Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Unable to bundle Bluetooth Accessories

Originally posted by coolfactor
Hey Dan,

. Multi-buttons isn't on the top of my list since I prefer to use both hands when using my computer, and control-clicking works great. (what are you doing with your other hand, btw?)
Click to expand...

Seen this is a couple of threads so it deserves a reply.

Depending on what I am doing my other hand has a coffee ,a sandwidge,a document or even is being used to press command and option since command option right click is a frequent occurence and so is a sequence like f2 right click f3 right click ten times,f2 right click,f3 right clicks with some left click interspersed.

What do you do with your other fingers on your mouse besides hold it and use 1 to press it?
 
Originally posted by frozenstar
I think they need to focus on getting the mice to work properly before they can even think about BTO options.
My Apple wireless mouse constantly loses connectivity. In addition, the scan resolution is low, and the response time is poor. This is probably the worst mouse I've ever owned.
Click to expand...

I think the probelm is the blootooth feature is an extension and is loaded late in the bootup and the keyboard needs to be active at bootup to enable CMD-T and such.

I suppose someone could come oult with a keypad dongle with the main keys automated.

Unless BT is a motherboard item these will not be the shipping keyboards. Therefore it looks like G5's are rev A.

Rocketman
 
Re: Re: USB

Originally posted by j33pd0g
What about USB 2? Will that transfer power? If so, you would have to do the transfer from the tower. You wouldn't want to steel from the keyboards battery supply.

Unless Apple has found a way to transmit pure power via BT. And I think if they did that... many other worldly problems will soon be solved.
Click to expand...

Most people don't understand this stuff to well. USB provides enough power for most uses.

Think of it this way....if it didn't supply enough power to power your keyboard and a mouse at the same time, you would have a power cord to your existing keyboard. Recharging a battery on a keyboard would take little more than what a keyboard uses. Heck, add some solar cells and supliment power, or atleast slow battery usage.
 
actually, it was so obvious i didn't think of it until i read this thread

yeah, rechargeable from usb/firewire and make the keyboard optional wired/wireless. of all companies, you would think apple would be the one who'd think of that first.

and i'm sure some variation of that could apply to the mouse.

of course, no one mentioned mechanical energy, keyboard powered by heat generated from typing! or for the mouse, clicking! or for the apple car, braking!
 
hrm... Now there's an interesting idea... Mechanincal power and rechargeable batteries (Regular store bought kind for easy replacment). Maybe put a few small wheels on the bottom of the mouse to get more energy (moving and clicking). And of course, a USB port on both KB and mouse to allow easy charging when needed, as well as for system installs, first boots, etc.
 
I like my wireless keyboard and mouse from Apple, but I see Apple's problem.

I can't boot from CD's with this, can't wake from sleep with this, and can't boot into new OS.
 
The more I see, I heard and I read about the new bluetooth mouse and keyboard of Apple, the less beautiful, usefull, fonctional I found them!

I really don't understand people still using one button mouse that you can use for setting your computer so anyway you will need a standard mouse and keyboard! The last mouse and keyboard have a look cheap. Really, I would like to have an option to order Mac without a mouse and keyboard from apple (maybe the old graphite full keyboard that was a good one).

This is my opinion so don't bash me but prove me that you have reason to use it😉
 
USB cable included in each KB and Mouse with Bluetooth OPTION

Apple should have made the new Keyboard and Mouse USB with Bluetooth as a wireless option.

That would provide an easy way to set up Bluetooth recognition by close proximity (within 10 meters) and provide a "removable" USB cable for use in static locations, like at home on your desk where wirelessness is unimportant.

This is a situation where Apple probably wanted to save a buck on the removable USB cable to keep the price down.

For 14 years, I have just left the Apple Mouse in its original plastic bag, because I always purchase a Kensington trackball Expert Mouse at the same time I get a new Mac (currently G4 dual 1.0 GHz).

Two years ago, I tried Kensington's wireless Turbo Mouse and didn't like the lag in response to trackball movements, 🙁 so I took it back for the tethered USB version and am very happy.🙂

Now Kensington has a new 4 button (2 is so passé) BLACK Expert Mouse trackball with an awesome scroll ring around the trackball. 😀 Check it out:
http://www.kensington.com/html/2200.html

Although I'm totally uninterested in Apple's Bluetooth one-button Mouse, I'd like to get their Bluetooth wireless KB when they include a removable USB cable for setup and tethered use. 😉
 
This reminds me of when I talked to the ADC consultant before my G5 was built. I asked if I could have the Keyboard and Mouse deleted from my order, as I had ordered a MacAlly iceKey, and already had a great m$ mouse. He said they couldn't ship a machine without all the parts necessary to run properly. I thought that was absurd... i mean, i had ordered another keyboard... i'd be fine... right? Wrong. I found out today why I needed an apple keyboard. I love my iceKey, but it requires drivers to utilize the volume and (most importantly) CD drive keys. This is fine when everything is working, but when your os gets fubar'd (as mine did today... damn DAVE! Damn it to hell!), and you have to open the drive to insert the OSX dvd, you're screwed. I had to fish the apple keyboard out just to be able to open the drive (without, of course, sliding the metal door down and going at my G5's super drive with a paperclip). So I can see why the wireless KB would be scary. But I don't see why the mouse would be a big deal.
 
