Why no Wireless Keyboard+Mice??



  • Many moons ago I bought one of these:

    http://www.smarthome.com/9451.html

    As you can see, they don't make them anymore (and it's infrared anyway which kind of sucks).  What's great about it though is that it is a keyboard and a mouse all in one, and it's wireless.  That means I can pipe a computer into the picture-in-picture thing on my TV and kick back on the couch reading slashdot during commercial breaks on CSI.  I'd love to replace it with a bluetooth wireless keyboard but alas, the only wireless keyboards I can find are huge, and the mice are separate.

    Why is that?  This seems like an obviously cool product.



  • @tofu said:

    Many moons ago I bought one of these:

    http://www.smarthome.com/9451.html

    As you can see, they don't make them anymore (and it's infrared anyway which kind of sucks).  What's great about it though is that it is a keyboard and a mouse all in one, and it's wireless.  That means I can pipe a computer into the picture-in-picture thing on my TV and kick back on the couch reading slashdot during commercial breaks on CSI.  I'd love to replace it with a bluetooth wireless keyboard but alas, the only wireless keyboards I can find are huge, and the mice are separate.

    Why is that?  This seems like an obviously cool product.


    I think the reason you don't see more of these types of solutions is that currently, the PC in the living room is a rarity. I use a wireless keyboard and mouse (Logitech) and have found it's pretty usable. I think the couch is probably what is throwing you off - what you need is a Lazy-Boy and tray on a swinging arm (just like at the dentist!). I've found a lot of couches don't lend themselves to using mice and keyboards.

    And what are you using these new-fangled pointing devices for anyway? CLI!!!

    sincerely,
    Richard Nixon



  • @tofu said:

    I'd love to replace it with a bluetooth wireless keyboard but alas, the only wireless keyboards I can find are huge, and the mice are separate.
    Why is that?  This seems like an obviously cool product.

    Umm... Took all of one google search to find this: http://www.inpace.com/wkbt.html

    While bluetooth keyboards/mice aren't really taking off all that well (IMO), the world of "wireless" keyboards is vast. There's dozens of these things available: http://www.google.com/search?q=wireless+keyboard+trackball



  • Why should I search when I have you to search for me??

    Seriously though, obviously I did google.  That how I found the listing for the keyboard I already had.

    but thanks for the tip.  I think I might order this one.



  • best buy has tons of wireless keyboards and mouses.  the real WTF here is that your reading slashdot...  also, how the fuck can you read someone in your TVs PiP?   I have a 70" 1080i HD projector and there's no way I could read anyting in the PiP.  It wouldn't even be very good to read in the whole picture IMO.



  • @tster said:

    best buy has tons of wireless keyboards and mouses.  the real WTF here is that your reading slashdot...  also, how the fuck can you read someone in your TVs PiP?   I have a 70" 1080i HD projector and there's no way I could read anyting in the PiP.  It wouldn't even be very good to read in the whole picture IMO.

    Since he mentioned commercial breaks, I suspect he wants to swap the PIP and main picture to read while the commercials are on, and then swap back.

    I haven't check that link, but MS has some wireless media center keyboard that I think looks really awesome, though I don't know it's price or availability.



  • @tster said:

    best buy has tons of wireless keyboards and mouses.


    Obviously you didn't read the OP carefully.  Bestbuy has zero wireless keyboards and "mouses" that meet my requirements.  But thanks for playing.



  • @tofu said:

    @tster said:
    best buy has tons of wireless keyboards and mouses.


    Obviously you didn't read the OP carefully. 

    I didn't either.  I got the part about slashdot, and I glazed over, figuring that chances are that the poster was probably a uptight, pretentious ass.

    Bestbuy has zero wireless keyboards and "mouses" that meet my requirements.  But thanks for playing.

    Well, there we have it.



  • @Otto said:

    While bluetooth keyboards/mice aren't really taking off all that well


    At least in comparison to mobile headsets and the like, though the reason for those to be so popular (at least in these areas) is more the different standards for how the headset was to be plugged into the phone. Even within the same series of phones from the same maker had multiple different, incompatible, headset connectors.



  • @tofu said:

    Many moons ago I bought one of these:

    http://www.smarthome.com/9451.html

    As you can see, they don't make them anymore (and it's infrared anyway which kind of sucks).  What's great about it though is that it is a keyboard and a mouse all in one, and it's wireless.  That means I can pipe a computer into the picture-in-picture thing on my TV and kick back on the couch reading slashdot during commercial breaks on CSI.  I'd love to replace it with a bluetooth wireless keyboard but alas, the only wireless keyboards I can find are huge, and the mice are separate.

    Why is that?  This seems like an obviously cool product.

    I cant find your point, I have a Keyboard+mouse both wireless with same receptor and its common here.


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