Wireless Mouse for Use with HP school laptop

[NewTricks]

College HP laptops provided for class have corded mice. I tried one out & didn't like it. Our tables are small, the cords are not flexible and bulky. 

Is the cordless mouse I already have compatible with HP? If not, do I need to know the HP laptop model to buy an inexpensive one from Amazon?

This would also be used with an additional unknown HP model that I will borrow for home use. 

Thank you for suggestions.

[Porthos]

20 minutes ago, NewTricks said:

Is the cordless mouse I already have compatible with HP?

Sure it is.

If you really want to spend money on another one I have this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NBTAOW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A2B0XX6670RA4T&psc=1

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Porthos

[NewTricks]

😊 I'm so glad I asked! Thank you @Porthos. I do like yours better, but am staying in the frugal 'lane' at present, just to enforce habits. 

I figured the answer was going to be exactly what you said, but if it wasn't, I was going to pick out something tonight. 

[NewTricks]

Worked perfectly.

[NewTricks]

Took another look at your wireless mouse. It uses two batteries, vs my cheap Asus with one. Plus depending on the color, the price varies. Still, the ergonomics looks MUCH better than what I have. So, I'm gonna spring for it. I always like to know your devices, because you have given them so much more use than I have or ever will!

[Porthos]

Just now, NewTricks said:

It uses two batteries

Always best to keep new batteries at hand for when they go out.

[NewTricks]

Yes, I'm a believer in battery backup, for years. All sizes, all kinds and I keep them in the refrigerator.

Whether that is actually needed or not is debatable. I am oriented towards small devices, so that's part of the whole mindset. Plus, nothing worse than being "caught dead."

(I'm going for the deep purple, but would like the white.)

[Porthos]

1 minute ago, NewTricks said:

(I'm going for the deep purple, but would like the white.)

Silly how a different color is a different price.

[NewTricks]

to catch "fashionistas" sometimes I cave, sometimes I don't.

Woo HOO! Just got it for $9.04, additional coupon applied. Little things make me happy.

Edited September 7, 2023 by NewTricks
update

[nukecad]

I tend to get rechargable mice these days, no batteries to buy and then throw away.

I do have rechargable batteries too, but it's easier just to plug the mouse into a USB port when it needs feeding once every 2 months or so.
You can keep using them while they are charging, then cut off their tails when full.

I'm also current looking for a bit of a change to the mouse types that I have and am considering getting this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/inphic-Ergonomic-Rechargeable-Adjustable-Black/dp/B074M96FKW/

Edited September 7, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

1 hour ago, nukecad said:

then cut off their tails when full.

I like the way you put this. 😄

Here we are again, me finding out about things I never knew before. This one looks like a beauty, the price is about the same, and it has a couple extra functions. I had to look up what DPI meant though.

For people that have multiple systems and lots of equipment, I imagine there's a pull toward newer/better. That  might also create a box full of still usable but obsolete parts, because "you never know."
 

[nukecad]

Well with mice they tend to breed because you often keep old ones with weak spongey buttons, or ones you have bought but don't particularly like, 'for an emergency'.

I currently have 2 oldish wireless ones in daily use,  an old one and a new one that I don't particularly like as backups, and a decent tailed mouse because as you say 'you never know'.
Oh, and my Win98 desktop still has a tailed mouse with a ball - for that original turn of the centuary vibe.

Now if you want backup input  options you should consider my Tecra M9 laptop.
I use it with a wirless mouse, it also has the usual laptop touchpad and buttons, PLUS what they call a 'Track Point' with 2 more buttons above the touchpad.
See the little blue dot over the B in the middle of the keyboard? It's like a mini-joystick that you use with one finger to move your cursor. Quite funky once you get used to using it.
PS. The blue is a foam-like cover for your finger to grip, but when I first got that laptop and didn't know what it was I thought it was an odd place to put a microphone.

Edited September 8, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

 I now have my second wireless mouse, and I will never go back. 😁 If I knew it was this easy,  cheap and a "no brainer"  I would have done this earlier.

