General Discussion

So after seeing a few vids of World of Warcraft being played on an iPhone, I got a kind of gonzo idea: why not have a computer with no wires other than the power cord plugged into it?

We already have wireless routers and LAN cards. We already have wireless keyboards, mouses and gamepads. aside from building the blue tooth capability into the computer, I'm thinking that graphics cards could have a low power HDTV transmitter that would send a signal to any available HD ready TV or monitor within a certain range. You could literally use your PC from any room in your house that has an HDTV in it.

Cooler still would be the ability to stream renderings from the PC in your house to a smatphone from anywhere that you happen to be... Nah... That's a little too much even for me.

Or maybe I'm just tired of all the wires running around my feet when I sit down to my computer.

I actually just (literally, yesterday) switched back to both wired Keyboard (3-piece ErgoFlex) and wired Mouse (Logitech G9 Laser)... I rather prefer the wire over "zomg I'm in the middle of battle and I can't find fresh batteries!!!"

I know people who I've worked with have switched back to wired mice as well, citing the same issues and better responses.

But that's all personal preference.  As for Monitors and whatnot... I don't feel the need for the wire.  I have 4 computers and 5 monitors that I control with the 1 k/m, I'd hate for signals to get all finicky while I'm working and I click the wrong stock or my monitors switch computers on their own because of some hiccup in the system.

Plus, that's a little much for me to be randomly floating around the room... HD signals?  How far do you think you can broadcast em before you need to stick a powerful transmitter receiver.

Just one last question:

Mice and keyboards are wireless so you can freely move them around to be more comfortable... would you be doing that with your monitor?  Speakers?

And a suggestion!

Zipties, they be your friend!  4 Computers, 5 monitors, 3 speaker sets, several external HDDs, CAT5e Cables, headset... and a few box fans... and I don't trip over wires or anything.  I have, accidentally, ran over the cat with my chair a few times.

Actually, I just like the idea of using my PC from the couch on a 54 inch, 1080p HDTV

... That is if I had a 54 inch, 1080p HDTV... or even an HDTV...

I also kind of like the mobile device idea. The idea that I can use my PC from where ever I happen to be at is very convenient. They've actually done something like this for TiVo. I can't remember the name of the product, but you can watch TV shows on your laptop that are saved on your TiVo. I think you can also just watch whatever is currently on TV at your house this way too. Given, only someone that's traveling a lot would want to do something like that, but it's close to what I'm talking about.

I also Understand that the PS3 and PSP allow remote play of PS1 games in a similar fashion. I'm not sure, but I think that you can play this way from any WiFi hotspot. Now apply the same concept to the PC. As long as I'm in a place with an HDTV and a WiFi connection, I'll be able to remotely play any game or play any media content on my computer.

Yeah, there's lag and security issues to deal with here, but it would still be nice. Not to mention the fact that it would be totally wicked to play a couple of rounds of Team Fortress 2 during a break at work or while waiting for the bus.

Yeah, I 'd love to have a 32 inch TV screen and play my games on it from my chair.  There IS one or two keyboard/mouse set ups that are supposed to broadcast up to 15 feet and have testimonies from people that the batteries don't run down quickly, but they aren't real cheap and like I said - there's only one or two of them.

Yea, Im a wired mouse and keyboard too. Just works for me

Originally posted by Czzarre

Yea, Im a wired mouse and keyboard too. Just works for me

Wired mouse n keyboard for me too. I tried the wireless thing for a while but didn't much like it. Had problems with the mouse not always reacting to my movements, unless the receiver part was just in the right position. N trying to do something in a rush n suddenly batteries seemed to die. Lots simpler with wires.

Here's why I do everything that I can WIRED not WIRELESS:

1. I don't want people grabbing my packets out of the air.
2. I don't want the batteries to die while I'm killing you in CS/COD4.

Obviously #1 is a security issue so that's my main reason for always using a hardwire.  Frankly, it's scary how easy it is to get people's personal information by walking around town with a Palm Pilot.  I don't care what kind of "security" you put on your wireless devices, if someone can grab the packet they can eventually break it open.

Wireless really sucks. In previous post I read people telling about the fact they don't have reserve batteries but I don't get troubles by that. The worst thing ever happend to me was the fact that I lost my mouse. My little brother got his hands on the mouse and played with it and he forgot where he had put it. That was such a ghey moment. Had been looking for 30 minutes till I found it in the bathroom.

I don't game wirelessly... but if I did go back to it, I would make sure that all of my wireless devices were 2.4GHz. 

You'll find several wireless mouse products that have 'hot -swappable' battery packs. 

As far as receivers go, you can go with something the size of a very small thumb drive or the typical usb cable that allows you to put a receiver on your desktop with LOS to your products (not required with 2.4GHz, but 'safer').

Logitech makes quite a few 2.4GHz mouse products.  I know other companies make them, but Logitech makes some of the best. 

I would go lazered for sure.  No matter what mouse product you get.

And for the keyboard portion... there are 2.4GHz solutions out there.  There are even 2.4GHz BlueTooth products out there.  While I'm not a huge fan of BlueTooth myself, they are out there.  Microsoft makes a few products in this line-up and so does Logitech.  Get a keyboard that docks, if possible. 

If you want to stay cabled:

For me, I don't like a bulky mouse, but the Microsoft Sidewinder mouse has some great features (other than form factor, imho).  The optional weights, on the fly DPI switch function, and something as simple as the cable anchor make this a very cool product.  (The cabe anchor:  run your mouse cable through giving yourself enough cable on the moue-end to have full range of movement, the anchor holds the moue cable in place from there, as opposed to gravity pulling on the slack that normally would be hanging off of your desk/surface and dragging your mouse or creating additional resistance when you try to move it). (sorry for run-on sentence from hell there)

I'm a big fan of the Razer mouse products for comfort/feel, though. I own 3 of them atm.  Going back to a standard design mouse from the slim and trim Razer stuff... it's tough.  Feels like going from a sports car to an SUV. 

...

Wireless displays:

You could go with a wireles projector... or a projector, period.  The signal throughput is improving on the wireless products.  Resolutions are moving north on the wired projectors.  But if the goal is simply to have your display (display surface) at a more distant reach from you... a projector would be the way to go, imho. 

With DisplayPort monitors shipping, I'm still going to stick with a flat-panel/LCD monitor.  LCD quality continues to get better, though they still haven't reached CRT in true representation of 'black' (instead of the inky color you normally see). 

Wireless... POWER:

It's coming.  Tesla did it long ago.  MIT has done it recently.  We already use variations of it.  But, it's coming.  You'll see it in laptops and other items very soon.