Android tablet + wireless mouse: any recommendations?

[maxd]

So I got the new Nexus 7 a few weeks back and it's so good I find myself working on it half the time (one computer household at the moment). I decided I needed to try a bluetooth keyboard with the N7 and that has worked great! No problems, easy peasy, and very efficient.

Got me thinking, what about a mouse? That would make the whole business even slicker, in my imaginings. So anyone done this? Any specific recommendations?

Will any old bluetooth mouse do the job? I'd expect so, assuming the mouse wasn't crap.
Better to go with a transceiver? I seen this said here and there, not sure I believe it.
Use my smartphone as a mouse on the tablet? Is this even possible?

So yeah, fishing for ideas I guess. Bring 'em on!

 

[Igor82]

Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of the touch pad?

 

[maxd]

Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of the touch pad?

Fair question. I think of it as an addition to what I do with the pad as opposed to negating the existing features of it.

Seems to me that some things are best done by "touch", others would (I think) be better by mouse. Touch is great for reading RSS feeds and gaming, for instance, but a mouse would be better when editing text or audio streams or suchlike. If one device could do it all then that's great, IMO.

For instance it's great to be able to hook up the keyboard when it's time to do some serious texting, much more accurate and efficient than pecking away at the screen.

 

[Andy Walker]

Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of the touch pad?

I agree it sounds like you have purchased a tablet or phabtle to use it is as a laptop, they are both interchangeable but both have strengths and weaknesses, you will not be able to use a tablet as a mission critical machine, it's architecture does not allow this yet, the tablet has the strength of better battery life and the touch interface is great for mobile internet.

 

[maxd]

Trust me guys, I know the difference between a tablet and a full-blown portable. I've been building and using computers for 30 years and have been a heavy tablet user for most of this year (bought my first N7 right after ICE). All I'm trying to do is push the tablet a bit and the keyboard has proven that (a) that is well possible and (b) it extends the use I get out of the tablet.

So as I see it my interest in the mouse + tablet is just more of the same. It may sound a bit odd at first but if it works and works well then what the heck, bonus value out of the tablet, no? If it's DOA then fair enough, so be it. But the keyboard experience has shown me that it's certainly worth a try.

Philosophically speaking I think the distinction between devices is rapidly blurring into insignificance. For instance my tablet has way more horsepower than my desktop (it's an old XP box) and is infinitely more portable. If a thing can be interfaced to in convenient ways and is capable of handling demanding tasks -- document prep, sound editing, gaming, etc -- then who cares what you call it. I'd call it "useful" and get the most out of it that I can.

For instance I quite look forward to the day when I can take a 20 gram roll-out keyboard, plop down a wee mouse and use my slim little touch-pad whatever-you-call-it to do my job any place that I need to. If it's all ultra-light and portable, adaptable, it all integrates wirelessly and it does the job with convenience then I'm a happy guy. At that point it won't matter what it's called because it'll just be "my device", the thing I use to do my thing. We're damn near there already.

 

[PaaskeDenmark]

So I got the new Nexus 7 a few weeks back and it's so good I find myself working on it half the time (one computer household at the moment). I decided I needed to try a bluetooth keyboard with the N7 and that has worked great! No problems, easy peasy, and very efficient.

Got me thinking, what about a mouse? That would make the whole business even slicker, in my imaginings. So anyone done this? Any specific recommendations?

Will any old bluetooth mouse do the job? I'd expect so, assuming the mouse wasn't crap.
Better to go with a transceiver? I seen this said here and there, not sure I believe it.
Use my smartphone as a mouse on the tablet? Is this even possible?

So yeah, fishing for ideas I guess. Bring 'em on!

Hi Max!

Found some good videos and also articles I think covers what you need and what you wanna know about


yse blootooth mouse on nexus 7




use android phone as mouse for anything

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[PaaskeDenmark]

Only allowed one video each post so here is another one

use just a usb mouse quite good.



haha great error message > The following errors occurred with your submission
This forum requires that you wait 30 seconds between posts. Please try again in 1 seconds.

30 seconds between posts please try again in 1 seconds..... oh well

 

[mrmark21]

I've got the Nexus 10. I was originally going to get the Asus Transformer Infinity as that's the closest your probably going to get too a laptop (has an Integra core processor as well which is great for gaming) but I really liked the Nexus and figured I could just get a seperate keyboard and mouse. Well the Nexus is so easy to use I havent bothered buying the keyboard or the mouse. I'ts defenitely doable though and paaske has provided a good link that would best explain how to do it.

 

[maxd]

I've wondered about the N10. The N7 is a great format for me but I'd love to give the 10 a spin for a day or two.

 

[mrmark21]

I've wondered about the N10. The N7 is a great format for me but I'd love to give the 10 a spin for a day or two.

Yeah it's really good. The Nexus is a fantastic gadget. The bigger screen isnt essential though I just got it because I do a fair bit of gaming. Between the Ipad and the Nexus the Nexus was really a no brainer as IMO android is the better platform.