12 hours ago, nukecad said:

my Win98 desktop still has a tailed mouse with a ball - for that original turn of the centuary vibe.

You have a way of saying things. Yes, I like that last century vibe.☺️not just for mice either. I was using Windows 7 Home Premium before this and I was so nervous about being ostracized for it. Little did I know that a lot of people were not using current systems, or EVEN CARED. If I could, I'd still like to use that, which is set up in my bedroom sans internet. I do have a Spectrum cord in the wall, so can use that eventually, but suspect I'll have to get a wireless router which can handle both the Dell and my custom built PC. In fact, that one has oodles of space, and my Dell does not. Right now, the issue is having enough room to download a huge ArcGIS file (1MB+) I'm using at school-that is the only system which will accommodate without problems.

Getting back to mice. Aside from the additional batteries for the TECKNET, the USB location makes much for sense. On the bottom. The ASUS has it inside the mouse; the plastic cover must be removed. Not the best design.

That Track Point is pretty darn cool!  Tecra Laptops are really lightweight, have dual speakers, full backlit keyboard (YES, YES, YES!) webcam, security measures, yadda, yadda. I'm afraid to see prices. But already decided my next laptop is going to be "REAL" not a Chromebook. I had to crawl before I walked.  I still have a question about why the ASUS Chromebook has a camera above the keyboard near the hinge. I'm happy to be enlightened.

Certainly never knew about rechargeable mice, but fully embrace battery conservation.  And now that I have two mice, I can see myself adding to the nest. After all, one must be taken to class. 🐹

[nukecad]

LOL, My particular Techra M9 is no lightweight. It's about 15 years old and has a real metal case. The specs say it's 2.36 Kg.

When I got it it had XP Pro on it, running on just 1GB RAM.
The keyboard isn't backlit, and it doesn't have a webcam - but it does have a fingerprint reader.
Security was more important than video conferencing back then.

It also runs pretty hot, they were/are known for it, and the vent on the left of it does a pretty good impression of a small fan heater.
Which can be handy if your fingers get cold when typing in winter, but don't put a bar of chocolate there.
 

Quote

I still have a question about why the ASUS Chromebook has a camera above the keyboard near the hinge

By putting the webcam down below the screen Asus are making you look happier in video calls, more confident in online business meetings, and less subservient which is important in many cultures.

Camera placement can be tricky when making video calls.
When talking with someone on video it often looks odd because you are not looking one another in the eyes.
To appear to look them in the eye you have to look straight down the camera lens, but instead you are looking at them on your screen.

If the webcam is above your eyeline, as most are then you will appear to be looking down at their chin, neck, or even chest.
If the webcam is below your eyeline, then you will appear to be looking at their forehead or above instead.
That way you will appear to them to be chin-up rather than downcast.

PS. My Asus laptop has the webcam above the screen, if I look at my own eyes on the screen then I appear to be looking at my chin - give it a try on your own.

Edited September 9, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

9 hours ago, nukecad said:

Which can be handy if your fingers get cold when typing in winter, but don't put a bar of chocolate there.

😆😁

This post really sent me on a wild goose chase-so what else is new? Mostly to nail down the functional placement of the "forward" camera and the "rear" camera. Along the way, as things often happen, I came across a scanning function, which is just a little bs for taking a screenshot of a document or a QR code. Back to the topic. Yes, I am initiated on all the various strangeness of video camera images from others. Chins, foreheads, lateral views, etc. I can't independently move each eye to check out if I appear to be looking at my chin when I am looking straight ahead. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is fixing hot spots when the sun is shining, because I sit in front of a window. I have sheer/lace curtains and just drape a crocheted lap thing over the rod and that settles it.

If you want to try to explain how the rear facing camera, which points directly to the ceiling, is "integrated" with the forward camera, which points to me, I'm all for it. If you feel that you're beating your head against a wall, pass on it. Out of all my video experiences, Webex, Zoom, Duo, Google Meet, the last is the best.

My wireless mice are now being used on each desktop. And I have a question for you regarding rechargeable mice. How about just using rechargeable batteries in a pinch? I know this does not completely land on the issue, but....Final question. Do you turn off the mouse when not in use?

