Query on wireless mice

Yeah, I think the Logitech Unifying Receiver is technically Bluetooth, but Logitech uses a proprietary communications protocol. The mice and keyboards won't talk to your normal Bluetooth receiver in your laptop and you can't talk to the dongle with other non Logitech devices. I really hate that they do that, but there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. When it breaks they want you coming back to them for the replacement.

strollin said:

That's why I don't use wireless mice and keyboards and stick with Bluetooth because it's a standard. A Bluetooth dongle will work with whatever BT mouse or whatever BT keyboard. BT also can connect other devices such as headphones, speakers, GPS receivers, printers, etc... BT can also be used to transfer files. It's so much more versatile than wireless that I cannot understand why people bother with the non-standardized wireless stuff.

Um, Isn't Bluetooth wireless?

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I've used Logitech corded products for a long time and liked them. When I finally went wireless I stayed with that brand. I didn't have a laptop then so I was going to have a dongle anyway. I also don't do any of that other Bluetooth stuff. If I couldn't link and unlink, I likely would be using something else, but what I have does what I want of it. Now I have a laptop, but it doesn't have built in Bluetooth anyway.

alphanumeric said:

strollin said:

That's why I don't use wireless mice and keyboards and stick with Bluetooth because it's a standard. A Bluetooth dongle will work with whatever BT mouse or whatever BT keyboard. BT also can connect other devices such as headphones, speakers, GPS receivers, printers, etc... BT can also be used to transfer files. It's so much more versatile than wireless that I cannot understand why people bother with the non-standardized wireless stuff.

Um, Isn't Bluetooth wireless?

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I've used Logitech corded products for a long time and liked them. When I finally went wireless I stayed with that brand. I didn't have a laptop then so I was going to have a dongle anyway. I also don't do any of that other Bluetooth stuff. If I couldn't link and unlink, I likely would be using something else, but what I have does what I want of it. Now I have a laptop, but it doesn't have built in Bluetooth anyway.

Of course Bluetooth is wireless, I'm not the one that made up these terms. Wireless is a generic term for all those, non-compatible with each other, wireless dongle/mice/keyboards that are so cheap and plentiful.

Just because you don't use the other features of BT doesn't make them any less useful. I have mice, keyboards, headphones, speakers and GPS receiver that all connect to my various devices (phone, tablet, laptop, netbook, desktop) via BT. Only my phone and tablet have built-in BT the rest I use cheap little Chinese manufactured BT dongles with. I've only had a single item that I couldn't get to pair once. That was a Sony Bluetooth speaker that wouldn't pair with my netbook. I ended up using a different BT dongle and then it worked.

I like to get the smallest BT dongle I can find, so small that it never needs to be unplugged. The drawback is that I give up one of my USB ports but I don't need to plug/unplug a mouse or a dongle on my laptop or netbook when I put them in their carrying bags.

strollin said:

alphanumeric said:

strollin said:

That's why I don't use wireless mice and keyboards and stick with Bluetooth because it's a standard. A Bluetooth dongle will work with whatever BT mouse or whatever BT keyboard. BT also can connect other devices such as headphones, speakers, GPS receivers, printers, etc... BT can also be used to transfer files. It's so much more versatile than wireless that I cannot understand why people bother with the non-standardized wireless stuff.

Um, Isn't Bluetooth wireless?

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I've used Logitech corded products for a long time and liked them. When I finally went wireless I stayed with that brand. I didn't have a laptop then so I was going to have a dongle anyway. I also don't do any of that other Bluetooth stuff. If I couldn't link and unlink, I likely would be using something else, but what I have does what I want of it. Now I have a laptop, but it doesn't have built in Bluetooth anyway.

Of course Bluetooth is wireless, I'm not the one that made up these terms. Wireless is a generic term for all those, non-compatible with each other, wireless dongle/mice/keyboards that are so cheap and plentiful.

Just because you don't use the other features of BT doesn't make them any less useful. I have mice, keyboards, headphones, speakers and GPS receiver that all connect to my various devices (phone, tablet, laptop, netbook, desktop) via BT. Only my phone and tablet have built-in BT the rest I use cheap little Chinese manufactured BT dongles with. I've only had a single item that I couldn't get to pair once. That was a Sony Bluetooth speaker that wouldn't pair with my netbook. I ended up using a different BT dongle and then it worked.

I like to get the smallest BT dongle I can find, so small that it never needs to be unplugged. The drawback is that I give up one of my USB ports but I don't need to plug/unplug a mouse or a dongle on my laptop or netbook when I put them in their carrying bags.

I didn't mean to imply they weren't useful, just that I don't personally use them. Like I said different strokes for different folks. Sounds like you have it all under control.

I hear you about the smallest dongle you can find. My laptop won't fit into my carry bag with the unifying receiver plugged in the side. It snags, as my laptop only just fits in the bag. It has a 17.3 inch screen.

Well for what it is worth I cannot understand why if the machine has wireless capabilities especially a laptop why any wireless feature is not used and that would do away with the need for a dongle after all the two frequencies that are used - mostly the 2.4GHz which the dongles use.

I suppose being a cynic I reckon it is just the manufacturers building in some features that requires one the use their dongle. Can you imagine say for example the commercial airlines not being able to use the frequencies they do without some specialized equipment to do so.

ICIT2LOL said:

Well for what it is worth I cannot understand why if the machine has wireless capabilities especially a laptop why any wireless feature is not used and that would do away with the need for a dongle after all the two frequencies that are used - mostly the 2.4GHz which the dongles use.

I suppose being a cynic I reckon it is just the manufacturers building in some features that requires one the use their dongle. Can you imagine say for example the commercial airlines not being able to use the frequencies they do without some specialized equipment to do so.

In reference to commercial airlines? Are you talking about in flight WIFI or air to ground communication. If it's the latter, they do use very specialized equipment for coms and navigation.

Yes mate air to ground I was just using it as a ridiculous example ie an American aircraft over say China and them using different equipment set ups to communicate

ICIT2LOL said:

Yes mate air to ground I was just using it as a ridiculous example ie an American aircraft over say China and them using different equipment set ups to communicate

Ok, I got you now. It is specialized, but still universal across the globe.

Yep well I am going Blu tooth whenever I can now the one I got recently which was sent with no instructions (at the time but has since been mailed to me) is working fine and a lot cheaper than the Logitecs too.