The Singapore Forum

Hi

Is it possible to get a wireless - ideally bluetooth as I don't have many USB ports in my computer - keyboard and mouse for my mac?

And i'm totally assuming one can operate a keyboard and mouse via bluetooth.....

Thanking you all in advance

It is possible, but using bluetooth really eats up battery life in the mouse/keyboard. You're better off getting one such as the logitech ones with a unified usb dongle.

Any bluetooth keyboard should work.....*should*...

I only have 2 USB ports (silly MacBook Air) and I need one of them to connect to the wired internet (though I could get an airport thingy couldn't i? ) ...

unified dongle for both would be ok if i got the airport.... thanks!

You've got a laptop and you don't have a wireless network? Why ever not?

But yes, there are many options on the wireless network: the apple ones tend to break after a while, I've had the D-Link DIR655 since 2008 and it's working fine, before then I'd had two Airport Expresses and both of them got rather dodgy after about 18 months and needed regular rebooting.

A laptop with no wireless is like Morecambe without Wise

Instead of an ergonomic mouse get the blutooth trackpad. That way you can still do all the swipey gesture stuff

Actually Morcambe without Wise could have been deeply funny, but Eric died first. Oh bring me sunshine..

I've got logitech wireless mouse and keyboard and they do eat up batteries like they're going out of style. But I use rechargeables, so no issues there. Very happy with the setup.

I just bought an Airport thingy.....I can be wireless at home but just not at work till I get an airport thingy...

and a wireless keyboard and mouse thingy...

and a USB hub thingy

oh and VGA (screen) adapter thingy

bluetooth trackpad - well my boss is buying, let me look into it

I actually ordered one of those bluetooth trackpads... worked well in the shop for me

I have the magic mouse. And it is terrific. But I'd like an option to move the cursor with the surface, but I suppose that what the trackpad does...

I have no idea what you mean by 'ergonomic' since I've seen the term applied to almost anything, I think it has no meaning any more. I use a wired keyboard and a powered USB multi-port expansion thingy.

The wired keyboards have two usb ports on them, which may help your thinking.

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:I've got logitech wireless mouse and keyboard and they do eat up batteries like they're going out of style. But I use rechargeables...

If you're not using them already, you may like to try try Low Self-Discharge rechargeable batteries, like Sanyo Eneloop. Regular rechargeables tend to go flat relatively quickly whether they're being used or not, so are not always the best choice for things like remote controls, clocks or keyboards, although they're fine for devices which use a lot of power, like camera flashes and motorised toys (read into that what you will).

LSDs generally have a slightly lower capacity than regular rechargeables, but that's offset by the ability to hold a charge for longer. I've been using them for a few years with good results. There's a bit more info on Wiki.

And... as an anniversary limited edition, Sanyo have released a rainbow pack of sparkly eneloops, truly befitting of the "LSD" tag!

Good tip Bender. Must look into that. I've always found rechargeables to be crap in remotes.

I did the research before buying and went with a brand called Powerex, which has incredibly long staying power. I notice no significant difference from regular batteries, and even when not in use can hold most of it's charge for a very long. Trouble is they're hard to find. So I've got some enerloop now, but not the color ones, will have to look for those!

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:I did the research before buying and went with a brand called Powerex, which has incredibly long staying power. I notice no significant difference from regular batteries, and even when not in use can hold most of it's charge for a very long. Trouble is they're hard to find. So I've got some enerloop now, but not the color ones, will have to look for those!

where'd you get the Enerloops?

Supermarkets. Challenger. Hardware Stores.

There largest collection I have seen is at Mediya Supermarket.

Powerex are good too. The other part of the equation is a good charger, with this being regarded as one of the best (and priced accordingly).

OK, can I ask a dumb question? I charge my Powerex in a Powerex charger and my enerloop in an enerloop charger. How do I know if I can interchange?

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:I've got logitech wireless mouse and keyboard and they do eat up batteries like they're going out of style. But I use rechargeables, so no issues there. Very happy with the setup.

I 've also got a logitech mouse but havent change the batteries yet( I bought it early ths year)! And I use it every day, 2-3hrs /day.

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:OK, can I ask a dumb question? I charge my Powerex in a Powerex charger and my enerloop in an enerloop charger. How do I know if I can interchange?

Quick answer = yes.

Thanks, Bender. So I'm thinking I can also put enerloop and powerex batteries together inside the same appliance, then?

Are there different types of rechargables on the market that can't be mixed?