they are D-E-A-D, dead. I was once amazed that after removing the batteries from the mouse, I couldn't get them to make a mini flashlight even give the faintest flicker...so I took a multimeter to test the batteries...nothing...at all! That mouse uses every last drop of charge. I've never seen any device do that before.

[Dave_H]

Thanks chipbgt and OuTpaTienT http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Thats what I wanted to know. Sounds like you could move the reciever in order to find a place where you get the best signal. Like I said, my desk is in a corner and is real solid, I was wanting to make sure the reciever wasn't going to be in a bad location. chipbgt, That is exacly what I wanted to do!
The couch potato thing on a lay-z-boy chair.
Oh boy, Oh boy, I can't wait.
Thank-you very much for your replies. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Dave

[M1pilot]

Dave_H.....chipbgt and OuTpaTienT apparently get up way before I do!! Anyways...what they said!
The only real criteria regarding the antenna is that it's kept at least 8 inches away from your other peripherals to eliminate any RF problems. I've tried the k/b around the corner and it still worked fine.
I don't have a wireless mouse....I've got a Trackman Marble that I like too much!!
Oh, almost forgot....the k/b comes with an antenna adapter for either a PS2 or regular k/b connector.

-M1pilot

[This message has been edited by M1pilot (edited 01-27-2000).]

[stylin19]

I got the Logitech Wireless KB/Scroll Mouse combo for 100.00 & some change. Both of these work at 20 feet so far. The problem is, at 20feet i need a 52 inch monitor http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Otherwise, these are great.

[Brangwen]

The Logitech keyboard and mouse have been incredibly convenient for both of my desktops. I think I enjoy the cordless feature the most when I have to perform maintenance or upgrades, i.e., open up the box. Having two less cables to deal with it is a real plus! I give Logitech very high marks! It is also cool facing away from the computer and typing a letter.

[Richard_Cranium72]

ICPTraderz, you may notice that on the PC Concepts it has an on-board mouse, a little joystick to do that function. I'm getting more used to it and I am now sure it belongs in my igloo. DrVette

[OuTpaTienT]

But those things can't even come close to comparing to a REAL mouse. I don't care how used to it you get, try playing Q3 with one.

About more mouse info, I really can't give more info than I already have. What exactly do you want to know icp?

[This message has been edited by OuTpaTienT (edited 01-28-2000).]

[icptraderz]

Hey Thanx for that info..... i was looking to buy 1 myself but now i have changed my mind. Do you have an wireless mouse? If you know about that i would like to know how it is.I have read some things about it in this topic but can any 1 else tell me a lil more about it?

[This message has been edited by icptraderz (edited 01-28-2000).]