Why Bother with it as a BTO

Why bother to deal with it...you shouldn't be without a corded keyboard anyways. Just buy it separate....stash the corded one away. Its kinda like you're own BTO, buy it from here, then from there....etc....you need a corded one for doing certain start up things fsck and all that. Until they come out with cord/wireless combo, you're gonna need to have one on hand.
 
Apple KeyBoard USB/Bluetooth COMBO

Apple KeyBoard USB/Bluetooth COMBO
Excellent moniker! Wireless or tethered option - YES. 😀

Come on, Steve, get your head out of your apple... 🙁

The necessity of including "all the parts to make the computer work" really IS very important. I had forgotten the several times in 2002 I had problems with my 3rd party ergonomic kb and Kensington trackball Expert Mouse, and had to dig out my Apple Mouse and Apple Keyboard to plug into a USB port, which immediately solved all my input problems under OS X (which I now absolutely love). 😉
 
i think that they should have one USB port on the back of the keyboard that you can use to connect to the computer with a USB cable and it can be wired. no internal battery, but like they are now. and then possibly the same thing with the mouse. then they could have it as a BTO option.
 
I think the real reason you can't have a bluetooth keyboard active at boot, ESPECIALLY on the first boot of a system is because of the inherent security features of bluetooth. How would the system know which keyboard was yours, if, say, there were 10 bluetooth keyboards around? How would you negotiate any of the security pairing? Just a thought.
 
Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
i think that they should have one USB port on the back of the keyboard that you can use to connect to the computer with a USB cable and it can be wired. no internal battery, but like they are now. and then possibly the same thing with the mouse. then they could have it as a BTO option.
Click to expand...

Umm...that appears to say you could just have a wired keyboard and mouse w/o batteries. Which is the current standard Apple mouse and keyboard. We already have wired mice and keyboards with no batteries. No battery = no wireless, and that's all there is to that. Did you mean to add a 😉 to that statement?
 
Originally posted by dho
Firewire would be better because practically no power can be suplied over usb🙁
Click to expand...

So I suppose my USB Zip drive is running off of happy emotions in the room?
 
Re: Re: Re: Why not have FireWire plug on keyboard?

Originally posted by Sonofhaig
Um. I do. Is having a firewire hub strange? 🙄
Click to expand...

i would wager there are 50 usb hubs to every firewire hub. maybe more.
 
Originally posted by SeaFox
So I suppose my USB Zip drive is running off of happy emotions in the room?
Click to expand...

Mine must be as well. Oddly enough, the firewire Zip drives require a seperate power cord. Hmm...anyway, I can't wait for a powered firewire 750 drive to show up.
 
It's a pairing/security issue, not a strictly technical one; IIRC, there's an * at the bottom of the product page about how you can boot into single user mode with the BT keyboard, but can't actually use it in single user mode.
 
Originally posted by kidd0


I can't boot from CD's with this, can't wake from sleep with this, and can't boot into new OS.
Click to expand...


Give them time. Initially when USB came out the BIOS didn't support keyboards or mice either and anyone with said device couldn't use DOS outside of windows. No DOS = No easy way to repair windows = your screwed unless you could find a USB DOS driver. heh ya right.

Same deal will go for BlueTooth and BlueTooth devices. The hardware will eventually support it out of the box as will the OS. It looks as if Panther will do this before the hardware itself so what you have is the middle man. (Honestly thought I have no idea what Macs have for BIOS. From what I understand its fairly diff from what PC's have so *shrugs*)

With that being said I think there are more elegant solutions for providing power to the device then what Apple decided on. Maybe its just me but it almost seems like it was rushed. 😕 But that makes no sense since what pressure would they have to release it ASAP? hmm.

As for charging via USB. UMMM NO. You can charge most small devices via USB. I charge my iPaq Pocket PC all the time.
 
Bypassing the security aspects of Bluetooth really shouldn't be a big deal.

1st time you boot:
* Machine checks its own PRAM and sees no entry for "Bluetooth Paired Keyboard @bluetoothHexAddress".
* Machine then sits in discover mode looking for an ID-type of keyboard. Meanwhile the User has now taken out their Bluetooth keyboard and following the included instructions (which don't exist yet) is holding the Apple key. This tells the keyboard to sit in discoverable mode and over-rides any saved Bluetooth pairings saved in the keyboard.
* Machine finds keyboard, they auto pair up in an unencrypted mode or Apple has a default key that both devices know.
* Users goes through the setup process and at some point is allowed to pick a new pass code. This code is saved on the keyboard, the PRAM and the pairing is dropped and re-upped with this new code. If this process fails after a short time out revert to the defaults.

Or at least this is how I would do it if I was designing such a system.
 
Originally posted by SiliconAddict
(Honestly thought I have no idea what Macs have for BIOS. From what I understand its fairly diff from what PC's have so *shrugs*)
Click to expand...

Isn't that the Open Firmware ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back