Microsoft Wireless Mouse: Battery & Connection Issues

[Cyrus]

I have two wireless mice both made by microsoft. These things always stop working. What a rip off! You have to turn the batteries and fiddle with them until they make good contact so that the light will shine brightly enough to work. This problem is the same on both of them! They also go through batteries way to fast. I want a refund! Anyone else use these mice?

 

[The_Professional]

i haven't encountered any problem in my years of using microsoft's optical mouse. but I've always used the wired version. wireless isn't ideal when playing first person shooters or games in general.

i saw some models of this sleek looking laser mouse. are they any better performance-wise

 

[Cyrus]

wireless isn't ideal when playing first person shooters or games in general.

No, its actually better. U don't get hung up from the wire taking up tension and screwing up your movement. U can move around with ease!

 

[scorpa]

I use a logitech wireless mouse and so far I've never had any problems with it, battery life kind of sucks but that's it...even that's not to bad I've pretty much had it on constantly since July and I've changed batteries twice, I can't complain.

 

[franznietzsche]

I love my logitech one, but batteries can be a real pain. I'm actually using a logitech corded optical right now because I have no AAs and I am too busy/lazy to go to the store to get some.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Wireless mice are definitely better for running mazes. I always had trouble with those cords getting messed up in there before.

 

[Gokul43201]

No, its actually better. U don't get hung up from the wire taking up tension and screwing up your movement. U can move around with ease!

I agree with the_pro. Unless you are limited by clock speed or your video card, very fast movements can confound most mid-range optical mice (wireless or not).

 

[Moonbear]

Wireless mice are definitely better for running mazes. I always had trouble with those cords getting messed up in there before.

But it seems rather cruel to snip off their tails.

 

[JasonRox]

But it seems rather cruel to snip off their tails.

Hey, atleast we aren't hunting mice.

 

[Mk]

I am a professional mouse hunter, you don't have to come out like that man. I have a family to feed!

 

[Cyrus]

But the junk I have is the microsoft intelitype/point mouse. Whata piece of crap.

 

[Pengwuino]

But the junk I have is the microsoft intelitype/point mouse. Whata piece of crap.

blasphemy!

For those with wireless mouses and always having to toss out dead batteries, get Radioshack 15 minute quick recharge NiMH batteries. 15 minutes exactly! I've used the same 2 batteries for at least a year, 24/7 (computer doesn't turn off)

 

[Cyrus]

I don't know, that sounds expensive. I would rather just throw this thing out the window and run it over with my car.

 

[Moonbear]

Hey, atleast we aren't hunting mice.

But the tails make them easier to catch.

 

[Kazza_765]

I have two wireless mice both made by microsoft. These things always stop working. What a rip off! You have to turn the batteries and fiddle with them until they make good contact so that the light will shine brightly enough to work. This problem is the same on both of them! They also go through batteries way to fast. I want a refund! Anyone else use these mice?

Oh wow, I'm glad someone else had this problem. I had exactly the same thing, I took the battery cover off because I had to adjust the batteries so often. It used to drive me crazy.
Anyway, one day I'd had a really bad day, sat down to do something, and had to keep adjusting the batteries every 3 seconds. So long story short, I beat the hell out of it against the corner of my desk until it was in pieces (it was a very bad day), and now I use one with a wire.

 

[franznietzsche]

Oh wow, I'm glad someone else had this problem. I had exactly the same thing, I took the battery cover off because I had to adjust the batteries so often. It used to drive me crazy.
Anyway, one day I'd had a really bad day, sat down to do something, and had to keep adjusting the batteries every 3 seconds. So long story short, I beat the hell out of it against the corner of my desk until it was in pieces (it was a very bad day), and now I use one with a wire.

I've never had these sorts of problems with my logitech. Just the batteries die. Well, actually, I can do what you describe, flipping the batteries in and out every couple hours and prolong a set of double AAs for an extra day or so just to avoid having to go to the store. Gah, I am lazy.

 

[JasonRox]

But the tails make them easier to catch.

You are evil.

*evil laugh*

 

[zoobyshoe]

I tried the wireless mouse and loved it for the first six hours when it worked. I had the same incredibly fast battery depletion problems, and then, after about three weeks, it stopped working properly at all. I was ticked. It cost something like $35. I switched to a wired optical mouse and haven't had any problems at all with it. I don't recommend wireless at all.

 

[Moonbear]

I tried the wireless mouse and loved it for the first six hours when it worked. I had the same incredibly fast battery depletion problems, and then, after about three weeks, it stopped working properly at all. I was ticked. It cost something like $35. I switched to a wired optical mouse and haven't had any problems at all with it. I don't recommend wireless at all.

Only 6 hours?! I got a wireless mouse with my new computer at home, and have had it on for 11 days straight now (I don't see any off buttons on it), and it still is going just fine (though, I always have wired mice around as a back-up if it runs out of juice when I don't have batteries to put in it). If I were going to buy one separately though, I'd probably get one that's rechargeable...just leave it in its little docking station when you're not using it and it's always ready to go.

 

[z-component]

I have a Dell wireless optical and the batteries last about a month or a bit more, and the wireless keyboard's batteries last even longer. When I get my laptop in a few months I'm just going to get a good old wired mouse (I hate the touchpad). I wonder if the mice use a lot of battery power when they're idle (and mine has what I call its 'heartbeat,' where the red light just pulses lightly when it's idle). If so, maybe someone should make a mouse that you can turn off when you're not using it.

 

[Cyrus]

Oh wow, I'm glad someone else had this problem. I had exactly the same thing, I took the battery cover off because I had to adjust the batteries so often. It used to drive me crazy.
Anyway, one day I'd had a really bad day, sat down to do something, and had to keep adjusting the batteries every 3 seconds. So long story short, I beat the hell out of it against the corner of my desk until it was in pieces (it was a very bad day), and now I use one with a wire.

Yeah, my red light starts to go dim also, so I have to leave the cover off of it too! That microsoft wireless mouse is JUNK!

 

[Orefa]

I've always used trackballs instead of mice. They stay put at the same place on my desk so no hunting mice for me. And since they don't have to move around then the wire is no problem, there is no benefit in going wireless. Simple, works.

 

[brewnog]

I've had two wireless Microsoft Intellimouses. The first one died in the manner you described, and the second one's on its way out now. I'll get a Logitech next time, rechargable too.


When dealing with computers, the plural of mouse is mouses. 100% fact.

 

[Orefa]

When dealing with computers, the plural of mouse is mouses. 100% fact.

Heresy! I challenge this assertion!

(Actually I wish all plurals just ended with 's' instead of all these various forms. But that's a topic for a linguistics forum.)

If you Google around for mouses and mice you will uncover plenty of disagreement on the subject. Here are a couple of informative articles:

http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxmouses.html
http://www.cyberwalker.net/columns/jul97/070797.html

Since natural language is dynamic, correct usage is determined by actual usage. Gammmar does not dictate usage, it's the other way around. This means that if "computer mice" is used more than "computer mouses" then mice it is.

Now, I've just Googled for "computer mouses" and obtained 58,700 hits. Then I Googled for "computer mice" and got 497,000 hits. So mice it is.

 

[Moonbear]

I've always used trackballs instead of mice. They stay put at the same place on my desk so no hunting mice for me. And since they don't have to move around then the wire is no problem, there is no benefit in going wireless. Simple, works.

For me, the wireless benefit is when I'm at home due to the way my home office is set up. The keyboard wires always seem too short (yes, I can get an extender, but then it's drooping on top of other stuff), and the mouse wires are too long and in my way. I really can't win, and it has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that I've spent my money on a nice computer, and not a nice computer desk.