Recommend a Silent Mouse and Keyboard?

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Fabool
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Post by Fabool » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:52 pm

zoob wrote:Any comments on the Razer DeathAdder?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php? ... ture=Razer

I'm looking at getting a new gaming mouse. The whine on my MX510 is so loud!
Wow, I haven't posted on these forums in ages...

Anyway, I was recently forced to upgrade my computer and bought one of these in the process. I'm not a big fan of Razer due to the fact that they have some strange urge to stick leds into every peripheral they make. I'm not a big gamer either; I think I only have one game on my machine at the moment.
The reason I got the Deathadder was that I have always liked the shape of the Razer mice, although I have never owned one. I needed to replace a Logitech G1 that had the typical flaw; it had a really annoying high-pitched whine, also my previous wireless MS Intellimouse black leather had the same kind of whine, so I was pretty pissed off with both brands at the moment.
I'm happy to say the Deathadder has no whine whatsoever! However, it's not a silent mouse per se; the clicks are easily audible. This does not concern me personally as I'd rather have audible clicks, than silence and poor feedback on clicks. The leds on the mouse are thankfully better than with other Razer mice I've seen; the wheel is illuminated and there's a pulsing logo on the back, both which are not that distracting. Still waiting for Vista64 drivers so I can turn them off completely.
I only have one real problem with the mouse, and that's with the mouse wheel which has started squeaking! Extremely annoying and disapointing with a high priced mouse like this; Unfortunately, I can't be bothered to send it back to the shop, which is in Germany of all places, under the guise of warranty. I believe the problem was rectified with a newer revision later on and there are some instructions on the net on how to lubricate the wheel and fix the problem, but I haven't gotten around to doing that yet.
Otherwise a good mouse, certainly better than the G1 or the black leather intellimouse I had earlier. It could perhaps be a tad higher from the rear but it's not a huge problem.
There's also some firmware fixes available for acceleration and lift off problems, but I haven't bothered to try those as I'm not a gamer and haven't had any problems with the mouse's motion.

mg2plus
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Post by mg2plus » Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:29 am

I also use cherry keyboards. They are rather quiet.

zoob
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Post by zoob » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:02 am

Fabool wrote:Wow, I haven't posted on these forums in ages...
<snip>
Otherwise a good mouse, certainly better than the G1 or the black leather intellimouse I had earlier. It could perhaps be a tad higher from the rear but it's not a huge problem.
There's also some firmware fixes available for acceleration and lift off problems, but I haven't bothered to try those as I'm not a gamer and haven't had any problems with the mouse's motion.
Thanks Fabool!

How are the mouse clicks compared to your old Logitech mouse? I'm hoping it won't be louder than the one I'm using now :)

For anyone else interested in the DeathAdder, a guide can be found here: http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1334185

Trip
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Post by Trip » Tue May 08, 2007 5:18 am

SPCR Thanko Silent Mouse review (sold at dynamism)

Buffalo USB Silent Mouse for sale

I can't find product info (at least not in English) on the buffalo mouse...

---

Dynamism has some neat stuff, e.g. Laser keyboard that projects a keyboard onto a surface and reads what keys are 'pushed.' I'm not interested in buying something like that, but it is neat.

---

Has anyone tried a silent mouse or keyboard from clitheroelancs? ref. vendor posted on previous page of this thread.

---

Conclusion:

I'm going to go with the silent mouse from clitheroelancs because the other 2 might be too small.

Found the Thanko silent keyboard sold here. Except for the extra Japanese keys, it sounds great! I'm fairly certain the webpage is exaggerating its quietness though.

So, I'll order both, and write up my experiences.

Fabool
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Post by Fabool » Tue May 08, 2007 9:05 am

zoob wrote: Thanks Fabool!

