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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Best Bluetooth Mouse for Powerbook 12"

Best Bluetooth Mouse for Powerbook 12" (Page 3)
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Casper Crane
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Apr 2, 2004, 12:11 AM
 
so... i read through this thread, and i'm sure it's posted elsewhere, but you folks have sold me on the MX900.

but what can the buttons do?

i see people are using them for Expose, and the scroll buttons work, but what else can be done?

i'm not a big Expose fan.

i have a Kensington StudioMouse (not wireless). it has been good to me, though it is a little flat and i'm starting to feel the pain of it. if you don't know, it has left, right and middle buttons. the MouseWorks software is great, you can configure the middle button and chording as well. i'm sure Kensington is working on their own BT offering, but the MX 900 feels good in teh hand.

so here's my main question, can i use one of the buttons to serve as double-click (by clicking once)?

also, can i set chording up to open a web page for example?

or is all this stuff void because of lack of Mac OS support?
     
macintologist
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Apr 2, 2004, 02:14 AM
 
Originally posted by wy4tt:
well, today's the day...April 1. i'd like to order one, but their website states (in FAQ) that they will be available in June.
This post is referring to MacMice's upcoming release of The Mouse Bluetooth version.

I've emailed them several weeks ago and they gave me June 1 as the date.
     
macintologist
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Apr 2, 2004, 02:16 AM
 
The thing I would like to know the most is how do all the BT mice handle sleep/automatic switching off? What happens when you throw on in your bag? Does it turn on in your bag and waste power? Does the Bluetake BT500 have an on/off switch? I couldn't find any info on that on their website.
     
tekno_geek911
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Apr 2, 2004, 03:51 AM
 
I have the BT500 and it works great,it does have an on/off switch as well.
     
f1000
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Apr 2, 2004, 04:30 AM
 
Originally posted by macintologist:
The thing I would like to know the most is how do all the BT mice handle sleep/automatic switching off? What happens when you throw on in your bag? Does it turn on in your bag and waste power?
My 12� PowerBook (1 GHz) awakens fully from Sleep in about three seconds upon my moving the MX900. Unfortunately, the mouse does not shut itself off after an extended period of disuse. If you intend to take the MX900 on trips, be sure to remove its batteries.

Of the four Logitech wireless mice that I have owned (three of which were optical), the MX900 has the shortest battery life by far. Its two AA batteries run down after about 13 hours of continuous use. Woe unto you if you forget to place the mouse in its cradle at the end of the day; I've found that it's good to have an extra set of charged batteries.
( Last edited by f1000; Apr 2, 2004 at 08:02 PM. )
     
wy4tt
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Apr 7, 2004, 07:31 PM
 
just got the bt500 setup. it's a great little mouse. although i would want something a little larger for continual use at home, it is absolutely perfect for mobility. paired nicely, and works better than any mouse i've tried with my 1.25ghz pb.
15 inches of aluminum fury
     
macintologist
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Apr 8, 2004, 03:10 AM
 
Can the BT500 accept rechargeable batteries?

Is there any particular brand of rechargeable that any of you would recommend?
     
wy4tt
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Apr 8, 2004, 05:06 AM
 
i'm sure any rechargeable AAA would work. i need to get some now. i'll post how long the batteries last after these run down.
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gperks
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Apr 8, 2004, 09:11 AM
 
Power while in your bag: Apple's has a sliding cover over the LED underneath. When slid closed, it's powered off.
     
Casper Crane
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Apr 8, 2004, 10:44 AM
 
so basically, if you are on a longer trip, say you'll be working 3 days from the road, you need to bring your charger anyway?

this kind of defeats the purpose of bluetooth to me. for a short trip, i can see it is beautiful... no cables.

but if i have to bring a cable anyway to charge it, i'd rather just bring a corded mouse and not think about it.

especially when they cost so much more.
     
Bonhomme7heures
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Apr 9, 2004, 01:18 AM
 
Looks like we will be seeing a new BT mouse soon!

Just visited Macally to find out about the new mouse.

