My MBP pro will be here in about a week, need suggestion on some accessories.

So I need suggestions on three things for my MBP. Any advice would be great.

1. Wireless Router. I have only had a desktop up until now, and had my cable modem plugged right into my PC, so opinions on the best router for the MBP would be good.

2. Sleeve for the MBP, something that gives some protection (water proof would be nice too.).

3. Bluetooth mouse. I will be gaming in Windows a lot, so I figured it would be a good idea to get a wireless two-button mouse for that.

Thanks in advance guys.

PS: I hope it doesn't take me too long to get used to OSX. I have never used it before. lol

 

I'm in the same boat as Dal.

I need advice on 2 and 3 as well.

Right now I'm considering the basic Logitec V270 bluetooth mouse because it doesn't seem like there are ANY good bluetooth gaming mice, only USB wireless like the VX Revolution (OH MAN I wish there was a Bluetooth version of this mouse, I have one and love it).

For gaming I've decided to use a wired Razer DeathAdder mouse (blue color).

 

congrats on ur new macbookpro, and router u can get a cheap linksys wrt54g which is not n router ,it is a g router , i have one of those ,works perfect, and sleeve i would recommend a speck's see through plastic cover which on amazon 39.99 bux, carriyng bag its all up to ur style, gaming mouse , my personal experience - bluetooth mice are horroble , if u need wireless logitech g7 iz the best way to go ,if u need corded logitech g5 totally rocks .so hope this helps good luck

 

So bluetooth is a no-no for gaming?

I haven't bothered to move to a cordless mouse yet since I never saw the point if you had a desktop. I will look into the G7 though, I have heard nothing but good things about the G series from Logitech.

As for the Router, would using a N router over the G give a large jump in performance in on-line gaming/streaming video?

 

I'm sort of in the same boat as well. I'll be ordering my MBP towards the end of the month.

Unfortunately, your selection in BT mice is severely limited. You basically have three or four choices..

Wireless Mighty Mouse
Logitech V270
MS Laser Mouser 8000

On top of the limited selection, I've yet to hear of a BT mouse that performs as well as a non-bluetooth mouse. I'm not sure why this is.

I haven't decided if I'm going to get one yet. I currently have an MX Revolution and I think I would have a hard time transitioning back to a different mouse without the revolution style scroll wheel.

 

I have an Logitech MX Revolution on my Desktop and a Logitech VX Revolution on my Laptop. The VX also has the scroll wheel feature although it is changed manually on the underside of the mouse. It is by far the best notebook mouse I have ever used. It even beats out some of my wired computer mice and facilitates gaming well.

Still it is USB, so you have to have the USB receiver sticking out of your computer while using the mouse, which is why you get bluetooth. Except bluetooth mice are always the worst performing. I think it is because bluetooth doesn't use as high power a wireless signal as USB wireless mice do.

 

For a router I would recommend the Apple Airport Extreme. It will unlock the N features of your MBP and overall is a terrific product for shared Mac and Windows environments. It permits USB printer sharing (many but not all major brands and models), and USB hard drive sharing (both Mac and Windows) so considering what you get its seemingly high price is not so bad given its performance, features, and reliability.

For wireless mice I prefer bluetooth but it seems they can't get the performance needed for games (at best you go wireless mouse with proprietary USB dongle). You could always get a bluetooth mouse for normal use (Apple, Kensington, Targus etc) and a wired gaming mouse (Logitech) for games.

There are many nice decals and sleeves. I like a simple, inexpensive "incase" neoprene sleeve when I need extra protection or am going barebones and a good computer backpack (SwissGear) otherwise.

Good luck in your search.

 

anyone have any experience with this ? http://www.iskin.com/store/I2shop_ptmbpr.tpl?cart=11839134842183516

 

Does anyone know any nice(but cheap) speakers to go with the MBP?

 

Is the Apple AirPort Extreme much better than other wireless N-Routers? It seems pretty pricey compared to other offerings by Linksys and D-Link.

 

Linksys Wireless N Routers are pretty bad. I haven't too much about D-Link's N routers, but I personally use the D-Link DGL-4300 Gaming Router and it is good enough for me.

 

the BT mighty mouse is good but most peoples' stop working after a few months, lol, the scroll ball craps out

 

Well that's a wonderful selling point. Does it also explode when touched?

I will have to do some research to see if it's worth spending the extra money on getting a N-Router over the G.

 

Depends, Dal. Does your ISP even support the speed of N? Or will a G router already support your internet connection speed? Also, how large is your house? Will you need the range of N?

 

I didnt just get a macbook but I had to go accessory shoping for my new notebook and get the same sort of things you need.

