My Alienware TactX mouse has been acting weird lately. It has been acting erratic. If I move it slowly to the left, it warps to the left or may not move at all. I think the cord has a short in it, creating an intermittent connection. It is not the mousepad, nor the DPI settings. I used a standard Dell mouse (laser mouse with multiple DPI settings) and it works fine. Sometimes the TactX mouse works fine, other times it doesn't.
I've e-mailed Alienware support, as there's an entry in their online knowledgebase that directs the user to try certain things and if they're still having issues, to e-mail them with the issue that's being experienced. The mouse is less than a year old (it is still under warranty). I was hoping they'd respond and replace the mouse, but they haven't responded. I'm not sure the issue will even be fixed, as I think it's a design issue that won't be fixed by just replacing the mouse with a new one that still has the faulty part.
The TactX mouse is soooo damned nice, but it needs to live longer than a year for users to be happy. This isn't an issue that I'm only experiencing, either. I saw many complaints when searching Google and my favorite Alienware forums.
I replaced the TactX with a Logitech G700 wireless gaming mouse.
The G700 is badass. It is physically bigger and heavier than the TactX. It is more configurable, as well. It is rechargeable, has a AA-sized battery that can be replaced, has 5 DPI settings, up to 5700 dpi, can be used while charging or when the electronic environment is unfriendly toward wireless devices, has internal memory, and each button can be mapped independently. It has powder-coating on the sides of the mouse, which a really like. It has performance settings that can dictate how much power is used.
The only thing I'm wary of is the SetPoint software. I'm installing it now and will play with the mouse tonight and throughout the week...I'll update this post with my thoughts in about a week.
Showing posts with label wireless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wireless. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
No further issues with gOS so far
It has been a very good experience, so far.
In fact, I've also been leveraging Thunderbird...this is a first time for me (since Netscape Mail back in the 90s). It is very robust!
I've also aliased a few commands that I tend to use alot, mainly ssh commands that I use on remote hosts.
I've also found some decent background images that I've scaled (using Gimp) to 1024x600.
I've also been conducting my typical security audits (BASE and iptables and web server log perusing).
I've not used my Mac in like 3 weeks! I don't know if that's a good or bad thing (probably bad for the battery).
In fact, I've also been leveraging Thunderbird...this is a first time for me (since Netscape Mail back in the 90s). It is very robust!
I've also aliased a few commands that I tend to use alot, mainly ssh commands that I use on remote hosts.
I've also found some decent background images that I've scaled (using Gimp) to 1024x600.
I've also been conducting my typical security audits (BASE and iptables and web server log perusing).
I've not used my Mac in like 3 weeks! I don't know if that's a good or bad thing (probably bad for the battery).
Monday, May 11, 2009
gOS v3.1 installed on Dell Mini 9
I took the plunge and installed gOS v3.1 Gadgets onto the Dell Mini 9.
The install went flawlessly.
The issues I have discovered so far:
1. Wireless would not work. I followed the instructions located at http://gosforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=48&p=203&hilit=broadcom#p223. I applied this fix (when I was using a cat5 connection) and it worked, so the wireless non-functionality is no longer an issue.
2. The Mini won't suspend when I close the lid. I can manually suspend, though. I'll hunt for a fix and apply it later.
I also just noticed that a swap partition was created and configured for use (automatically, when installing gOS). I already have a gig of physical RAM and I don't want to burn out my SSD card, so I'll disable it for now and consider a workaround if/when I need it.
Overall, this is a pretty solid distro and it is pretty cool to be able to use Google tools (this will save drive space and conserve the limited resources this machine has). The Gadgets can also be used offline, so I won't need to be connected to use them...now, that's cool.
Some screenshots:
EDIT:
Fixed the sound issue by following Step 4 of "Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on the Dell Inspiron Mini 9".
I turned off the swap partition by editing out the swap entry in /etc/fstab. I'll test to see how this impacts my install of gOS before removing the partition.
The install went flawlessly.
The issues I have discovered so far:
1. Wireless would not work. I followed the instructions located at http://gosforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=48&p=203&hilit=broadcom#p223. I applied this fix (when I was using a cat5 connection) and it worked, so the wireless non-functionality is no longer an issue.
2. The Mini won't suspend when I close the lid. I can manually suspend, though. I'll hunt for a fix and apply it later.
I also just noticed that a swap partition was created and configured for use (automatically, when installing gOS). I already have a gig of physical RAM and I don't want to burn out my SSD card, so I'll disable it for now and consider a workaround if/when I need it.
Overall, this is a pretty solid distro and it is pretty cool to be able to use Google tools (this will save drive space and conserve the limited resources this machine has). The Gadgets can also be used offline, so I won't need to be connected to use them...now, that's cool.
Some screenshots:
EDIT:
Fixed the sound issue by following Step 4 of "Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on the Dell Inspiron Mini 9".
I turned off the swap partition by editing out the swap entry in /etc/fstab. I'll test to see how this impacts my install of gOS before removing the partition.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
My Mini is here!
My Dell Mini has arrived. Went to pick it up at the local Fedex facility last night.
It came in a LITTLE box. Basically, it was just the netbook and the adapter that were in the box, with a few CDs and documents.
I took it out and plugged it up and the battery was almost fully charged already, but I charged it anyways.
The keypad is small and my big hands don't help much but the unit itself is pretty slick.
The tech specs are below:
32gb SSD drive
1.3mb vidcam
1gb RAM
Ubuntu Linux OS
Black in color
I opted for no bluetooth but now I'm thinking maybe I should've went that route (although it would've jacked up the price.
I now need a case. For now, I'm carrying it in my work laptop's bag.
My immediate problem is that it won't connect to any wireless networks, either at home or at work. I did a quick search and this appears to be a known issue. I'll have to delve more into this. When I attempt to have it automatically apply the wireless setting and check those settings, the settings are blank (no IP or DNS). Manually applying them doesn't help.
So, I'll be occupied the next few days... :)
It came in a LITTLE box. Basically, it was just the netbook and the adapter that were in the box, with a few CDs and documents.
I took it out and plugged it up and the battery was almost fully charged already, but I charged it anyways.
The keypad is small and my big hands don't help much but the unit itself is pretty slick.
The tech specs are below:
32gb SSD drive
1.3mb vidcam
1gb RAM
Ubuntu Linux OS
Black in color
I opted for no bluetooth but now I'm thinking maybe I should've went that route (although it would've jacked up the price.
I now need a case. For now, I'm carrying it in my work laptop's bag.
My immediate problem is that it won't connect to any wireless networks, either at home or at work. I did a quick search and this appears to be a known issue. I'll have to delve more into this. When I attempt to have it automatically apply the wireless setting and check those settings, the settings are blank (no IP or DNS). Manually applying them doesn't help.
So, I'll be occupied the next few days... :)
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