How are the mouse clicks compared to your old Logitech mouse? I'm hoping it won't be louder than the one I'm using now :)

For anyone else interested in the DeathAdder, a guide can be found here: http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1334185
Now that I compared the clicks, I have to say that the Deathadder is louder.
Putting the Deathadder side-by-side with the Logitech G1 and the wireless Intellimouse explorer 2.0, it's probably the loudest one of them all, or at least tied with the intellimouse. The intellimouse click is a lot more plastic, where as the deathadder sounds very 'sharp'. The G1 is a smaller mouse than the other two, and the click is very similar to that of the deathadder but not as loud.
The Deathadder is definetly not a quiet mouse but then again, there's a limit to where I'm willing to go for silence versus tactile feedback when I'm working. A good mouse but not without it's faults.

I use the mouse with a Logitech UltraX keyboard which I also bought recently. Purchasing decision was influenced by the looks, layout and noise/keytype. I like the flat keys on this and it's, of course, world's apart from my previous Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro in terms of noise, however there are some noticeable problems with the keys in general.
You really need to hit most of the keys dead center or they won't register. I tend to hit the corners of some keys while typing quickly and this causes problems. Also, some keys are a bit unresponsive regardless, such as the line-key next to the right shift-key.
Due to these problems, the keyboard feels somewhat cheap (well, it was cheap..) and disapointing. This could very well just be a bad sample, I seem to have the worst of luck with Logitech products; never had one that I was satisfied with from the start. Might need to open it up some day and see if things can be improved upon.

dfrost
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Best Mouse I've Used!

Post by dfrost » Tue May 08, 2007 11:20 am

I seem to have the worst of luck with Logitech products; never had one that I was satisfied with from the start.
I needed a new mouse for my work laptop after the small corded one started getting flaky (and I do not like touch pads, at all!). Tried a Microsoft wireless, and in two weeks, the left click "button" was popping, creaking, and becoming distinctly dissatisfying. Thankfully, Staples was quite willing to take it back, and did not insist on a like replacement.

My Logitech VX Revolution is far and away, the most satisfying computer device I've used. I am seriously considering asking for a second one for Father's Day to use with my home desktop, despite the need for batteries.

It has all the buttons I want and use regularly, none that I don't , feels great in the hand and on any surface, and the (selectably) free-spinning weighted scroll wheel is an amazing improvement for large documents, spreadsheets and websites (like this thread). Yes, it's expensive, but worth it to me. And it's quiet, too. Thankfully, I meet the criterion of being right mouse-handed.

And I do somewhat agree with the quoted comment above. My Logitech DiNovo keyboard is good and bad - I like the general feel, quiet operation, narrower width with separate numeric keypad, all the function keys, and looks; but the spacebar is erratic and the Caps Lock button is much too easy to hit accidently - why didn't they recess the right side of that button like every other keyboard manufacturer?

I never bothered to use the simplistic mouse included with the (non-Bluetooth) DiNovo, but my previously very nice corded MX-310 now feels decidedly "stodgy" in comparison to the VX Revolution.

Trip
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Post by Trip » Mon May 14, 2007 1:34 pm

Thanko silent keyboard minireview

The keyboard arrived today.

Characteristics

It's very quiet to be sure.

The keys are a little difficult to use though I think I can adjust. (any keyboard is strange at first though this one unusually so)

The backspace button is annoyingly small but I might be able to program a useless key (with Japanese writing) that is beside it to take up the same function.

Some keys are dead silent while some produce a slight noise. The backspace button in particular produces a slight noise upon release (as it rises from the depressed position).

I have never been annoyed by keyboard noise, but the difference between the backspace noise and the rest of the keys is actually beginning to bug me. The backspace key is only noisy relative to the rest of the keys on the keyboard.

The Shift button must be pressed firmly to register. Being a pinky key, this is slightly annoying. The same extra firmness must be used with every key, but it isn't generally much of an annoyance.

The return key is unusually large

The sleep, wake, and power buttons are placed conveniently away from the rest of the keys.

English letters are written large on each key with smaller Japanese characters displayed underneath. A few extra keys exist with no English lettering at the expense of portions of the backspace and space bar keys.

It can be difficult to locate certain, err nonletter keys. Notable example: The "[" key which is not even printed on its key though it is in the usual place. The "]" key is printed as "[" though it too is in its usual place.

Made in China, but appears be made well.

At a cost of about 50 dollars, it is expensive (most of the cost is derived from the shipping from Japan).