Yes, it's a "junior" or pocket size, but with a powebook on the go, smaller is better.

http://www.macally.com/new/new_btmouse.html


It will only be 49,99$
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Black Macbook
2Gb RAM

Formely: 15" ALU powerbook 512mb RAM
     
Link
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Apr 9, 2004, 05:21 AM
 
I think there's 2 issues that have been, but yet again need to be addressed:


1. The dock is necessary for the Logitech MX900....

Not true. The dock is simply a bluetooth hub and charging cradle. If you don't want to use the included batteries and/or already have bluetooth in your powerbook, then you don't need it. IIRC, these mice cost about $80 now, and a good set of batteries + charger usually run $15. You're basically paying $20 to have the convinience of a specially made charger, but nobody's forcing you to use it.

2. You have to take the dock/cradle/whatever on extended trips.

As said above, you don't have to use the batteries that come with any mouse, and they don't have to be rechargable. Slipping a set of AAs into your laptop case will take up less space than a mouse cable right?

oh one more thing I might as well say..

BT mice can't be used on airplanes (at least not to my knowledge).. so you're not going to really save much there.. besides they're too big for that.
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macintologist
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Apr 9, 2004, 06:11 AM
 
The space on airplanes is too small to open even my 12" PB. Unless you're in business class, forget using a mouse on a plane.

That MacAlly mouse looks sexy! And it fits my PB perfectly!

Now I'm waiting for the Mice BT (www.macmice.com) and MacAlly to come out with their mice, and then I'm gonna wait to see if Apple makes a two-button BT mouse.

I won't be getting anything until June.
     
Casper Crane
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Apr 9, 2004, 09:30 AM
 
Originally posted by Link:
Slipping a set of AAs into your laptop case will take up less space than a mouse cable right?
thanks link. i guess you're right. i can get extra rc batteries or just go pick up some commercial batteries at the store when one a longish trip. just wish that people were reporting more than 13 hours with the MX900.
     
macintologist
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Apr 10, 2004, 12:29 PM
 
Originally posted by Link:

<snip>
BT mice can't be used on airplanes (at least not to my knowledge).. so you're not going to really save much there.. besides they're too big for that.
Is it because of radio interference? Wouldnt BT's small range make it redundant?
     
JohnM15141
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Apr 10, 2004, 01:29 PM
 
Originally posted by macintologist:
Is it because of radio interference? Wouldnt BT's small range make it redundant?
Considering that there are Antenna's, Wiring, and Electronics through out an Airliner you are never very far from a potential source of interference. Bluetooth devices are exactly what the FAA doesn't want you to use on an Airplane.

I use my BT500 Mouse on the ground, but find the Trackpad more convenient in narrow airline seats.
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rag on a muffin
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Apr 10, 2004, 04:47 PM
 
who says we sign a petition that asks apple to make a multi-button mouse? we did that with verizon getting bluetooth phones, and they might get one soon.
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wtmcgee
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Apr 11, 2004, 07:21 PM
 
it's been pushed back to june 04. in any event, i'll be selling my MS bluetooth mouse and buying that mouse then i think.

Originally posted by DanMacMan:
I was in search of such a mouse and came upon "The Mouse" from MacMice, so I emailed them about a bluetooth mouse, and here is the reply I received:


Not only that, but I have since learned that there is an Aluminum version as well!
     
rsgunther  (op)
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Apr 11, 2004, 09:35 PM
 
I posted the original topic. I have had the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse for over 2 months now. I just replaced the original batteries yesterday. Over 2 months on 1 set of AA batteries. Not too bad! I was thinking about getting rid of it & getting the MX900 based on the battery issue. But, I am going to keep it. The mouse works great, is very accurate, has a nice feel, and the batteries last plenty long. I will probably start using rechargables in the future since I have a bunch of them that are fairly new & it will keep the costs down.

Overall, I would recommend the Microsoft Mouse if you really don't want any extra wires. The reason I stayed away from the MX900 was the cradle. I wanted a truly "wireless" mouse & since the Powerbook has built-in bluetooth (you don't have to use the dongle).

A GREAT experience with the Microsoft for me.

