keyboard woes

[Lynn Newton]

Using Synergy is probably something I should try, but
I need a final hardware solution, because the second
computer is used often by my wife while I'm sitting
here using my usual machine.

BTW, an update on symptoms -- I unplugged the receiver
module from the base and after I plugged it in a half
hour later and reconnected the keyboard, the apparent
conflict with my keyboard on the other machine did
not recur. Not sure what the explanation for that is.

I'll probably just wind up taking this thing back to
Fry's and then going to the Apple Store and buying whatever
they can guarantee me will actually work.

On 2/8/07, Lynn David Newton <lynn.newton at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Esteemed Gentlemen (and Ladies),
>
> This is not strictly a Linux problem, though a computer
> running Linux is involved. Bear with me as I explain it:
>
> o Computer A is an iMac 1GHz PPC G4 running Mac OS X 10.4.8.
>
> o Computer B is a home built AMD64 based PC running SuSE
>   Linux 9.2. I use this machine 95% of the time.
>
> Years ago I purchased two identical Logitech wireless
> mouse/keyboard duos, one for each computer. They worked
> flawlessly until about a month ago.
>
> o The keyboard on computer B (the PC) suddenly went dead
>   after a couple of hours of intermittent flakiness, and was
>   not able to be revived by replacing batteries,
>   reconnecting with the receiver, rebooting, testing it on
>   computer A, etc.
>
> o I took the keyboard off computer A and put it on computer
>   B. It works fine. I'm using it now.
>
> o The next day I bought a new Logitech wireless duo, one of
>   the ergonomic models.
>
> o When I attached it to computer A, at first the keyboard
>   seemed to work, but the mouse would not connect. I tried
>   following the instructions a dozen times. Connecting a
>   keyboard is not rocket science.
>
> o When I took the new keyboard off computer A and attached
>   it to computer B, the mouse would connect to the receiver,
>   but not the keyboard.
>
> o As a stopgap measure I dug the original iMac USB keyboard
>   and mouse out of a drawer. These worked, except that
>   several keys on the lower right - keypad and arrow keys -
>   do not work due to a coffee spill long ago, part of the
>   reason I replaced it. At least the system is functional.
>
> o I took the recalcitrant new device back to Fry's today and
>   bought a different Logitech model duo combination, one
>   that is $20 cheaper (without ergonomic features).
>
> o With this USB-only new device (i.e., no PC-type adapter),
>   the keyboard connects, but the mouse does not. I can't try
>   to use it on my PC because there my USB bus is currently
>   broken. (Sigh. Another problem.)
>
> o I found to my surprise that I could plug the Logitech
>   receiver into one USB port and my original iPod one-button
>   stupidest-device-ever mouse into another - by plugging it
>   into the port on the keyboard unit because of the
>   connector size, and putting that through to a second USB
>   port. So I now have a bizarre new wireless keyboard and
>   old one-button corded mouse combination, technically with
>   a second keyboard on the bus (and *yes* I can type from
>   either one), but the system is functional.
>
> o To complicate matters, it seems to be throwing signals at
>   the completely different model receiver on computer B,
>   because with the receiver plugged in on computer A, typing
>   is erratic on the keyboard on which I'm now working. A lot
>   of keypresses don't respond, then suddenly I'll get a half
>   dozen of a single letter. This went on for twenty minutes,
>   and when I unplugged the receiver on computer A, it
>   stopped.
>
> To summarize: I had two identical wireless keyboard/mouse
> duos that worked perfectly for years until one wore out.
>
> I've since replaced it with two different model
> keyboard/mouse combinations, the first of which works on
> neither machine, then the second of which does not work on
> computer A and cannot even be tried on computer B.
>
> I think that covers it. Anybody got any ideas on this? I
> don't have time to make a career out of changing keyboards.
>
> --
> Lynn David Newton
> Phoenix, AZ
> www.lynndavidnewton.com
> run4days.blogspot.com
>
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-- 
Lynn David Newton
Phoenix, AZ