IBM's PC business up for sale

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 04:26:59 GMT, Rob Stow
wrote:
Maybe someone needs to make a mouse like those flashlights and
radios that have no battery and no power cord: just squeeze
a lever or crank a little handle for a minute and it works
for half an hour. :-D

That might be the most strenuous workout some of us computer geeks get
in the entire day! :

-------------
Tony Hill
hilla underscore 20 at yahoo dot ca

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 04:26:59 GMT, Rob Stow
wrote:


Maybe someone needs to make a mouse like those flashlights and
radios that have no battery and no power cord: just squeeze
a lever or crank a little handle for a minute and it works
for half an hour. :-D

That gives me an idea!!! They already have kinetic power watches why
not the same with a mouse? Put some of that kinetic mechanism inside
there and we would be powering the mouse simply by using it. *goes &
file a patent on self-replenishing pointing device* pPpPp

--
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If you need basic to med complexity webpages at affordable rates, email me
Standard HTML, SHTML, MySQL + PHP or ASP, Javascript.
If you really want, FrontPage & DreamWeaver too.
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The little lost angel wrote:
On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 04:26:59 GMT, Rob Stow
wrote:


Maybe someone needs to make a mouse like those flashlights and
radios that have no battery and no power cord: just squeeze
a lever or crank a little handle for a minute and it works
for half an hour. :-D


That gives me an idea!!! They already have kinetic power watches why
not the same with a mouse? Put some of that kinetic mechanism inside
there and we would be powering the mouse simply by using it. *goes &
file a patent on self-replenishing pointing device* pPpPp


Marion: "Barry! What the h*ll are you doing there by the computer ?"
Barry: "Just shaking my mouse, dear."
Marion: "Don't do that here! The children might see you."

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 03:38:14 +0000, Bill Davidsen wrote:

Keith R. Williams wrote:

snip

I used alkalines for the M$ mice because they lasted 3-6 months, which
puts them on the outer edge of where rechargeables make sense. My
Logitech MX-700 mice are rechargeable (and use standard AA NiCd
batteries).

As noted, around here you can get 50 AA for about $10-12, and several
stores have recycle tubs. Where I work I also have a tub, and I dump the
family batteries into it occasionally. I think you hit the point when
you noted "outer edge" of the curve, for most people it makes little
overall.

That said, I still use corded mice, I lose the cordless ones all the
time, the IR connected ones don't work in the positions I want to, etc,
etc. I don't knock them, I just don't use them, not to mention needing
special drivers for them in many cases.


"Lose"? HTF do you *lose* a mouse? Despite their name they're rather
immobile by themselves. I've never seen an IR mouse, the ones I've used
are RF, and are quite position insensitive. Special drivers? My MX700
works fine on my Linux system here and even works on my RS-6000 at work
(where the KVM switch gets squirrely). The special drivers are only needed
for special functions unique to the rodent, not for base mouse operation.

--
Keith

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:41:56 +0200, "cquirke (MVP Win9x)"
wrote:

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 22:20:12 -0500, keith wrote:
On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 12:54:02 +0200, cquirke (MVP Win9x) wrote:

I've a bright idea: Why not use a dedicated socket on the PC that
offloads demand on USB, and then run a wire from the mouse to that
socket so it can draw power from the PC?

Dedicated socket? Isn't that whay we *have* USB? Why not a USB-powered
optical-cordless mouse? USB should be able to deliver enough power to
charge small batteries. ...not that I want anything to do with USB mice
(though likely won't have any choice, sooner than later)

I was being obnoxiously retro, and thinking PS/2 rather than USB. If
you have a PS/2 socket, then why not put the mouse there, and free up
the USB load? May avoid some "can't USB from this OS" problems too.

It's kinda amazing that we've had USB for ~8(?) years now and there are
still glitches with it - either devices are intermittently detected,
especially if plugged in permanently, or software which should run in the
background insists on sitting in the taskbar. Makes you think that maybe
there's a err, flaw in the concept??;-)

BTW I have both of the above right now.

USB can charge batteries and power lamps, but when you have "too many"
USB gadgets attached, it's usually a power draw thing. Knowing that
battery chargers are made to budget, and how batteries can pull juice,
we may see adverse effects on other USB devices at times.

There is one interesting device from A4Tech -- one of the few companies
which actually makes keyboards & mice AFAIK -- which uses a USB connection
from a special mousepad to power the mouse inductively:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...23-131&depa=0/
I dunno what it is but something makes me feel uncomfortable about this
arrangement... the sort of thing you'd want to at least see and touch
before buying.

OTOH, PS/2 is a drag if you forget to plug in the mouse before power
up (strangely, PS/2 keyboards don't seem to mind)

Used to be that plugging in either would often blow a fuse on the mbrd
IIRC.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??