Funny thing is, I sold the 12" Powerbook on Ebay & bought a 15" 1.25 Refurb w/Superdrive. But, of course, I kept the mouse through it all.
     
perbl
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Apr 12, 2004, 01:31 PM
 
Originally posted by rsgunther:
Overall, I would recommend the Microsoft Mouse if you really don't want any extra wires. The reason I stayed away from the MX900 was the cradle. I wanted a truly "wireless" mouse & since the Powerbook has built-in bluetooth (you don't have to use the dongle).
No bad words about the MS-mice, but to say that it is more convenient than the logitech is not really true, since you do not need the cradle at all if you do not want to. I only have the cradle standing on the side of my desk, and it does look much cooler than a regular battery charger

Also, I think it is much easier just to put the mouse in the cradle instead of having to crank open a battery compartment door everytime I must charge or replace batteries, with my luck it would probably break within a year...

But two months is really impressive, my MX900 has to be recharged every 4-5 days, but then again I use it all the time, and it doesent really bother me to throw the mouse in the charger every fourth night just to be sure to have enough power, and the batteries can easily be replaced if the rechargeables stops working one day.
     
MilkmanDan
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Apr 20, 2004, 06:14 PM
 
My logitech BT mouse is working very nicely. I find it perfect for my large hands, and setting the side buttons to expose is very nice. My two gripes are:

1) No off switch

2) No drivers, though this is a moot point most of the time.

By and by, I'm enjoying it and making my friends very jealous.
     
yticolev
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Apr 20, 2004, 06:44 PM
 
mouse on. Size is great for portability. Takes up little room in the bag and is nicely sized for using on top of the PowerBook next to the trackpad.

But... Before I even used it, the scroll wheel seemed cheap. And using the scroll is not wonderful, it does jump and very occasionally "stick". This is somewhat dependent on the speed you scroll and is magnified by your scrolling speed setting in the mouse preference panel. The Apple preference panel works great by the way but a third party might allow more options. The scroll wheel does click, same as a left click under Apple's preference pane. It would be a plus to map it to Expose. The on/off button is poorly placed for one handed use. If my laptop was awake, I always ended up performing some action I did not intend.

On the plus side, it does track very accurately. And I like using a scroll again, even a crappy one. And I am online through my bluetooth phone, no interference or lag or pause with either device.
     
jwon985
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Apr 23, 2004, 11:38 AM
 
i haven't read anything about MACMICE....
although i may have missed it...
but

www.macmice.com

they have a bluetooth mouse coming out
June 1st 2004...

it has 2 buttons plus scroll....
AND it looks like the Apple mice...
clear and white...
also comes in black and silver to
match your PB...

i've been thinking about the MS and logitech,
but i'd rather wait for the macmice...
it looks much better...

check out the site, the bluetooth mouse
isn't there yet, but i have talked to the president about it.
u can email if u want...

another thing...
i was wondering... do the MS and logitech mice
need a base hub for it to operate?
or is it just the mouse standalone?
     
HvyMtlMdns
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Apr 23, 2004, 05:17 PM
 
Originally posted by MilkmanDan:
My logitech BT mouse is working very nicely. I find it perfect for my large hands, and setting the side buttons to expose is very nice. My two gripes are:

1) No off switch

2) No drivers, though this is a moot point most of the time.

By and by, I'm enjoying it and making my friends very jealous.
Ditto here. An on/off switch would definitely extend the battery life, and I would love to be able to program the Back and Forward buttons to actually perform those functions.

Other than that, this is a great mouse.
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[APi]TheMan
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May 18, 2004, 02:33 AM
 
Originally posted by macintologist:
That MacAlly mouse looks sexy! And it fits my PB perfectly!

Now I'm waiting for the Mice BT (www.macmice.com) and MacAlly to come out with their mice, and then I'm gonna wait to see if Apple makes a two-button BT mouse.

I won't be getting anything until June.
Damn, me neither. I REALLY want to get Wireless speakers, mouse, and keyboard for my 15" Aluminum powerbook... I guess I'll be waiting until June. The Macally and MacMice options look awesome, by the way.

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wtmcgee
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May 18, 2004, 02:54 PM
 
they make bluetooth speakers? woah.
     
[APi]TheMan
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May 18, 2004, 08:57 PM
 
Originally posted by wtmcgee:
they make bluetooth speakers? woah.
Well... I haven't been able to find any yet... haha

Also, I would like to get an Ergonomic keyboard that is bluetooth, anyone seen one?
"In Nomine Patris, Et Fili, Et Spiritus Sancti"

     
 
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