Business

Business Plans: Long Range Mouse

The long range mouse has been around since the 1980s–although, back then, the range was only a couple of feet further than with a corded mouse. Modern long range mice can operate from across a room, which makes them very handy for use in presentations. There are even mice that do not require their being on a flat surface in order to operate. These mice usually operate with radio waves and are capable of interpreting gestures which correspond to certain commands.

Most older mice operated with a ball that rolled along the surface of a mousepad and translated the motion into motion for the on-screen cursor. Then came the optical mice which had no balls whatsoever. Instead, these mice use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to scan the surfaces on which they are placed to determine movements and translate them to the cursors. The latest innovation replaces the LED with a laser that offers even greater accuracy, even on reflective surfaces.

Wireless mice usually operate in one of two ways. The mouse will communicate with its corresponding sensor (attached to the computer) via either infrared light or radio waves. Depending on the strength of the signal and the design of the mouse, the effective range can be 10 feet or 100 feet. Some people claim infrared mice give them better range capabilities while others claim RF mice do. The only absolutely certain difference is that RF mice do not need a direct line of sight to their sensors, while infrared mice do.

Long Range Mice and Fluid Cursor Movement
The determining factor of the fluidity of cursor movement with a cordless mouse is the mouses report rate. The report rate is how many times per second the mouse updates its position (and control activations) to the computer. A high report rate translates into quick response and fluid cursor movement. A low report rate yields a somewhat choppy and disjointed movement–which can be distracting in the middle of a presentation. Report rates can exceed 100 reports per second but 50 is often good enough for many people.