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#2949 by Neil Blanchard
Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:05 pm
Hello:

This might be of interest: a wireless, optical mouse (or more precisely six models of mice) -- that do not have any batteries!

http://www.a4tech.com/en/product1.asp?CID=90&SCID=92
http://hardware.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/05/17/1431200&from=rss

How do they do it? The mouse*pad* is powered by your USB and it uses a short-range radio link to the mouse -- it works up to about 2" above the pad, apparently. The review (second link above) tests the NB-50, which is a mid-line model with four buttons -- and it costs just $20!

Has anybody used one of these, or maybe someone is willing to give one a try and give us a review?
#4740 by wolverine
Thu Jul 28, 2005 6:37 pm
On a similar note, how many of you are using the "old" style 3-button mouse as opposed to a wheel mouse?
I cannot get comfortable with the extending wheel, and my only option is to buy whatever old style logitechs I can find.
Anyone have any input on a decent input device?
#4742 by Neil Blanchard
Thu Jul 28, 2005 6:50 pm
Hello,

What about and eight button mouse?
Image
:o :P :twisted:

[Edit: this is a laser mouse, with the highest optical resolution you can get. The RF (wireless) link is also high speed, and there is no perceptable lag. They also make a wired version (called a "gamer's mouse"), though. I do like the wireless aspect, since there is nothing to get caught or tangled.]
Last edited by Neil Blanchard on Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
#4750 by Miguel Palaoro
Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:19 am
wolverine wrote:On a similar note, how many of you are using the "old" style 3-button mouse as opposed to a wheel mouse?


Hello X-Man, oops, excuse me, Wolverine,

The best mouse I've ever used was a right hand three button Logitech Mouseman, purchased back there at 1995 in a trip to NY. Its design was (is) very very comfortable. It fills completely a big hand like mine. I've used it for years, until it was no more working, because of the erosion of button contacts.
I've tried an alternative model, with the same design, radio-connected. It didn't work, because it had an annoying delay. You can detect a fraction of second of delay if there is one.

When finished my Mouseman util life I had walked over and over looking for replacement among other Logitechs, Genius, and many other 'no named'. Never was the same.

Today I use a Microsoft optical wheel (wired) with acceptable sense. (I confess that I am afraid to use the unwired because of the bad remember from that radio-mouseman.)

I really can't understand why they left to produce that design that was a killer mouse. I miss a lot the prompt response and precision. Hope you can find a good piece. Let us know if you are happy to find it.

Thanks,
Miguel
#4756 by Nick Pyner
Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:52 pm
Miguel Palaoro wrote:
Today I use a Microsoft optical wheel (wired) with acceptable sense. (I confess that I am afraid to use the unwired because of the bad remember from that radio-mouseman.)

I really can't understand why they left to produce that design that was a killer mouse. I miss a lot the prompt response and precision. Hope you can find a good piece. Let us know if you are happy to find it.


Pardon my strong views on this matter. This lifted from DBUG forum........
A few weeks ago my computer was inexplicably freezing. I started to suspect the mouse by. It is an old MS Intellimouse explorer, optical five button. While I didn't like it at first, it works well, is sensibly shaped and the extra buttons are particularly good. They are a decent size and nicely placed to be operated by the thumb. Only one thumb is needed.

I went down to the local Office Works and saw the whole range from
Microsoft, Logitech and a few trinkets from Swann etc. It became
depressingly clear that the entire range is designed by poofters, nancies,
or morons. Price helps not one jot. Indeed quite the opposite: more dollars invariably means more buttons, and the more the buttons means the more difficult they are to use. They all have them badly placed and to add insult to injury, they are all dinky little things like you get on the car
radio these days. There is no good reason for this. I'm sure human
anthropometrics have not changed much recently.

All this leads one to conclude that, while my five year old mouse is fine and meets its intended purpose well, this has to be down to luck. Good design and/or good management have nothing to do with it. I now advocate keeping an eye on the market, just in case something decent may eventually turn up.

So what did I get? An MS Intellimouse optical. At least the buttons are a
decent size. But I should have known better. You click one button with your thumb and the other with your little finger. Yes, it is a symmetrical shape and is made for ambidextrous use. It says so on the box, in several
languages. It also says it is designed by ergonomic "experts". Yeah, I bet
they have a lot of hair on the backs of their hands. In the meantime, I'm
one of that minority group who actually use the mouse with one hand - the right one.

I used this insult for a couple of hours and then in desperation tried the
old mouse again. It worked. It was never faulty. I never found what the problem was.

I got a refund on the ergonomic joke
#4758 by joshhuggins
Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:28 pm
I've been using Logitech mid-high end Mice/Keyboards at home and work now for about the last 6 years or so, and have have terrific results with all of them. Usually those Office stores do cary the lower end Logitech products, but even the 10 dollar corded Wheel Mouse Optical I'm using right now at work has worked like a champ for over 3 years and fits nicely in my hand with no strain, or wear in the buttons. I waiting for a pair of Cordless Desktop LX 700's as we speak. I've tried a few wireless Microsoft combo sets, but usually just favor the Logitech for picky little stuff, but I think they make a good product too. Here's the ones I can remember that I loved.

