Wireless keyboard and mouse suggestions

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patrick

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Ok so I know it's the wrong section, tried the hardware section but you guys are so much cleverer so I'm trying here now!

Since building my HTPC (home theatre PC) I can't understand how anyone would use anything else in their house for watching tv or listening to music, in fact the boss came around and now he keeps nagging me to put one together for him!

But anyway when my HTPC is being used as a regular pc I want to be able to sit on the couch and use the keyboard and mouse etc. It's prob about 3 or 4m away from the pc, and I'd prefer to have it run on RF rather than IR as I hate having to woryy about line of site. Can anyone recommend a decent, and hopefully fairly cheap (though I don't mind spending more if it's much better quality) wireless keyboard and mouse to use...

Thanks,

Patrick
 
I'd recommend going bluetooth if I were you. 3-4 metres can be a long way for RF. Need's to be at a similar height and nearly line of sight for that sort of distance. Bluetooth will cover you for 10m, so 3-4 metres will be fine. And I'd go with Logitech, personally. Just a fan. They got good products. Can be pricey for the bluetooth stuff, but well worth it, considering they come with 2yr warranties, so you definitely won't need anything else for at least 2 yrs.
 
yeah bluetooth sounds like exactly what I need... Any particular logitech you can recommend, something rechargeable would be nice!
 
Micro$oft has a keyboard designed especially for your needs. They claim that is works over a distance of 30 feet. I have no clue about wireless mice that work reliable over 3 to 4 meters. My intelli mouse explorer wireless stops working if you go further than 1.7 meters.
 
I've got a logitech something or other.. got it almost two years ago. Anyway it's great. Keyboard works within about five metres, and mouse within three (max). Receiver sits on the floor behind my PC so it could prob be further if I put it up on the desk
 
Claymore said:
Not recommended. There are a number of problems with that combination. *sigh* I would never have got one if I'd known...
Click to expand...

Hmm, maybe I must just get a pair of 5m ps2 extension cables then... I guess I could always hide them under the carpet...
 
hhhmmm... dunno bout keyboard but I have been using the new wireless notebook mouse from Logitech.
It's working great, haven't picked up any interference, which is why I did not go with bluetooth, especially in an environment that will be loaded with radio "noise", i.e. home theatre
It's the Logitech V400 Laser mouse. Uses normal batteries, will probably work with rechargable batteries. It works on almost any surface. Batteries last for quite a few months, at least 3 months. I am a heavy-duty user. They maybe just get a separate keyboard.
I bought this mouse for size, but they will have another one for you, that is rechargable, for in stance.

I have heard good things about the Logitech MX 3000 cordless desktop.
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/ZA/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=10711
Belkin might have some nice options too. They are pricey tho.
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=203280
 
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I got the Logitech Desktop for MX (not the bluetooth 1), & have had no problems, the batteries in the Keyboard lasted me 1 and a half years and if I use mouse for gaming everyday,it goes for about 3-5 days.Except there was one thing I got it to do a few times which sounds a little different & not really possible after reading some of the above posts, when I 1st got it, I was able to use the keyboard from at least 15m away,going though walls and alas (I put speakers on loud & pushed mute & kept unmuting/muting until eventually it didnt work)...

But ya, I would recommend Logitech, great products & quality:D
 
stupid question - but can this bluetooth keyboard be used with Htc tytn and LG KE850 prada? Or for that fact with any Bluetooth compatible phone?
 
Get the logitech DiNovo bluetooth. Good range, and very stylish. perfect for the lounge/TV Room. Bluetooth does'nt work for gaming though.
 
ok so i have one of those microsoft bluetooth desktops (keyboard and mouse) but i have 2 problems with it:

1. The batteries die too quickly. i get like 2 weeks max out of it

2. when i start my pc up, i gotta press buttons on the keyboard a couple of times in order to get it sort of "activated". same goes with the mouse, i gotta wiggle it around a few times until it starts workin, and because of this, if i want to enter my bios, i gotta have a normal ps2 keyboard connected to my pc coz my bluetooth doesnt activate on start up...

any ideas ?
 
dotVIBE said:
Get the logitech DiNovo bluetooth. Good range, and very stylish. perfect for the lounge/TV Room. Bluetooth does'nt work for gaming though.
Click to expand...

WHAT? I'm planning on getting a Dinovo, I don't do heavy gaming, just the occasional PES5 Soccer game but I'm sure it works with games. Maybe not as good as a marketed "gaming keyboard" but it will work in games....I hope.
 
well, bluetooth latency is the cuplrit here. Soccer on the keyboard should be ok, but a bluetooth mouse in a FPS is a big no no. But you also get the DiNovo's as std wireless, like the one i've got. They are much cheaper than the bluetooth ones. Wireless is still not great for quake type FPS, but much better than bluetooth.
 
OK, and with mouses (mice?) is the Logitech MX Revolution a good buddy for a DiNovo? Coz thats the combo I plan on getting.
 
The MX revolution should be awesome. I have a MX1000 and I totally love it. IT works fine (for me) in my FPS games ( Far Cry, Quake4, Doom3, HL2 & FEAR). A true gaming nerd however would recommend that you rather get the cabled Logitech G5.
 
dotVIBE said:
The MX revolution should be awesome. I have a MX1000 and I totally love it. IT works fine (for me) in my FPS games ( Far Cry, Quake4, Doom3, HL2 & FEAR). A true gaming nerd however would recommend that you rather get the cabled Logitech G5.
Click to expand...
I really don't want wired. I have yet to try wireless and I'm more than willing to give Bluetooth 2.0 a bash. My needs in a mouse and KB are:

Mouse: Must not have horrible lag that I can actually notice, I don't mind if it's a couple of milliseconds that I can't notice. Definitely not me moving the mouse and having to wait half a second for something to happen on screen. Also it has to be sexy, the MX Revolution is definitely that ;);

KB: Keys must be quiet. I hate the fact that keyboards get louder when typing as time goes on (at least with mine it does). Also must be good looking, *cough* DiNovo *cough*.

BTW Do you know about the Dinovo Edge? Supposed to be the most advanced KB in the world but AFAIK it doesn't come with a numpad, true or not?
 
Well, the Dinovo is super soft. If you type slowish it is completely silent. You won't experience any lag with the keyboard or mouse either. It just won't be suitable for quick reaction gaming.

And yeah, the edge doesn't have a numpad. Which kinda sucks. Why do you want to go bluetooth though? Why not wireless?
 
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Why?

1. Wireless (nuff said)
2. My cables are in a mess and those would be 2 less to worry about.
3. Range (I might in future want to move further away from the PC when using it)
4. Line of sight (lets just say IR and RF are not the wireless options I'm looking at)

That leaves Bluetooth.
 
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