My desktop computer uses a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse. The two used to be a matched pair, until the mouse's left button wore out. Although I disassembled it in an attempt to repair it, it appears that the left button was permanently pressed down. (It was pretty impressive seeing the amount of electronics squished inside for this six-button mouse.)
I substituted an older wireless mouse, and kept on working. But every so often, it would not cooperate:
- Button presses did not register
- Moving the mouse failed to move the cursor
- Spinning the roller wheel did not scroll documents.
I've had this mouse for quite a few years, and so I thought that perhaps it was wearing out. I came close to buying a new one, but the ones that fit my hand well cost well over $100. That was a bit too rich for me.
I discovered the solution to the mouse's problem by accident. Instead of a new mouse, I decided to treat myself to a new keyboard. The new one had a wired connection (was not wireless). When I substituted keyboards, I noticed that the wireless mouse no longer acted up.
I think that the two wireless devices were conflicting with each other, making the mouse stutter. While a keyboard only sends the occasional bit of data (key presses up and down), the mouse is is constantly sending data to the computer -- x and y distances, key presses, and wheel rotations.
Even though both wireless devices were from Logitech, it appears that two 2.4GHz devices do not coexist well.
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