[geeks] ...and now keyboards.

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Alois Hammer <aloishammer at casearmour.net>
>Date: 2008/09/15 Mon AM 12:52:46 EDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: [geeks] ...and now keyboards.

>I'm looking for a smallish, cordless, presenter-type keyboard with
>decent range (10ft?), an integrated trackpad, and absolutely no
>Bluetooth involved.  Preferably no PS/2 involved, either.  I thought
>that there was a reasonable market for this sort of thing, but even the
>Power(tm) of Google(r) combined with NewEgg isn't turning up much.  What
>it is turning up looks a bit iffy.
>
>Something like the Logitech MediaBoard for the PS3 would be ideal,
>except for that pesky Bluetooth thing standing in the way of being able
>to use the keyboard before an OS with a Bluetooth stack loads.  (And
>assuming that the PS3 speaks to BT HID devices.  I'll be testing that
>theory with a DualShock 3 sometime in the near future.)
>
>(Or is there such a thing as a Bluetooth<->USB hub that would take care
>of having to have a Bluetooth stack loaded?)

There should be plenty of wireless keyboards that are not Bluetooth-enabled - for example, only the MS keyboard/mice that say they are Bluetooth actually are. 10' range might be tough, but assuming you are in an office setting, you can move the USB/PS/2 radio "dongle" closer to where your keyboard will be (6' seems the typical range).

At previous jobs we used to have a PC under the conference table connected to the overhead projector with a wireless keyboard/mouse on the table. It worked for the entire conference room table and allowed anyone at the table to "drive" the PC.

Why are you so reluctant to use bluteooth? They make Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard/mice with USB bluetooth "dongles" that attach to the computer[0] - should be very straight-forward...

Lionel

[0] http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=033