This keyboard is the quietest I've ever used. I have never used a flexible keyboard, but I have used laptop keyboards.
---

Conclusion

Overall I'm happy. After typing this post, my typing speed is almost as fast, my error creation is almost as scarce, I can almost always find the backspace key without searching, and I will no longer worry about disturbing others when they are sleeping.

It remains to be seen whether the extra firmness will cause hand cramps or whether the keys can be programmed (haven't read directions yet). Another potential problem: the keys become loose over time from use. This would make them easier to use but noisier as well. Note: There is no sign of the keys becoming loose due to use; this is merely a possibility I am foreseeing.

Worst case scenario: I'll alternative between two keyboards (quiet and regular) depending upon whether someone else is asleep in the house. Presently I will only use the one; I like it very much.

Trip
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Post by Trip » Mon May 21, 2007 6:58 pm

The Silent Mouse came in today.

The two clickers are as quiet as one could wish. The scroll button in the center has not been quieted, but this is rarely used.

The mouse is not too small. Its cord length appears to be of average length. I would prefer it to be of extended length, but this is a minor quibble.

The mouse connects with PS/2 connection. It is an optical mouse.

I'm using it to replace a previous optical mouse. However, the mouse does not respond well enough for everyday use. EDIT: fixed! The mouse works very well if scrap paper on a hard book is used as a mouse pad.

It works as well as a cheap mouse is expected to work. It does not work as well as a $100 mouse though of course.

This mouse proves that mice can be silenced. It works just as well as a standard mouse and produces very little noise.

I give it 9/10 only because the scroll wheel has not been silenced. However, this is a minor quibble because I almost never use the scroll wheel.


EDIT: It really doesn't work as well as a standard mouse... I should have said it works sufficiently well.
Last edited by Trip on Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:43 am, edited 3 times in total.

SoopahMan
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Post by SoopahMan » Tue May 22, 2007 2:20 am

Surely an optical mouse uses more energy - I mean afterall, a ball mouse is actually getting free electricity - you're providing it. Moving the mouse means your arm is physically turning the wheels and creating the electrical signal that ultimately tells the computer what your mouse is doing. The optical mouse uses computer fed electricity to do this.

Trip
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Post by Trip » Tue May 22, 2007 2:45 pm

The silent mouse works great now that I'm using scrap paper as a mouse pad.

I highly recommend this mouse. It is not too small like the Thanko mouse that was reviewed, and it looks fairly good.

The silent mouse works well enough and is very quiet. The Thanko keyboard produces a few more typing errors but is also very quiet.
Surely an optical mouse uses more energy
I suspect you're correct.

mentawl
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Post by mentawl » Wed May 30, 2007 11:43 am

Just thought I'd chime in on this topic, took delivery of an Enermax Aurora keyboard today.

Very pleased with the keyboard - it's about as silent as I imagine it could be and still provide reasonable feedback when you press a key, and each keypress is noticeable. It *is* a "laptop style" keyboard, and thus has little in the way of travel - I actually prefer this, but others don't.

It's also constructed very solidly, and is exceptionally stylish in my opinion - simple and effective, with no fancy colours, extra buttons or random stuff like that. Feels like it'll last me years, and I sincerely hope it does =). The only downside is the price, but since my last (budget at £9) keyboard lasted me 4 years, I'm sure this one'll pay for itself over a similar timeframe.

--Tom

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Thu May 31, 2007 5:44 am

mentawl wrote:Just thought I'd chime in on this topic, took delivery of an Enermax Aurora keyboard today.
Link for the lazy.


....and a bonus Newegg link.

JazzJackRabbit
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Post by JazzJackRabbit » Thu May 31, 2007 12:43 pm

Ehmmmm... I don't see myself buying it.

1. It's basically UltraX with aluminum casing.
2. No extra multimedia buttons
3. $72 shipped? Pfffff... Does it come with gold trim? I'd rather get three UltraX keyboards for the same price.
4. Just wait till winter and you will want to install small heater inside the keyboard. I had aluminum/metal mousepad once. Never again, that thing was ice cold in the winter.
5. Did I mention it's basically the same keyboard as UltraX?

mentawl
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Post by mentawl » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:01 pm

JazzJackRabbit wrote:Ehmmmm... I don't see myself buying it.

