back to article HP pets network-connected mouse

What's worse: HP launching a mouse that connects over Wi-Fi, or that the company hosts a show dedicated to add-ons - the HP Personal Computing Accessories Forum 2011, held in Cannes, no less - to do so? Said input device is the industry's first, HP claims. The mouse "offers consumers wireless connectivity and impressive …

COMMENTS

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  1. David Webb

    9 month

    9 month battery life? Surely you jest!

  2. Thomas 4
    IT Angle

    I don't get it

    Why-fi instead of a Bluetooth or proprietary connection?

    1. Jonathon Green
      Thumb Up

      Title? We don' need no steenkin' title...

      Thomas 4:

      "I don't get it..."

      In a word, donglephobia.

      Not every PC has Bluetooth, even less of them have on-board support for proprietary wireless - my aging Toshiba laptop for instance has WiFi but no Bluetooth and I can easily see the appeal of a mouse (or other cordless peripheral - the keyboard surely can't be far behind!) which doesn't require me to plug an extra bit of (potentially losable or breakable) kit into a USB port.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Seems like a way to justify holding onto class B ip4 network ranges...

    just allocate an external IP to each mouse and you have magically reduced the number of "unused" ip4 addresses...

    Then wait untill ip4 addresses are a real commodity and switch over to private ip range or more likely just replace with bluetooth or standard wireless mice, and sell on the newly freed up ranges...

  4. Alan 6

    me no understand

    My Logitech 2.4ghz mouse has a tiny receiver that sticks out less than 5mm from the side of my laptop and doesn't snag on my laptop bag.

    The mouse has an on/off switch to save batteries.

    it cost less than £20.

    Why would I want a wi-fi mouse unless I wanted to control several laptops at once, that would be fun though...

    1. dave 76

      the cost is not the issue

      "My Logitech 2.4ghz mouse has a tiny receiver that sticks out less than 5mm from the side of my laptop and doesn't snag on my laptop bag.

      The mouse has an on/off switch to save batteries.

      it cost less than £20."

      The cost is frankly relevant. for laptops which have a limited number of usb ports, not having one of them clogged by a dongle is worth a lot.

      I only have 2 usb ports on my laptop, which means I have 1 usable port because of my mouse.

      And before you say, just get a usb hub, that's more stuff to lug around just to connect my mouse, no thanks. For you that might be fine but not for everyone, which is why there is a market for this type of mouse.

  5. David Barrett

    So..

    I need to keep a spare corded mouse on standby incase something happens to my wifi router?

    Ill stick to my CORDED (Yes, corded.. in 2011!) keyboard and mouse.. The battery life is spectacular!

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: So..

      Actually I reckon it's peer-to-peer connect rather than via an access point or router.

      However, the thought of a WiFi mouse that allows you to connect to a network and pick a machine on there to control is an interesting one. Purely from a technology viewpoint of course and in no way a "fun with your colleagues" one......

    2. scarshapedstar
      WTF?

      My thoughts exactly

      My router does tend to factory-reset itself every 3 months or so. I mean, there's also 3 PCs, 2 laptops, 2 ipads, a Wii, a PS3, 4 smartphones, and a Smart TV that could be used to restore the settings, but it's the principle of the matter.

      That said, I don't know why more mice don't work like my Cyborg 9. It's got two batteries, one of which is always charging. When one is low or dead, you just swap them.

  6. jake Silver badge

    9 months?

    What HP marketing isn't telling you is that consumers, for the most part, are on a 6 month hardware replacement cycle ... Waste, America! (Thanks, Apple ... )

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      6 month H/W cycle?

      What Planet are you living on. A Government one perhaps?

      Here (a $2B company) we are not buying any IT kit for use in the office until Q3 2012 at the earliest. I have a nearly 4yr old Thinkpad T31 on my desk alongside a 3.5yr old MacBook Pro. There is fantastic competition for the few T500's we have especially when one become free due to someone leaving. Oh, anyone leaving is not being replaced due to a year long hiring freeze.

      AC for the simple reason that my PHB reads El Reg on his iPad (personal one) when he thinks no one is watching.

      Mines the one with a nice new i7 powered device in the copious pockets.

      1. jake Silver badge

        @AC 12:39

        Did you miss my use of the term "consumers"? Perhaps I should have used "sheeple", but the inimitable MsBee doesn't like that term ...

        This machine (my main day-to-day portable & desktop device) is a 7 year old HP Pavilion 5000 series laptop, with docking station ... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is my mantra.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Stop

        John - You're fired!

        Good day sir!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      6 Months?

      I don't buy most people being on a six month replacement cycle. Maybe there are a few real nerds who just have to have the newest thing, but I really don't buy any significant number.

      I have a lot of good salaried young-ish (ie not started a family yet) friends and none of them have anything like this sort of replacement cycle. Even, the typographers who a mental for the latest apple thingie.

  7. N13L5

    maybe you missed a useful feature of a wifi mouse?

    it seems if I have several computers on my network, maybe this HP mouse will work with all of them, removing my need to have multiple mice sitting around?

    just need a matching wifi keyboard and wifi screen then... :P

  8. Robredz
    WTF?

    No Go For Gamerz

    The fragmeisters will keep away in droves imho, as the lag will be unacceptable......

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