[TriLUG] Wireless Keyboard ... which one?

[Ritesh Kumar]

On Jan 4, 2008 4:26 PM, Scott Chilcote <scottchilcote at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Lee Fickenscher wrote:
> > I don't mean to give you a hard time and I doubt this is a concern for
> > the OP, but I have to call BS on this one. I've gamed exclusively with
> > wireless mice (Logitech MX Laser (RF) and Logitech BT) for years and
> > have never had any problems. Mouse bandwidth, IMHO, is marketing speak
> > to try to sell more mice. There can be lag issues with some lesser
> > wireless mice, but I've never experienced this using logitech stuff.
> > Ditto for the keyboard. The biggest problem gaming with a wireless
> > keyboard (and to a certain extent mouse) is with the darn batteries
> > dying  on you in the middle of a fight.
> > -Lee
>
> Hi Lee,
>
> I'd like to know what kind of wireless mice are game-worthy and don't
> have a turn on lag.  I've had two wireless mice, an older one from
> Logitech and a more recent one from Belkin.  The Logitech had a very
> slight startup lag that only bothered me once in a while during
> difficult sequences.  When I went back to using a wired mouse I got
> higher scores.
>
> The Belkin (should have known better, but it was *very* comfy) had a
> ridiculous turn-on delay that made action games impossible.  It was even
> noticeable while using applications (click and drag, miss the first
> couple of letters).  It didn't even use an inactivity timer; every time
> it stopped moving, it lagged the next time it started.  Another
> paperweight.
>
> I'm back to using a wired mouse for gaming now, but every once in a
> while the cable snags something and throws me back into meatspace.  When
> I searched for game-able cordless mice earlier last year, I had trouble
> finding any good recommendations.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scott C.
>

I agree with Scott. Most wireless mice tend to preserve power by shutting
their laser/LED off when the mouse is idle. Then they face a startup lag. On
the other hand gaming mice like the wired Diamondback Razer have an always
on LED and a constant USB polling rate of 1ms.
I guess it all depends on the kind of gaming you do. If you *don't* feel a
(positive) difference using a gaming mouse vs an ordinary mouse then you
probably will not feel a (negative) difference in using a wireless mouse. If
I use the wireless mouse (note that its wireless protocol is bluetooth and
not "RF") I notice a distict jitter when I move my mouse in game. I also see
the jitter on the desktop if I am moving the mouse fast and am carefully
observing it. The mouse basically stops moving for a fraction of a second
and reappears at the new place where it should have been. Ultimately for
desktop use you don't feel the difference, but for gaming the whole game
scene stops for a fraction of a second and "reappears" at the new
orientation... which as you may believe is very frustrating. I tried turning
on mouse smoothing in the game (ut2004) but it only helped to a limited
extent. The behavior also points squarely at low bandwidth available in the
wireless medium. The mouse dpi is fairly high (1000) which is higher than
most ordinary desktop mice.

I use a chorded keyboard and mouse while I (occasionally) play a game and I
see the big difference.

Ritesh