Should I save money and skip the bluetooth mouse and keyboard?

Hi... How much will you save? Sorry... You do the math 😛 I've got Apple's BT keyboard and mouse. They're awesome 🙂 Don't regret getting them.

One thing to keep in mind though... Apple's mouse eats batteries for breakfast. After spending a small fortune on batteries I've now got 2300mA rechargable AAs, which seem to last around 4 weeks.

The keyboard: after 5 months, using the original batteries, is now on 20%. I wouldn't get rechargable batteries for the keyboard, since slow draining devices can damage them.

Maybe you could get the BT mouse with a the non-BT keyboard? A cord on a keyboard is somehow less annoying than on a mouse.

Anyway, just my 3 cents. 😀

I think it depends on how often you'll be moving your powerbook around. If you plan on taking it with you everywhere you go, then all the extra cords can be a real hassle. If you're planning on keeping it mostly in one place, then perhaps the money saved is worth it. My wife has a BT mouse for her PB 15, and it's awesome. Personally I just live with keyboard and trackpad--but I'm not doing a lot of mouse-intensive stuff.

Also... If you're planning to leave the keyboard/mouse at home next to your external monitor... then getting bluetooth on these will mean 2 less cords to plug/unplug all the time. 🙂

Well, getting non-bluetooth stuff would certainly save you money, but there may be other things to consider too.

Your PB only has two USB ports, and if you're like me and want to connect your camera, printer, keyboard, and mouse, you'll have to do lots of rearranging (or get a USB hub). I'm sure you don't want to have disconnect either your mouse or your keyboard to print something.

That said, I've got a wired (logitech) mouse and the bluetooth keyboard, and I really like that setup. Although I don't personally feel the need to get a wireless mouse (bluetooth + more than one button = expensive), if you're going to be using it on the road alot with a wired mouse, bear in mind that a wired mouse will draw power from your laptop battery, while a wireless mouse will draw power from its own batteries. (Of course, running bluetooth also drains power, but I'd imagine it's a much less significant drain than a mouse.)