philo - typed:
i have tried both a logitech and a microsoft cordless mouse,
with the best batteries avail...and i was lucky if i got a month out
of them!
the kind with the recharger cradle would be what i'd do if i were to
get another
Before this MS model, I had a Logitech Mouseman Optical who's battery
life was terrible - about a month if lucky. It was also uncomfortable to
use by a southpaw like me. My only remaining issue with mice is that
they should have ball bearings & not silly pads on the bottom to reduce
stiction. The mouse I have states 6 months battery life & it looks like
that will be exceeded. Having NmH batteries included & a charging cradle
is another option - especially if it takes its power from the PS/2 port.
I did find that putting AA NiCads in the Mouseman pretty pointless. The
current MS cordless also uses AA & not their small siblings. I also like
the left/right scrolling function, if not the indentless scrolling of
the wheel itself.
My brother can't get his mouse to wake his PC if connected to a USB
port, despite the jumper being set to 5VSB, Legacy USB mouse being
checked then unchecked in the bios & the settings in Device Manager
being toggled for USB devices.
If my mouse's battery life was only 3 months, I'd still be more than
happy. I would be very surprised if you only got a month's use from MS
model I have - cheap as well. My next k/b will be cordless but the
current MS models are far too deep - my MS Office k/b takes up far too
much desk real estate for my liking. Battery life on cordless k/bs isn't
an issue of course. I wouldn't bother with the expense or pairing
complexity of a Bluetooth mouse personally & IIRC, still need another BT
dongle for other devices - messy.