Why doesn't Apple make a Apple Pro wireless keyboard and mouse? It would be AWSOME! I know they could make one, b/c MANY other companies make them, but Apple keyboard/mouse would match the computer. As far as batteries go, they could make iy where you could plug it up in a USB or FireWire port when the batteries would get low and that would be the easiest way to charge them. Just wondering.
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Apple Wireless Keyboard/mouse
- Thread starter dragonay
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They don't make their own for a number of good reasons - namely, to keep 3rd party manufacturers (like Logitech) happy w/ Apple.
i just got a new Logitech Wireless Optical mouse, and I love it! I was worried that it wouldn't work with OS X, but I didn't even have to install the drivers!! It is SOOOO much better than my old Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical. It's more comfortable by far.
-Pete
-Pete
yea
Anyone seem that new mouse...errrmm..someone posted a picture of it. Looks pretty awesome. Like they BUILT it for OS X. The Logitech is a nice mouse, but there are no drivers. OS X doesnt need them, its kinda cool. Although I did talk to some guy at logitech, and he said they should be out sometime in the 2nd quarter of 2002.
Anyone seem that new mouse...errrmm..someone posted a picture of it. Looks pretty awesome. Like they BUILT it for OS X. The Logitech is a nice mouse, but there are no drivers. OS X doesnt need them, its kinda cool. Although I did talk to some guy at logitech, and he said they should be out sometime in the 2nd quarter of 2002.
Someone made the point when the new iMac was introduced that any cable used to recharge a wireless keyboard or mouse would be left plugged in by most people 90% of the time, completely negating the point of them being wireless. The logitech wireless mouse I used with my old B&W G3 tower was nice, but stubbornly insisted on needing the battery changed at 3am, in the middle of one game or another. Most annoying.
Any sort of charging cradle would simply add to desktop clutter. Also, with an iMac especially, the screen is too small to be usable from any distance further than the keyboard cable already allows... and as for the mouse cord, I use trackballs.. so that's a non-issue as well.
As a final point, wireless would kinda put the kibash on having USB ports on the keyboard.. I don't think anyone makes a wireless keyboard (or a technology to power a wireless keyboard in it's current size) that would support a USB hub and have a battery life that would be acceptable. I could be completely wrong on that, but the constant communication that a USB hub would require would be levels of magnitude greater than a simple keyboard requires. For all the talk about USB being hot pluggable, it's great at causing kernel panics if you unplug something when the OS isn't expecting it, so there would be no sleep or reduced power for the keyboard just because you weren't typing.. at least not if you had a USB device plugged into it... which would just be another tether to drag around to anywhere you took your "wireless" keyboard.
So, you would have to axe the USB on the keyboard, add an RF transceiver (and shielding) to the iMac, add an RF transceiver to the mouse and keyboard, and some way to power both of them. Oh, and don't forget you have to make a totally different model for schools, since both the mouse and keyboard would walk on a daily basis. And get intentionally switched between units on an hourly basis. Still sound like a good plan?
Any sort of charging cradle would simply add to desktop clutter. Also, with an iMac especially, the screen is too small to be usable from any distance further than the keyboard cable already allows... and as for the mouse cord, I use trackballs.. so that's a non-issue as well.
As a final point, wireless would kinda put the kibash on having USB ports on the keyboard.. I don't think anyone makes a wireless keyboard (or a technology to power a wireless keyboard in it's current size) that would support a USB hub and have a battery life that would be acceptable. I could be completely wrong on that, but the constant communication that a USB hub would require would be levels of magnitude greater than a simple keyboard requires. For all the talk about USB being hot pluggable, it's great at causing kernel panics if you unplug something when the OS isn't expecting it, so there would be no sleep or reduced power for the keyboard just because you weren't typing.. at least not if you had a USB device plugged into it... which would just be another tether to drag around to anywhere you took your "wireless" keyboard.
So, you would have to axe the USB on the keyboard, add an RF transceiver (and shielding) to the iMac, add an RF transceiver to the mouse and keyboard, and some way to power both of them. Oh, and don't forget you have to make a totally different model for schools, since both the mouse and keyboard would walk on a daily basis. And get intentionally switched between units on an hourly basis. Still sound like a good plan?