Computer keyboard and mouse question

[Clare Snyder]

Just installed a new Acer Veriton - still supports PS2 Kbd and mouse

- but comes with USB

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

mini-DIN. Regular DIN describes the older PC keyboard (and cassette on the original PCs) connectors.

BTW, one of the varieties of mini-DIN was used for S-video (which also fell out too easily).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I checked my 3 recent desktop PCs. 1 has 2 PS/2 connectors. The other 2 have 1 (purple/green) each.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Some do have them, although it's better to use USB. Use any port (although you might want to avoid USB3, usually with blue plastic in the connector).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

My best PC has 3 on the front and 8 on the rear (2 are USB3) plus MB headers for 3 more (2 are USB3).

I have a few PS/2 mice and keyboards, but I normally prefer to use USB ones (or the combination ones on USB) except once when I couldn't get USB working on a certain PC (it's fixed now).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

The only computer (Dell) I have now that came without USB was made in

1996, and is seldom used. I actually bought that one used, but it's likely to have been sold new with Windows 95.

Seldom-used computers can last a long time.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Mon 17 Sep 2018 07:06:58p, Mark Lloyd told us...

All of mine are USB3 except for 2 on the back. I use one of those for the keyboard/mouse receiver.

[trader_4]

Yes, I see people are saying that even some new PCs still have PS/2. Doesn't make any sense to me, unless there are some legacy peripherals that need it, that I'm not aware of. In the case in point, it shipped with USB keyboard and mouse.

[David Nye]

I have a Logitech K800 back-lit keyboard and a Performance MX mouse.

The rechargeable AA battery in the mouse has a battery life of ~8 days so I have to plug the mouse in to USB cable once a week to recharge.

Oddly, the K800 back-lit keyboard lasts longer at about 14 days between charges.

[rbowman]

Old mobos have to go someplace...

[rbowman]

Probably not but I have sort of a computer museum...

[gfretwell]

I need a PS/2 port for my Seeburg 3W1 juke box controller. My current W/7 machine has one.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Mon 17 Sep 2018 07:29:42p, David Nye told us...

I have a Logitec K520 Keyboard that uses 2 disposabnle AA batteries that last over a year. The Loitec M310 Mouse uses 1 disposable AA battery and last 8-9 months. Given the short battery life of your recharagebles, I'd much rather have my disposable batteries.

[gfretwell]

That sounds about right. USB was natively supported with W/98. My old Latitude laptop shipped with W/98 and 1 USB port. It is still running as my FAX, scanner and print server.

[rbowman]

I'm thinking his rechargeables are toast.

[Ed60062]

Cheryl got the information she needed...but this thread will probably go on for several years.

[micky]

That's too often for me.

If I were in that situation, I'd use one too, but I'm not so i don't.

More palaver omitted. ;-)

[micky]

I got a back-lit keyboard so I coudl type in the dark, but the keyboard itself felt strange and I couldn't even get the letters I actually knew.

So know I get up and turn the light on. :(

Coincidentally, the timer just turned the light on, so I'd better not use any special characters.

[Bob]

Sure, soon trayduh_fo will blame Trump for poor keyboard and mouse design.

[David Nye]

That's what I thought too but turns out piss-poor battery life is a known issue for the first generation version of that mouse and keyboard combo.  Too late to return them now.

I'll replace keyboard/mouse when the USB charging connectors bite the dust.