Logitech® Cordless Desktop® LX 700
Image
Logitech® Cordless Elite Duo™
Image
Logitech® Elite™ Keyboard
Image
Logitech® Wheel Mouse Optical
Image
Logitech® Internet Keyboard (Y-SE8 blue)
Image
Logitech® iTouch™ Keyboard
Image
But hey, maybe I'm just a little glass is half full Image. Remember Newegg and Ebayare your friends :!:
#4760 by joshhuggins
Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:42 pm
Image One thing I do loth is those F-Lock keys on the new keyboards. "Adding ease to your work day" says the brightly packaged box.
#4998 by joshhuggins
Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:16 pm
Figured I should probably let everyone know, now that I have recieved my Logitech® Cordless Desktop® LX 700, that I would not recommend it for Datacad users who use the F keys. They are not in the standard pattern, and I thought I would get use the the layout, but what really drove me nuts was the F keys were shorter than the rest of the keys and only about half the size in one direction. So I think I will be giving this keyboard to a co-worker who does not use Datacad, and start looking for another Logitech® Cordless Elite Duo™ on the net. I love the key firmness and feel. If the Fkeys were in a standard layout and size, it would be a dreamy board FWIW.
#4999 by Nick Pyner
Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:39 pm
joshhuggins wrote:Image One thing I do loth is those F-Lock keys on the new keyboards.


How did you do that? Not to mention this
joshhuggins wrote:Image


Ah, I'm getting it. You can actually write your own emoticons into the msg and they live on your own site, or some other(!), rather than pulling down the ones at the left, which live on this site. R U watching this Neil????
That soap one is great. I'll have to use it when I have a political rant.
(Now, what can I rant about? There must be something................)
#5738 by Ted B
Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:00 pm
Neil,
I almost bought that Logitech 8-button rechargeable mouse you posted, but I read a post tonight that some were having problems; especially with the "middle-button". I liked the feel of that mouse at the store...and I'm SOOOO TIRED of buying batteries for my Kensington wireless mouse. I've had good service out of both Logitech and Kensingtom mice....but feeding it two new AA-batteries every two-three weeks gets a bit old...and expensive. PLus the mad-scramble when you realize that there isn't a fresh set of AA's in the whole office....it's off to the CVS down the street, again.

And I found the the Kensington doesn't like an electromagnetic-rich environment, too-much interferance??

The new Microsoft wireless rechargeable look pretty-"trick" too.

Anyone have any real-world experinces to share??
#5739 by Dave
Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:17 am
I've used Trackballs for years. First one I bought was a Genius cost about $250-$300. Worked very well till the steel roller was no longer round, had a flat spot worn into it by the plastic ball. Bought the next generation of the Genius trackball, what a heap of junk.

Bought two MS IR trackballs 1 x Trackball Explorer and the other was a std MS trackball. both have 4 buttons and 1 scroll wheel. You roll the ball on the explorer with your index and/or middle finger, click the left and right buttons and operate the scoll wheel with your thumb, use whats left on the other two buttons. I nearly sent this TB back, just couldn't get used to it but after about 1 month found it to be very good. With the MS TB you roll the ball with your thumb and buttons are used with fingers. I found it good to have the change of operation between work and home. Get to use the tendons a little differentley.

The TB at work crapped out the other day :((steel got worn out by plastic again) so I put a std ms optical mouse on there, it works ok but I got to much crap on my desk to find room for it to move.

Think I'll go looking for another MSTB

6 months ago I got a WACOM INTUOS 3 A4 Tablet. Great for graphics work, touching up photos etc. The pen (cordless) takes some getting the hang of. I have dual LCD's 1 x 19" 1280x1024 ( just got it last week) 1 x 17" 1280x1024. The Intuos A4 surface is the total area of the extended desk top. If you are working on the right hand screen thats the side of the Intuos you are working on with the std pen, if you maximized then you must reach to the far right corner to minimize. BUT I bought the Wacom 4 button with scoll wheel mouse. It works like a mouse(of course it does... it's a mouse). Cordless


Don't like the Wacom mouse with Sketchup.


P.S. Just a note on the 19" Philips LCD. I wasn't going to get a 19" till the price of the higher res monitors dropped. The eyes an't as good as they used to be and I decided the 1280x1024 would make things easier to find. Have you noticed when we were using CRT's we had them a lot closer then we do LCD's. I can see my new LCD ':D'
#5794 by George Robertson
Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:36 pm
The Mouse Logitech radio mouse Neil posted is my best mouse ever. It is easy to program and works great. It charges up on a little base station during the night. Hopefully they won't screw it up by trying to "update" it. They can keep making this one forever with out changing it. It is perfect. I found a good use for all eight buttons.
#5829 by Dick Eades
Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:53 pm
I have the same. I'm curious to know how you set yours up.

I didn't like pressing the scroll button for the snap so I set the snap to button 4 (middle button) 6 is the application switch, 7 is Copy and 8 is Paste.

I may decide to change them around because I don't use 5 and would like to set up a convenient button to do dynamic panning. I tried 6 for it but didn't like it.

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