9 hours ago, nukecad said:

PS. My Asus laptop has the webcam above the screen,

I would never have guessed you had one.

[nukecad]

Not sure about your rear/forward facing cameras, that's more usual for a phone/tablet.
You say it's an Asus Chromebook, what model is it?

I do have rechargable batteries, and have used them in mice in the past, but usually the voltage is higher in a rechargable mouse internal battery*.
Plus as said above it's easier just to use the supplied cable to plug a rechargable muose into a USB port. (or you could use a charger, your choice).
If you plug it into a port on the computer then while it's charging it's just the same as using a tailed mouse.

Most of them go to sleep to save power if not used for a while (30 secs, 60 secs, etc. depends on the mouse) and you click the mouse to wake it again.
I only turn them off at the swirch underneath If I know I won't be using it for weeks.

Some mouses do have recognisable rechargable batteries built into them, with others it looks more like a flat capacitor or even just a blob. Here's a couple of my current ones with their tops off.

*The one I'm using now also has a battery like that blue one, but it's branded so I can see that it's a "HONGU" brand, ICR 14500 ,500mAh, 3.7V, Li-Ion.
14500 batteries are readily available but check the voltage, some types are only 3.2V. Physically they are the same size as AA batteries.
The Flat looking type is also not hard to find: https://www.amazon.co.uk/EEMB-1700mAh-Battery-Rechargeable-Connector/dp/B09DRQYZXM

Note the L/R click microswitches in that photo, even though the meece are different manufacturers the switches are the same. (and in the mouse I'm using now).
So if you are handy with a soldering iron you can swap the worn out left with the good right from the same mouse, and even swap switches from one mouse to the other.

Edited September 10, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

6 hours ago, nukecad said:

if you are handy with a soldering iron you can swap the worn out left with the good right from the same mouse

I'll leave the soldering to you. I see the polarity connection orientation is critical, no assumptions allowed! Magnification is desirable. 👍

If you know who Sylvester the Cat is and the way he talks, imagine the word "FASCINATING!" The main way the top comes off of my ASUS mouse is by dropping it. 🙄 I am grateful for these photos; learning about the shape most of all. As far as identifying where those microswitches are? Clueless.

I have a Chromebook 512 Spin: for video meetings and streaming media. The one thing that really worries me is the box like apparatus on the cord gets really hot when charging. Should I be worried or is that status quo?

 

6 hours ago, nukecad said:

Most of them go to sleep to save power if not used for a while

That's helpful information. My German iron does that. Nice for safety but frustrating to "reactivate."

[nukecad]

Ah I see, it's a folding job.
When you have it set up 'tented' then the camera on the keyboard will be pointing away from you and at the top, and the one that was previously at the top pointing at you will now be at the bottom and still pointing at you.
Interesting, and one way to get a built-in laptop camera pointing away from you.
I'm not sure when you'd ever use it like that but suppose someone might find it useful. (Split screen so you can see/record the view and yourself talking about it on the same monitor?)

Yes some of those 'boxes' get warm and even quite hot.
You should still be able to touch them without burning yourself (ie. up to about 50 degC).
The 'box' is the transformer which drops the mains supply to the DC voltage that the device needs, That Acer one for your Chromebook one can give various outputs depending on what (Acer) device it's plugged into.
I have a similar one for my Tecra which gets pretty warm to the touch. My Asus doesn't have a box like that, the transfomer is built into the plug and never even gets warm.

Microswitches.
Each of those mouses has 4, the left and right buttons are the yellow dots, (they are 'silent/quiet' click type).
Maybe these: https://www.amazon.com/button-667-3mm-Silent-wireless-6x6x7-3mm/dp/B093PP7921
The ones for the wheel click and DPI are a different type (firmer press with a louder click).
Maybe these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/6x6x4-3mm-Momentary-Tactile-Switch-Mounted/dp/B00TXNKFYQ
The thing on the other side of the wheels is the encoder which measures it's rotation.
They are just low power switches so the polarity doesn't matter, in fact all the switches there are symetrical, made to fit either way round for ease/speed of assembly during manufacture.

