wireless keyboards and mice

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I have just ordered my first wireless keyboard and mouse set " Logitech MK540 Wireless Combo Keyboard ". I have always used wired mice and keyboards so getting one of these is a new experience. According to the blurb they work off AA and AAA batteries, so how long do they last dependingon use of course. i read the claims but anyone here that actually has this type of thing may give a beter idea, if they could please let me know. I shall be keeping my wired ones as backups anyway even thought the "feet" I have replaced as the exisitng ones broke.
Will make a change not having so may wires across my desk
 
Only have a wireless mouse - I've never changed the battery and have had it for years, kind of like a TV remote in that respect.
I would imagine the keyboard would go through batteries faster.
 
Thanks for getting back to me Ken, the Keyboard has 3 AAA batteries, not that I don't have any maybe too many, with a MAHA charger and 2/3 others as well. I end to over buy on most things as the saying goes "just in case"



Pal and myself up to your neck of the wods before I got married and camped below the Campsie Fells . A farmer let us put a tent up on a small section of a small field. We were there about a week with spring water small stream ,wow did that water taste great. Offered to pay the farmer and he refused and said we could go back any time, we left the field as we found it.

Have to say the hospitality the scottish people was amazing , From arriving from London and waitng in a little village across the border. The local copper askedd what we were doing and we told him we swere waiting for the small cafe to open so we could get some breakfast. he only went and got the cafe owner out of his house to open up for us.
Our first stop wa in Rutherglen at the Hill House hotel I think it was called back then. Ordered a couple of drinks and my pal phoned a couple of girls we met down south. They were with us in a matter of minutes. The barman said he though the Scottish men were quick at finding girls but nothing like the speed we were with them. Didn't want to tell him it was pre arranged to spoil his amazement. Also knew another chap and went into his local, he said we had come up to scotland to see a Celtic/ rangers football match. The barman passed over some entrance tickets for all three of us and they were like gold dust. Didn't even want any money for them, generousity beyond the norm. this was all wayback around mid 1960's and left a marvelous impresion I remember to this day
 
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I've been using my wireless keyboard daily for about 10 months and it's still running on the 2 AAA alkalines that it came with.
 
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about 30 AA's in the plastic large box and 16 Eneloop pro AA, 8 eleloop AAA batteries. Do you think that is enough Andrew? :angelic: ;) joking of course. But thanks for your concern

Thanks Bob that is reassuring and for replying
 
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How do eneloops work on slow discharge?

I know many rechargebles recommend against usung them in items such as clocks as trickle use damages the cells and prevents recharging.
 
we replaced all our iMacs keyboards with wired, bluetooth and batteries, pain in the arse. Wired for me every time :)
 
My wireless keyboard has had one set of AA batteries in about 5 years, the wireless mouse packed up after about 3 years so I have now have a wired trackball ( wired as it was £30 on black friday as against £80 for the wireless version)
 
The mac keyboard and mouse seems to eat batteries, in a commercial environment its even worse. Really annoying.

Yep, about a week if you are lucky, and the Bluetooth is a mess, never ending disconnects then reconnects to a different machine, really bad. Here is one of the keyboard graveyards :)


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I have a Silver Crest wireless mouse and keyboard which I bought abut 12 years ago in Lidl.

The mouse is becoming slightly temperamental now but the keyboard still works perfectly.

The keyboard doesn't use much in terms of battery power but the mouse (because of the LED) gets through them more quickly - so I use re-chargeable ones.

Would definitely not go back to wired now.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I have a Microsoft windows setup so what happens with Apple Mac's i have no idea.
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How do eneloops work on slow discharge?

I know many rechargebles recommend against usung them in items such as clocks as trickle use damages the cells and prevents recharging.

The way eneloops were explained to me was using a glass of water and a sponge, the sponge representing the energy stored. with a small sponge in the water it won't hold much water(energy). Eleloop use a larger sponge so it hold more water(energy) for a longer time therefor a slower dissipation of water(energy)
Enerloop Pro are supposed to be used more for camera flash guns etc that need a high enery output

Hope this makes sense
 
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The mac keyboard and mouse seems to eat batteries, in a commercial environment its even worse. Really annoying.
Yep, about a week if you are lucky, and the Bluetooth is a mess, never ending disconnects then reconnects to a different machine, really bad. Here is one of the keyboard graveyards :)


View attachment 268277
I have rechargeable Bluetooth mouse and keyboard with my imac, about 2 to 3 months between charges.
 
Thanks for all the info , This is a product I am unfamiliar with but have had to replace several wired keyboards and mice in the past. Often wanted to clear desk space as wired does limit to some extent
 
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I have rechargeable Bluetooth mouse and keyboard with my imac, about 2 to 3 months between charges.

My keyboard and mouse were AA, perhaps the rechargeable versions have higher capacity.
 
