The subject line pretty much covers my question. I’m one of nasty ‘pilers’ – you give me something to keep track of, I add it to one of the piles on top of my desk.
It’s time for me to buy a new computer. I’ve long been irritated by the way the wires to my keyboard and especially the mouse get caught on the piles. Stuff gets dragged into disarray, it makes my mousing jerky and labored, etc.
OTOH, they work.
Don’t the wireless mice require clear line-of-sight, like remote controls? If so, I’d be forever piling stuff in the ‘wrong’ place and then cursing when my keyboard shuts down.
So, what say you? How well do wireless mice work in the sometimes messiness of the Real World?
Most wireless mice and keyboards, (I have both at home, wireless mouse at work) work on RF (radio frequency) rather than infrared, and so don’t require line of sight. I use them for precisely the reasons that you mention, because the cords drive me crazy. They work very well. A wireless keyboard also allows you to put it in your lap, if you are so inclined, and lounge while typing. May not be ergonomically correct.
One word about batteries - for the mouse I recommend getting the kind with rechargeable batteries, where you park the mouse in the stand at night so it can re-charge. There is nothing worse than having your batteries expire when you’re in the middle of something important and you don’t have any replacements around. I believe both Logitech and Microsoft make models like this (I have the Logitech model, it cost about $60). The stand is also the RF receiver, so you only have the one item sitting on your desk, and it can be at the back of the desk out of the way. I don’t know of any keyboards that have a re-chargeable battery setup, but then my wireless keyboard has gone for months (years?) on its original battery without requiring replacement.
I use a wireless trackman, because I hate the cord. I also have piles of stuff on my desk. The only time I have problems with reception is when my cat knocks the reciever/transmitter off the back of my desk.
I have two Microsoft wireless optical sets (home and work) and love 'em. At both workstations my receiver is on the floor, nowhere near my mouse/keyboard, and I don’t even find a problem with batteries to be honest.
It might be the first thing MS makes that works like its s’posta.
Messy person here, both my keyboard and mouse routinely end up on the floor. Couldn’t figure out why the mouse stopped working, since reading this thread, probably the battery. :wally