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

1 hour ago, nukecad said:

I'm not sure when you'd ever use it like that

Me neither! 🙃|😊  One day maybe I'll find out, probably when I'm sick of it or no longer have it. OK, I won't worry about the temperature of the transformer (thanks for the name).

Seeing the inside components shows me that there's much more to MICE than I ever appreciated. Parts that are separately under $2.50 have a huge impact on functionality. Now, every time I scroll, I'm going to be thinking about the encoder! This is me, getting "Lost in the Weeds." I spend a lot of time there. 😄

If you're up for a subject change, I want to know what I need to buy for having two separate stations, in two separate rooms share a modem, or router? Maybe they don't. Which is why I ask.

I have cable coming from the wall in each room. My internet access at present is limited to a Dell (Windows 11 and not much space) which has an ancient Linksys router and a fairly new (company owned) modem. My system is connected by the cable coming from the wall.

In a separate room, I have a custom CPU with lots of space on the hard drive. This has Windows 7 Home Premium and is plugged into the wall. Each has it's own printer, keyboard, mouse. 

This semester, I'm taking an introductory ArcGIS course and the program download would only would fit on the Windows 7 system. I could live without it, but the cost of gas/time to access school computers might equal the expense of whatever extra equipment I end of buying. Plus, after the course is over, I'd like to watch streaming media in a different environment than my office.

Thanks @nukecad

[nukecad]

I'm not sure just what you are asking.

My first question is do you already have the internet on both machines?

From what you describe I think you mean you have a cable modem connected to the line-in, a Linksys router connected to that modem, and then a Win11 computer connected to the router by an ethernet cable. That's all standard.

Then when you say the Win7 machine is plugged into the wall - do you mean it already has an internet conection through that? Or do you just mean a power socket? (I think it must have internet already if you downloaded ArcGIS to it).
If it already has internet then unless you have another modem and router then it is obviously using the same ones.
So the connections routing(s) there would be - Line-in > Modem > Router > In-wall cabling > Computers.

Do I assume that your Chromebook is also connecting to the Linksys by wifi?

I have a suspicion that what you are asking is if you can share the Win7 machines larger drive with the Win11 machine?
You should be able to do that fairly easily if they are on the same network, but it may not be the best solution.

If you are short of storage on the Win11 machine then a better solution could be to fit another drive, either internally or plug an external one into a USB port.
(You could even take the drive out of the Win7 machine, reformat it, and fit it to the Win 11 one for more storage).

What size drives do the 2 machines currently have?

PS. Have you considered upgrading the Win7 machine to Win10 which would be safer if you are going online with it?
It's still free to do that if you know how: https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by nukecad

[NewTricks]

I have a cable modem connected to a line-in Linksys router, on the Dell with Win11. Yes, the Chromebook is connecting to the Linksys by Wifi.

The computer that has Windows 7 is plugged into a power outlet from the wall. No internet access whatsoever.

I have not yet tried to download and install the ArcGIS program on the Dell because I don't think there's enough room on it.

Dell has 89 GB free out of 218 GB.

Custom PC 376GB out of 465 GB

I have not considered upgrading from Win7, cause I like it. But willing to change if it's going to be safer.

Edited September 12, 2023 by NewTricks
Update

[Porthos]

3 hours ago, NewTricks said:

I have not considered upgrading from Win7, cause I like it. But willing to change if it's going to be safer.

It is always safer to use a supported OS.

I would like to know more about the specs of that computer.

[NewTricks]

I will do my best to get specific information. Tell me what you need to know @Porthos

1 hour ago, Porthos said:

It is always safer to use a supported OS.

putting it like that busted through my resistance.

[Porthos]

Proccessor, ram, HD size and type.

Keep in mind, in October 2025 Windows 10 will be out of support as well.

[NewTricks]

Is this what you need?

Oh, I didn't know Windows 10 support was ending so soon. Thanks for that info.

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by NewTricks
personal ID left in Drive specs, corrected