Battery life in cordless keyboards and mice.

  • Thread starter Thread starter James Silverton
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J

James Silverton

Hello All!

This is a typical description of a Logitech product:"The Logitech
Cordless Desktop Wave Pro Keyboard – all you have to do is connect it
via a USB port. Expect the battery life to last you approximately 3
years, so you can use the keyboard as much as you want without any
worries at all! "

I wish I could find a wireless keyboard and mouse whose batteries last
so long under realistic conditions by which I mean switched on 12 hours
a day, seven days a week.. Has anyone got any ideas? Mostly, I tend to
find "lasts up to a year", which is doubtless true since "up to a year"
could describe a few weeks.

I find it very difficult to get realistic information in computer
stores.


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
 
James Silverton said:
Hello All!

This is a typical description of a Logitech product:"The Logitech Cordless
Desktop Wave Pro Keyboard – all you have to do is connect it via a USB
port. Expect the battery life to last you approximately 3 years, so you
can use the keyboard as much as you want without any worries at all! "

I wish I could find a wireless keyboard and mouse whose batteries last so
long under realistic conditions by which I mean switched on 12 hours a
day, seven days a week.. Has anyone got any ideas? Mostly, I tend to find
"lasts up to a year", which is doubtless true since "up to a year" could
describe a few weeks.

I find it very difficult to get realistic information in computer stores.


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
Click to expand...

I have a MS Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 that the batteries last 6
months, almost to the day (I date the batteries when I install them). It's
turned on all the time (no on/off switch).
I have a Logitech V470 Bluetooth Cordless Laser Mouse for my notebook that I
bought in December and have yet to change the batteries. It has an on/off
switch, and is on 8-10 hours almost every day.
I've never owned a wireless keyboard, so I can't help you out with that.
 
James said:
This is a typical description of a Logitech product:"The Logitech
Cordless Desktop Wave Pro Keyboard – all you have to do is connect
it via a USB port. Expect the battery life to last you
approximately 3 years, so you can use the keyboard as much as you
want without any worries at all! "

I wish I could find a wireless keyboard and mouse whose batteries
last so long under realistic conditions by which I mean switched on
12 hours a day, seven days a week.. Has anyone got any ideas?
Mostly, I tend to find "lasts up to a year", which is doubtless
true since "up to a year" could describe a few weeks.

I find it very difficult to get realistic information in computer
stores.
Click to expand...

Truthfully - if you use it that much - get a wired keyboard or one with
rechargeable batteries and a stand to put it on at night/when not in use or
one that can be plugged into a USB charging cable and still be used while
charged (Logitech does some of their cordless mice that way.)

I rarely recommend cordless keyboards - because most of the time the
keyboard does not move from one place for days/weeks/months/years at a time.
Mice - I am not so rough on... but I try to get ones with rechargable
batteries and a stand or cable like I described above.
 
SC wrote on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:12:45 -0400:

..
I've never owned a wireless keyboard, so I can't help you out with
that.
Click to expand...

Logitech used to supply an "I-Touch" wireless keyboard using 4 AA
batteries that lasted six months or more under my conditions (12/7) but
they have discontinued it. The mouse had a recharging stand that also
acted as the wireless receptor for it and the keyboard but the mouse
NiCad died and I was unable to buy a replacement.





--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
 
I have a Logitech cordless iTouch keyboard using two AA batteries. I don't
know how long they last but it seems like forever or almost shelf life.
YMMV

Ted
 
I also have a wireless IntelliMouse Explorer that I never turn off. Very
seldom have to change batteries.
Ted
 
We have a Microsoft in the office as well and I believe we get 5 to 6 months
out of the batteries.

As for a mouse I have a Logitech G7 which comes with 2 batteries and a
charger. I use the mouse from 8:30am - 5:00pm every day at work. The battery
lasts me all day.. I usually have to swap the battery once a day.
 
The battery
lasts me all day.. I usually have to swap the battery once a day.
Click to expand...


What is it??

Battery last all day or you have to swap it once a day?? If you swap
it once a day it does not last all day!!

DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
 
kraut said:
What is it??

Battery last all day or you have to swap it once a day?? If you swap
it once a day it does not last all day!!

DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Click to expand...

It lasts ONE day, the battery he inserted the previous day dies and he
swaps it with the one from the charger. Clear now?
 
Bob said:
It lasts ONE day, the battery he inserted the previous day dies and he
swaps it with the one from the charger. Clear now?
Click to expand...

I find it a bit fascinating that a battery for a mouse can only last one
day. Is that typical for such devices? I mean, how much current does a
mouse really need to use???
 
Bill said:
I find it a bit fascinating that a battery for a mouse can only last one
day. Is that typical for such devices? I mean, how much current does a
mouse really need to use???
Click to expand...

Sounds like a pretty low capacity rechargeable doesn't it.
 
Hello All!

This is a typical description of a Logitech product:"The Logitech
Cordless Desktop Wave Pro Keyboard – all you have to do is connect it
via a USB port. Expect the battery life to last you approximately 3
years, so you can use the keyboard as much as you want without any
worries at all! "

I wish I could find a wireless keyboard and mouse whose batteries last
so long under realistic conditions by which I mean switched on 12 hours
a day, seven days a week.. Has anyone got any ideas? Mostly, I tend to
find "lasts up to a year", which is doubtless true since "up to a year"
could describe a few weeks.

I find it very difficult to get realistic information in computer
stores.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
Click to expand...

I have a client with five wireless desktop kits. One of these needs
to replace the batteries daily where the four others last 4 - 6
months. I guess the quality control has missed some duds.
 
As for a mouse I have a Logitech G7
Click to expand...

I have a logitech Internet Pro keyboard/mouse combination where the
keyboard lasts months, the mouse use to last months and now gets about 2
days on Duracell batteries.
 
Did you even read what I said? Duh. It works from 8:30 - 5, then I need to
swap the battery. So, yes I it lasts all day and I have to swap the battery
once a day. If I didn't change the battery I might only get 30 mins or so
the next day on that initial battery.
 
I'm looking at the batteries now, they're only 600mah.

So let's say I work 8:30 - 5, that's 8.5 hours.. subtract 30 mins for lunch,
two 15 minute breaks, and we'll add a 5 minute crap.. so we'll round down
and say at least 7 hours of almost constant use from one battery.

I do a lot of graphic editing, typing (word, excel, email), web surfing, web
design, so it's mostly things where I use the mouse a lot.
 
Only 600mah per battery. Maybe some third party makes a more powerful
battery, but I never looked.
 
Anyway, I'm extremely happy with the mouse. It's got 3 on the fly speed
settings right on the mouse, shows you the battery life too.

Only once or twice did I have a problem.. I didn't insert the battery all
the way into the charger..

... I could have switched to an old optical we had lying around, but I opted
to turn "mouse keys" in Windows.
 
Sounds like 1 AAA NiCd battery, and possibly you aren't even getting the
600mah out of it. NiCd can get a short cycle memory if you always
recharge it before it drains.
 
The batteries are *rated* at 600 mah, which seems reasonable for a battery
spec. But how much current the mouse actually needs and draws from the
battery is another story.

I would think a mouse would only need something in the *microamp* (ua)
range, not ma (milliamp) range. And someone else here mentioned they got a
few weeks or month or two out of their model, so apparently it is possible
with some mice.
 
It's Lithium Ion. It shows you when it needs charging. Green = good,
flashing red = time to recharge.
 
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