Air mouse vs "all surfaces" mouse for HTPC

A

almalino

[H]ard|Gawd
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I have HTPC+55 inch TV and sofa located in about 3 meters from the TV. I have just bought Logitech MX Air mouse - the one that you can use in air or on surface for my HTPC.

After playing with air mouse a bit I found out that it is much more convenient to use it as a normal mouse usin sofa as a surface. So, I'm wondering, am I missing some important usecase were air part of the mouse is very convenient? Or should I just return this expensive mouse and exchange it to some good wireless non air mouse that works on all surfaces?

What is your experience with air mouses?
 
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Why use a mouse at all? I have an iogear wireless keyboard that has a scroll wheel, two buttons for mouse clicking, and a trackball that you use your right thumb to move the cursor around. I find it really effective to use on my HTPCs.
 
+1 for keyboard with tracking device. The Lenovo mini keyboard with the trackball is supposed to be good. I use a gyration remote that has the mouse movement in it, but I very rarely use the mouse since my front end is WMC with mediabrowser :D
 
I use a Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX and am very happy. I sit about 14-16 ft away from the PC and it is behind a cabinet door, but I don't have any issues with it.
 
AQ_OC said:
Why use a mouse at all? I have an iogear wireless keyboard that has a scroll wheel, two buttons for mouse clicking, and a trackball that you use your right thumb to move the cursor around. I find it really effective to use on my HTPCs.
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Thank you for suggestion! I was considering this keyboard but I'm not fan of trackballs and touchpads. So, mouse is the way to go for me.
 
fwrigley said:
I use a Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX and am very happy. I sit about 14-16 ft away from the PC and it is behind a cabinet door, but I don't have any issues with it.
Click to expand...

So, that is the mouse that works on any surface? So, it works on the sofa surface? Any kind of glass surface of coffe tables etc? :)
 
almalino said:
Thank you for suggestion! I was considering this keyboard but I'm not fan of trackballs and touchpads. So, mouse is the way to go for me.
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Your typical trackball sits on your desktop. I've never used one as I prefer a mouse. I'm also not a fan of touchpads. However, when sitting on the couch and using a keyboard, having the trackball on the keyboard and perfectly position to be manipulated with a thumb is a LOT different than any traditional trackball.

I think you could bend your rule for once and at least try it. If you can get the keyboard from amazon.com -- and you don't like it, you can return it for the price of shipping.
 
almalino said:
So, that is the mouse that works on any surface? So, it works on the sofa surface? Any kind of glass surface of coffe tables etc? :)
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I use it on my leather sofa no problem. I have also had it on top of a pillow and it still worked great. I use the same mouse when I go on trips and occasionally I will come across a hotel room with a glass table and it works fine there as well.
 
I find using any kind of pointing device a pain compared to a properly configured remote for HTPC use.
 
fwrigley said:
I use it on my leather sofa no problem. I have also had it on top of a pillow and it still worked great.
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ditto. use my MX every day on a leather couch. i did try a logitech trackball but ended up going back to the MX.
 
I can't see why anyone would want both a keyboard and mouse in front of a TV, unless your TV is your monitor and you watch will sitting at a desk.
 
AQ_OC said:
I can't see why anyone would want both a keyboard and mouse in front of a TV, unless your TV is your monitor and you watch will sitting at a desk.
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Browsing WEB? Controling UI of music, video, picture players? Using Skype etc?
 
All of that is possible with a remote + Windows Media Center + plugins
 
almalino said:
Browsing WEB? Controling UI of music, video, picture players? Using Skype etc?
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All of that is easily done with a multi-media keyboard...one device on your lap. No space needed to put both a keyboard and move a mouse.
 
staknhalo said:
All of that is possible with a remote + Windows Media Center + plugins
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Ok, I would also need writing, reading emails etc. So QWERTY keyborad is a must. Even modern TVs some times supplied with QUERTY remote. For example Samsung D8000 to use built in SW. For HTPC QWERTY keyboard is a must imho, if you are not only watching video and listen music.
 
AQ_OC said:
Why use a mouse at all? I have an iogear wireless keyboard that has a scroll wheel, two buttons for mouse clicking, and a trackball that you use your right thumb to move the cursor around. I find it really effective to use on my HTPCs.
Click to expand...

i have 3 of these keyboards on 3 different HTPCs. obviously wont work well if you intend to game, but most of my HTPC are just media players/web browsers. works amazing
 
AQ_OC said:
Which plug-ins do you need to make this work with just a remote?
Click to expand...

Your players would be controlled via remote from within Media Center itself (even if you configure external players like VLC or the sort).

For internet - http://kylo.tv/ installs a launcher inside Media Center and mouse cursor is controlled using the arrow keys and ok button on the MCE remote. When in a text input field an on screen keyboard pops up.

