Desktop sets

G

gphillipk

Registered
I've noticed people report problems with their (not Apple) desktop sets. Newest post on this subject in the Hardware forum is about a Microsoft Bluetooth Desktop set paired with a PB ver. 5,6; some buttons do not work properly...A friend of mine went and bought a Logitech diNovo set to use with his PowerMac and had to physically swap some keys on the keyboard and downloaded some software that remapped the keys...
So I decided to search for a fully compatible keyboard + mouse combo that would do the job with the least amount of hassle. First I searched for the price of the Microsoft Bluetooth desktop set and the cheapest was $ 114.95
The Logitech diNovo Bluetooth set costs $197.00 (special price) on Amazon.com; the normal price is $249.00
If I were to purchase an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard + any fully compatible 2-button Bluetooth mouse (I approximated $50.00) I would spend $110.00 in total.
Now, why would anybody not go for this option?
The most obvious reason I can think of is that there's a PC they would like to use with the set, but I get the impression from some of the posts that the Mac (in my friend's case, I'm sure) is their main computer.
The second reason would be the Mac does not have inbuilt Bluetooth. So why not get The Kensington PilotBoard Wireless Desktop for Mac ($69.95)? Its an RF set, so if you've got other Bluetooth devices then add a D-Link DBT-120 USB Bluetooth Adapter for $39.95 to the Apple keyboard + some BT Mouse option and you end up paying $149.95
Which other sets can you think of/do you use?
 
Your thread title is a bit misleading. ;) I thought about "desktop picture sets" first when I opened the thread, then when I read the first line, I was thinking about "PC desktop computers" - and then, finally, I got what you were getting at.

Well: I personally think that people _should_ be free to choose. Some of the keyboard/mouse combo packages look really nice in stores, and before the Mighty Mouse, Apple didn't really offer a good mouse.

However: I don't like combo packages in this case. A good keyboard is very important to me. (And "good", with keyboards, seems to vary widely depending on the user...) So is a mouse.

The problem with PC keyboards often is that two or three keys are differently mapped. So I'd first try the Apple keyboard(s), and if they're okay, why not use those. Mouse-wise, I don't think Apple has a really good thing going on. Mighty Mouse - to me - looks like a neat idea that often doesn't quite work in the real world.
 
I agree, I really enjoy Apple keyboards. Well I don't like the new one, I preferred the white ones with the USB ports on either side.

As for mice, again it depends on what people like and the size of their hands. Personally I hate Apple's mouse, it's too flat. I use a Microsoft IntelliMouse, and it's the best mouse I've used by far.

SE61567.jpg

Similar to mine, only mine hasn't got those weird silver buttons.
 
I am developing a program to address the DiNovo keyboard multimedia keys not working on Mac. http://sourceforge.net/projects/hidefiddler

It does everything except the the media pad display. Should also work with any keyboard that has a media key that OSX isn't detecting...

Its a little rough round the edges, but should be much easier to use when I get the change to write a decent interface...


Horse
 
Interesting topic. I recently purchased a Microsoft Natural keyboard because my wrists had been starting to bother me at work. I brought it home with my to use this weekend to get a better feel for it and decide if I really wanted to keep it. Right now I'm thinking about taking it back because the space key really annoys me. Anyway, I know it's Apple's deal to make things simple but in some cases it's nice to have more options. It took them a long time to add the ability to switch modifier key mappings into the keyboard settings, I want to say that was a new feature in Tiger. For the most part if you wanted to use a third party PC keyboard you also had to find a third party app to switch the keys for you or just learn to use the keyboard differently.

On the mouse end of things it's still terribly broken. There aren't nearly enough settings built into the OS, even the Mighty Mouse config which is sort of expanded falls short. There needs to be more customizability. I like a mouse with a lot of buttons and I like to be able to USE all of them w/o having to purchase a third party application like USB overdrive. Some mice ship with Mac drivers and some don't, it shouldn't have to be a shot in the dark. Another thing that bothers me is the default-no-way-you-can-change-it-without-buying-an-app mouse acceleration. It' kills my efficiency, especially on a track pad. I really don't think it's too much to ask to have some sort of customizability there, seems trivial to me.
 
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