1. It's basically UltraX with aluminum casing.
2. No extra multimedia buttons
3. $72 shipped? Pfffff... Does it come with gold trim? I'd rather get three UltraX keyboards for the same price.
4. Just wait till winter and you will want to install small heater inside the keyboard. I had aluminum/metal mousepad once. Never again, that thing was ice cold in the winter.
5. Did I mention it's basically the same keyboard as UltraX?
1. Pretty much. The quality of the aluminium casing needs to be seen though, it's flawless with well defined edges and a good weight.
2. I actually count this as a plus. I can't stand extra useless buttons.
3. Yeah, it's expensive, but it's a third of the basic interface you have with your PC. It's worth spending money on, and I don't regret the price in the slightest - it's solid as anything, a joy to type on, and should last me years (even my last £9 keyboard lasted 4 years...)..
4. You rarely actually touch the case of a keyboard when typing on it - your hands tend to rest in front of it on the table. Being aluminium, it also warms up really quickly, and there's not *that* much aluminium - not a lot of mass to warm up, hehe.
5. Yup. And the UltraX doesn't look anywhere near as stylish or solid as this board is.

Just my opinions, but I really, really like the keyboard. I type faster and more comfortably than before, and anyone who sees it mentions how nice it looks. Definately recommend it myself :).

--Tom

zoob
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Post by zoob » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:09 pm

Fabool wrote:Now that I compared the clicks, I have to say that the Deathadder is louder.
Putting the Deathadder side-by-side with the Logitech G1 and the wireless Intellimouse explorer 2.0, it's probably the loudest one of them all, or at least tied with the intellimouse. The intellimouse click is a lot more plastic, where as the deathadder sounds very 'sharp'. The G1 is a smaller mouse than the other two, and the click is very similar to that of the deathadder but not as loud.
The Deathadder is definetly not a quiet mouse but then again, there's a limit to where I'm willing to go for silence versus tactile feedback when I'm working. A good mouse but not without it's faults.
I finally received my DeathAdder today (after it being out of stock for the longest time).

It came with the latest firmware. I downloaded the Vista X64 drivers off the website. I can agree that the mouse clicks sound very sharp. The thumb buttons also are very 'full' sounding (read: loud). The mouse also sounds hollow when you pick up the mouse and put it back down.

There is hardly any sound (clicks) when using the really smooth scroll wheel, and NO MOUSE WHINE! WOOOHOOO!

zoob
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Post by zoob » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:58 pm

My Razer DeathAdder mouse wheel started squeaking today. Dunno if it's the 30 C -> 40 C with Humidex weather that's affecting it or not :P

There's a fix that involves opening the mouse and lubricating it with WD40.
http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1334185

Haven't performed that yet... it's a new mouse and I don't want to go voiding warranty on it yet.

migueld
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Post by migueld » Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:22 pm

I found this keyboard to be quieter than any laptop keyboard quieter than any Logitech keyboard I tried and much quieter than the Apple Pro keyboard: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-BUSINES ... 218&sr=8-2

mellon
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Post by mellon » Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:57 am

Speaking of Razer mice I have a Razer Pro|Click and I've been very happy with it. It is extremely lightweight and glides easily as it is basically a less fancy and understated version of Razer's gaming mice.

It's less audible than your average mouse but more importantly I haven't had any pains in my arm since buying that mouse. A friend of mine bought the same mouse for his Mac and has also been very happy with it.

Fabool
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Post by Fabool » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:49 am

http://www.apple.com/keyboard/

Could the new Apple keyboard be a candidate for quiet systems? Apple has had some quality keyboards in their laptops (and desktops) in the past, so I would assume this to be good quality, if nothing else. Pretty nice features as well, with the usb-ports and all - the only unknown factor is quietness.

