keyboard...wired vs wireless

[gaelan]

i'm still in the planning/savings mode to get the imac. is the bt keyboard/mouse worth the upgrade? what is the battery life and reliability of these wireless devices?

i don't like wires as much as the next person, but is going wireless worth the $50-$60? i could see it if i were to have a mini and wanted to surf the net from the couch, but it being a desktop system...

also, what is the weight of the wired vs the wireless? all they had at the local mac reseller was the wireless, and i must say the added weight of the mighty mouse was quite nice compared to my current roller ball mouse.

 

[epochblue]

The only real downside to the wireless, IMO, is that you have to keep buying batteries for them.

Beyond that, like you said, I like the added weight and the fact that I can kick my feet on top of my desk and use the keyboard from my lap (where a wired one wouldn't reach).

Of course, I received both the keyboard and mouse as a gift...so whether or not it's worth the money is purely up to you.

 

[phuong]

wireless keyboards need to change batteries 3-5 times a year depending on how much you use it and the capacity of the batteries you put in. that's once every 4 months. so, not very frequently.

 

[winchest]

I think they are worth the added convenience for no cables and they even make the desk look cleaner in my opinion.

 

[kajitox]

While I still used my desktop, I loved having a wireless keyboard. I'd say it's worth it.

 

[QCassidy352]

once every 4 months at MOST on my apple BT keyboard. It's worth it for the reasons epochblue mentioned, IMO.

 

[Dimwhit]

I'm planning on paying for the upgrade. It's worth freeing up the USB ports if nothing else.

 

[0098386]

The only real downside to the wireless, IMO, is that you have to keep buying batteries for them.

No you don't, just buy rechargeables. I'm using some 2500mAh batteries and they last months.

I have a wired keyboard/mouse on one iMac and wireless on another. Much prefer the BT solution under OSX. Now Windows... that's a little different! XP isn't that great with BT and I find I have to toggle the powerswitch on the keyboard every time I boot into Windows.

But it's great. I can sit back and use it as a giant remote control worth it, IMO.

 

[eXan]

For a laptop, the wireless solution is better, but for desktop... questional.

If you try hard to keep as little things on your desk as possible (minimalistic approach), then BT is better, but if dont really care about a couple more cables (especially if you already have over 8 ), then USB is better. Also, no hassle with getting new/recharging batteries.

Just IMO.

AS for me, I use wired kb and mouse with my iMac and BT mouse and built-in kb with MacBook.

 

[Dimwhit]

OK, I have a stupid question, but I've gotta ask:

You buy a new iMac with wireless BT keyboard/mouse. You open it up, start up the machine, and get to the entry screens...

How do you type anything? The keyboard/mouse aren't paired, yet, are they? How do you pair them before having to go through all the entry screens to set up the primary user, register, etc.?

Assume for this that you have no other keyboard/mouse in the house to use. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[seany916]

our workstations are a tangle of wires

we're fine with that. wires tend to be more reliable. not nearly as clean or pretty though. no issues with batteries or BT.

wireless FAR cleaner & prettier

wired less hassle & a bit cheaper

reliability is the most important thing for our computers.

 

[ofey]

OK, I have a stupid question, but I've gotta ask:

You buy a new iMac with wireless BT keyboard/mouse. You open it up, start up the machine, and get to the entry screens...

How do you type anything? The keyboard/mouse aren't paired, yet, are they? How do you pair them before having to go through all the entry screens to set up the primary user, register, etc.?

Assume for this that you have no other keyboard/mouse in the house to use. Am I missing something obvious?

When the computer detects no mouse/kb connected, it runs the bluetooth detection program. So it'll pair the both of them. Easy!!

 

[harveypooka]

Stick with wired. No batteries worries and the response times are better (especially for games). You'd also have no fears that someone is snooping on your wireless keyboard keystrokes! Stay paranoid! Stay with wires!

 

[Dimwhit]

When the computer detects no mouse/kb connected, it runs the bluetooth detection program. So it'll pair the both of them. Easy!!

Ah! Good to know. I figured there had to be something.

 

[eXan]

Stick with wired. No batteries worries and the response times are better (especially for games). You'd also have no fears that someone is snooping on your wireless keyboard keystrokes! Stay paranoid! Stay with wires!

I noticed no difference in the response time on both kb and mouse, even when playing games. And yes, I've tried to specifically find out if there's any. I game a lot.