Apple keyboard and mice versions 2 (rechargeable last for months) mine are currently showing 80% and haven't been plugged in for around 5-6 weeks, around Christmas time.

I also have the original magic mouse (2 x AA) and that usually lasted around a week or so of pretty heavy use.
 
Only have a wireless mouse - I've never changed the battery and have had it for years, kind of like a TV remote in that respect.
I would imagine the keyboard would go through batteries faster.
Mine was the opposite, needed a new battery about every two months and you always wondered what was wrong when it just stopped without warning.
Have gone back to wired one.
The wireless keyboard goes for years but that would be easier to use a cabled one as a really.
 
Trying to remember which model of the Logitech wireless desktop I had at work, think it was the MK540 (4 of us in one office all had them) but they all failed in the same way - the middle of the middle row of keys started to die - dfghj became impossible to type eventually.

Back to wired keyboard, but the mice kept working flawlessly.
 
I have had a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse for years.
However alkaline perform much better than rechargeables for me.
 
I use an Arteck wireless keyboard and mouse and find them brilliant to work with. They both have their own battery which lasts about three months.

Only problem for me is if you forget to plug them in now and again, they can die suddenly. The mouse especially. You can sit there for a few seconds wondering what's happening but by plugging the USB lead into the PC you're good to go in seconds.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Keyboard-Stainless-Ergonomic-Rechargeable/dp/B07Q93D73F
 
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On a side note, I do destroy each and every desk i come into contact with, I hate cables, so once everyone’s happy with their desks, I drill holes for everything, mouse, keyboard, monitor, tablets, phone, anything and everything. I do it in the house as well. Kitchen has no visible wires for the kettle etc, can’t help myself............
 
This is a product I am unfamiliar with but have had to replace several wired keyboards and mice in the past.
Whereas I'm still using my IBM Model M keyboard that was manufactured in 1988.
 
Mine is being delivered this afternoon between 2 and 3pm by DPD. Strange they can not only give a date but also a time ,yet other stuff ordered Royal Mail can only give a received and delivered day. No wonder private companies do well.
 
Well it has just arrived and typing with it now. First of all unpacking I could not find the wireless dongle it was well hidden within the packing, next plugged it in to a USB2 port and nothing zilch . What on earth? I thought to myself it don't work. Discovered it had to go into a USB3 port, something I just could not find out on the internet or the box it came with.

Now that is sorted more or less,will have to check the mouse to set it to how I want and got to get used to the keyboard as it has a wrist rest bar.
got to give it time to get to the feel of it

ok had to switch mouse buttons from left to right but that is about all apart from less pressure on the mouse on the Sharkoon mouse mat

The batteries already in the keyboard were the wrong way around . No wonder I was having problems. Someone at logiteck doesn't know positive from negative
 
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Both my Logitech Keyboard and Trackball have LEDs thereon which start flashing red when the batteries are getting low but still usable. :cool:
 
I'm the king of Logitech. I've owned dozens of their mice and keyboards. Didn't know they still made stuff that take AAs. Everything I have now is USB rechargeable. But I certainly burned up a bunch of batteries in my older models.

The ones on my desk at work would last 2-3 months of constant use, depending on the quality of the battery. Good batteries would last at the long end, but I never used those. There's a place here that sells cheap ones in packs of 24 for next to nothing. I'd just keep a pack in my desk and swap them out as needed. They'd usually last longer than the mouse.

Download the Logitech software. There's 2. The Unifying software and the Options software. Both free, both useful.
 
I've ordered a rechargeable mouse to check it out. This one connects via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz dongle. I want the"silent click" mode to avoid annoying the family, and for only 6.70€ on Aliexpress.com it's worth a try. I've had good results with the cheap ones in the past.
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Unfortunately tghe wireless keyboard and mouse i bought they don't put up the dongle signal very well yet it is only 2 ft away. Very disappointed will go back to wired if this continues
 
Unfortunately tghe wireless keyboard and mouse i bought they don't put up the dongle signal very well yet it is only 2 ft away. Very disappointed will go back to wired if this continues
Maybe put the dongle on a USB lead so you can reposition it for optimal radio reception.
 
Unfortunately tghe wireless keyboard and mouse i bought they don't put up the dongle signal very well yet it is only 2 ft away. Very disappointed will go back to wired if this continues
Prompted me to give one of mine a check out. The keyboard gets flakey at about 5m and the mouse is okay to 12m
 
Think I may have found the issue. I have a desktop tower computer with USB3 connection on the back and top. Putting the dongle in either position is not in direct line of sight with keyboard or mouse. Found a USB3 cable and plugged into the computer back and left pinned to the side. problem appears solved.

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I used a double sided cable clamp and placed it on the computer side panel.

Why don't they say it has to be used line of sight?

Computer keyboard key check. THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY DOG.:plus1:
 
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