Anyone want to be a guinea pig? :)

JarsOfFart
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Post by JarsOfFart » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:30 am

I did a cursory search and found only a possible reference to this keyboard, but the IBM (or I guess Lenovo) Keyboard with UltraNav (31P8950) is very quiet. It is identical, in theory, to the keyboards they have on their laptops (I personally think my Thinkpad keyboard is better, and I've heard the same from others) so it has a very crisp feel like the IBM Model M's but without the ridiculously loud click. There is also a version with out the NumPad for those who wish to minimize movement from the keyboard to the mouse, but there is a Trackpoint anyway, so one shouldn't even be moving their hand over to the mouse. The Trackpoint is obviously completely silent and the mouse buttons are relatively quiet. They at least have a distinctively better sound quality to the clicks of conventional mice (less high pitched/sharp sounding). The links to both follow

http://www.amazon.com/IBM-31P9490-Keybo ... B0002PUIAA

http://www.amazon.com/IBM-USB-Keyboard- ... B00009APTK

one word of caution, I have one installed on my system along with an MX500. I've not found any way to change the button assignments for the custom buttons on my MX500. Also, the scrollwheel scrolls 1 line at a time and I've found no way to change that. However, I think these are minor annoyances considering I almost never use my MX500 now.

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Post by thejamppa » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:21 pm

I just installed Logitech wave keyboard (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keybo ... 1&cl=us,en) . Man that is very quit. Each key stroke is soft producing very smooth sound. Unlike my previous Logitech Media keyboard elite that is very loud and sharp compeared to Wave.

I never understood how loud keyboards could be, until I got Logitech wave. compeared to laptop keyboard, sound is different compeared to my laptops keyboard, while my laptops keys are quiet, they sound more tonal than Wave's. Waves keys are smooth and dark sound making its use very pleasurable.

Trip
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Post by Trip » Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:39 am

Quietmouse.com sent me a quiet mouse to try out.

The mouse clicks are quiet and have good feedback. The scroll wheel has also been silenced.

It is not cheaply built like the one from http://www.silentmouse.co.uk/ , is responsive, and works well on most any surface (as most mice do nowadays.) I've now replaced the old one with this new one from quietmouse.com.

It connects via USB.

---

For those of us who'd quieted everything else, the mouse was the last frontier.

Actually, I've still got one more frontier left to settle: my Altec Lansing speakers have electrical whine >.< but I can unplug those ;)

Greg M
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Quietmouse website

Post by Greg M » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:40 am

The quietmouse website that Trip mentioned will not be available until the end of January. If you would like more information about quietmouse please send me a PM. Greg M

Shadowknight
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Post by Shadowknight » Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:05 pm

Official SPCR review of the Quiet Mouse http://www.silentpcreview.com/article800-page1.html
My review
viewtopic.php?t=45750

And for good measure, the Quietmouse.com website is up.

cyberspyder
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Post by cyberspyder » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:11 pm

Guys, what do you think of the Saitek Eclipse series (I & II)?

mcv
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Post by mcv » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:45 am

GamingGod wrote:i think they make keyboards to make noise so u can hear urself typing.
Exactly. Proper feedback makes typing nicer and more ergonomic. This is one of the reasons why the old IBM Model M keyboard is still popular. It makes a terribly racket, but feedback is excellent. It's also why rubber roll-up keyboards suck for any kind of real work.

I think the trick in making a good quiet keyboard is to make the feedback load enough to hear, but of a friendly accoustic signature.

Ofcourse tactile feedback is equally important, but I know even less about that.

mildavw
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Apple keyboard

Post by mildavw » Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:44 am

Yes, the standard apple keyboard is really very quiet. I've used a Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 for a few years now and just got an Apple. The apple is an order of magnitude more quiet!

It's currently $49 at the apple store.

Schlotkins
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Post by Schlotkins » Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:14 am

Can you use the Apple Keyboard on XP?

mildavw
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Post by mildavw » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:01 am

Yes. There may be a few minor differences in key layout, but I don't notice them when I'm working in XP (and Win2k) on the Apple keyboard.

color
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Post by color » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:15 pm

I don't know if it's mentioned in this vast thread somewhere, but Thanko manufactures 'silent' keyboards and mice

http://www.google.com/search?q=thanko+silent

oh, and I suppose this famous keyboard would be very silent indeed

http://www.google.gr/search?q=Bluetooth+Laser+Virtual

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