For Skype - http://www.jaast.com/mcephone/ - or - http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows_entertainment_and_connected_home/f/25/p/101704/542633.aspx The first does all Skype functions, the second is for receiving calls only. All from within Media Center with a remote.

almalino said:
Ok, I would also need writing, reading emails etc. So QWERTY keyborad is a must. Even modern TVs some times supplied with QUERTY remote. For example Samsung D8000 to use built in SW. For HTPC QWERTY keyboard is a must imho, if you are not only watching video and listen music.
Click to expand...

In the age of the smartphone, you would want email on your TV?
 
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I have used Logitech MX Air a bit longer today and it looks like I'm getting used to it. It has dedicated Play/Stop button. So, video playing is easy with it. Using air gestures I can switch music tracks back and forth and also to change sound volume.

After all it looks like a good mouse for HTPC.
 
I don't consider web browsing an HTPC task. That is a desktop/laptop/smartphone/tablet type job. As for finding a video on youtube or quickly checking something like a twitter feed, that can be done outside of a web browser quite easily,

But mostly, on my HTPC, I want to select something from my library and play it. Maybe pause it, skip forward and back, choose something else. Turn the volume up or down, perhaps get some furthur information on the program I am watching. There is a button on my remote for all of these functions, a single button press. No trackball scrolling or mouse tracking involved. I have one of thsoe IO Gear wireless mini keyboards with a trackball hooked up, but really never use it. And when I do the stupid little thing pisses me off so much I just put it down and SSH into the box from a proper computer so that I can resume being entertained by it.
 
dustNbone said:
I don't consider web browsing an HTPC task. That is a desktop/laptop/smartphone/tablet type job. As for finding a video on youtube or quickly checking something like a twitter feed, that can be done outside of a web browser quite easily,

But mostly, on my HTPC, I want to select something from my library and play it. Maybe pause it, skip forward and back, choose something else. Turn the volume up or down, perhaps get some furthur information on the program I am watching. There is a button on my remote for all of these functions, a single button press. No trackball scrolling or mouse tracking involved. I have one of thsoe IO Gear wireless mini keyboards with a trackball hooked up, but really never use it. And when I do the stupid little thing pisses me off so much I just put it down and SSH into the box from a proper computer so that I can resume being entertained by it.
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That doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's your system so do as you please.

My IOGear multimedia keyboard is not a "mini" keyboard and it's easy to do anything I want to do with it. There is little compromise...and I do have WMC remote too.
 
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Sorry was mixing keyboards up. My HTPC has the Lenovo palm keyboard not the full size iogear one. I run XBMC Live on mine, which doesn't have a conventional GUI running behind it. It's pretty much an appliance, which is what I've always thought an HTPC was, as opposed to "a computer in my living room connected to my TV"
 
dustNbone said:
Sorry was mixing keyboards up. My HTPC has the Lenovo palm keyboard not the full size iogear one. I run XBMC Live on mine, which doesn't have a conventional GUI running behind it. It's pretty much an appliance, which is what I've always thought an HTPC was, as opposed to "a computer in my living room connected to my TV"
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dustNbone, sure, you have an ultimate HTPC as it should be done. In your case indeed, remote is just enough and very convenient to use HTPC.

I plan to use HTPC with WMC but, due to I cannot afford loosing the power I put inside the box I want to use it for some PC tasks as well. So, I need a keyboard and mouse.

I'm building a gaming HTPC. So there will be a decent CPU and GPU. Much more powerful then on my e-mail reading laptop. So, I might even use Photoshop and Video processing on HTPC.
 
It's just a matter of definition. I don't consider an HTPC powerful enough for gaming, photo editing or video processing. It's too small, quiet and doesn't have enough software on it for that. You have a PC in your living room connected to your TV.
 
dustNbone said:
Sorry was mixing keyboards up. My HTPC has the Lenovo palm keyboard not the full size iogear one. I run XBMC Live on mine, which doesn't have a conventional GUI running behind it. It's pretty much an appliance, which is what I've always thought an HTPC was, as opposed to "a computer in my living room connected to my TV"
Click to expand...

I recently bought that little Lenovo keyboard thing...since it was on sale for $40.

HATE IT. I feels terrible in my hand. It is backlit, so that is a point in its favor....but I can't warm up to it.

It's going in the junk pile.

To me, an HTPC is a home theater PC. PC, means a pc. It runs Windows, so in in principle you can do any PC takes you desire. For me surfing the web is one think I somethings want to do from the couch. Netflix, youtube, etc, I can do. I enjoy that, which is why I hated the Google TV because even though it has a browser, surfing the web on it was royal PITA.

Now, with my HTPC, I have the best of all works. WMC as the front it, MyMovies, as the rear-end (my collection has over 500 titles in it now), and a pure PC experience when I want it. For me, that IOgear multimedia keyboard is almost perfect. Perfect would be the same keyboard with backlit keys. If they came out with that right now, I'd order two new ones this minute and junk pile the other two I have.

Anyway, to each his/her own. The good thing is that we have choices...and if the OP wants to use a keyboard & mouse, more power to him. We each get to have it our own way!
 
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