Here is what my journy lead me to get:

buffalo wireless g wireless router/access point 50$
http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4557037?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

I have a wired network like yourself currently so I will be just tossing this into a input port on my current router and using it in its access point mode - highlights are that it has MIMO and an AP mode, also it has a high signal power also its on sale cheap.

Logitech G7 wireless mouse - 57$
http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...y=1&D=logitech+g7&Ntk=All&product_code=333693

Just like you I wanted a BT mouse since my notebook has internal bluetooth but only to find there are no good BT mouses really unless you want something very standard also they are pretty expensive. So this was the answer, its not BT but the usb dongle is very very small so its not a big nuesance also it has the highest performance of any wireless mouse that I can think of, been using it for a few days and it feels and acts just like my MX518 wired mouse. I got it mostly because its on sale for 57$ (was 50$ went up) vs the 99$ it normally retials for.

HDMI cable - 5$ -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189053

perfect reviews, its the same as a 70$ cable in a retial store. I needed one to hook up to my HD LCD so I can use a bigger screen while at home and it will also carry the audio to my LCD so I can avoid using cheapy notebook speakers. Not sure if the MBP has hdmi on it, but you may want some sort of video out cable so you can use your bigger screens while at home.

Thats pretty much it, cant think of anything else I need.

 

I disagree. The Linksys WRT350N with DD-WRT firmware is stable as a rock. However, the question remains - do you really need pre-N? There is also the WRT150N that costs less, but I don't know how good the Linksys firmware is with that product.

I say just go with a WRT54GL, DD-WRT firmware, and use the money saved and get a cool toy for your MBP to play with.

 

i have a g7 mouse, and i used an mx revolution , it is a awesome mouse, but when it comes to games G7 is light years beter, u can buy both and compare them side to side,return one u didnt like, gaming with bluetooth mice forget it.

 

Hey Dal, I'm waiting for my MBP as well although mine is around 2 weeks out. I heard the Apple Mighty Mouse is not good for gaming. I too am looking at the VX revolution but don't really want a small usb stick sticking out all the time.

Also i'd like to add (hope you don't mind Dal) what notebook cooler do you recommend for the MBP?

Edit:

As for a sleeve, I have been looking at this:
http://booqbags.com/s.nl/it.A/id.74/.f?leadsource=BAGFINDERCAMP
Bit expensive but looks really good.

As for the router I recently bought this because my D-Link packed up:
http://www.netgear.co.uk/rangemaxnext_wirelessbroadbandrouter_dg834n.php
I haven't used the N speed yet because I don't have anything with a pre-N wireless but I have used it with the regular G and it's good so far...

 

ye . current G routers are more than enough for u ,they r rated at 54mps(i know in real world it alot less) which is more than any isp provides to resedential customers, way more. Now if u heve a big house and u want to stream HDmovies from ur pc to lets say ur hdtv on ur home network ,than yea go with N , and if u wanna be futureproof.

 

Well I decided on the Linksys Wireless-G WRT54GS with speedbooster! Ha. My friend has one and says it's great, plus it was on sale for 90 bucks so I figured why the hell not.

As for the mouse, I went for the Logitech V270. I wanted something small that I could carry around with me and it seemed to fit the bill. I am not looking for amazing performance, just something that was portable, not huge.

 

Great choices. Linksys' routers are good and the V270 is a very nice mouse. Not as great as the VX Revolution, but let's not get greedy .

 

I looked at the VX Revolution, you know what really killed it for me. The mouse wheel was so damn clicky. I played with it for 5 mins, and thought, "Oh god, this is going to drive everyone crazy." Granted that made it even more tempting, but I felt society was better off without me having one.

 

Did you try the clutch feature on the mouse? I love it on the mx

 

You could switch it to free-scroll mode and it spins like a wheel without any clicks at all.

 

I had an MX for about 2 days. I returned it because the clutch broke after 1 day. I like the look and feel of the VX and MX, but the wheel is just not for me.

 

Well the one in the store must not have had a working clutch, because no matter how I changed it it would not stop clicking. The other guy that was looking a the mice said he had one as well, but it kept breaking.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I guess he meant the clutch.

Besides, I wanted a Bluetooth mouse since I hate those dongles. lol

 

The clutch on these does seem to break easily. I think Logitech needs to rethink the design of that clutch.

 

What exactly do you mean by "clutch"? That little thing that adjusts the type of spin your wheel does?

 

There's 2 settings on the mouse. You can have it to spin freely or in click mode where it clicks and stops line by line like a normal mouse.

The clutch is when you have it on the click mode and if you spin it really fast, it release the clutch and goes into a free spin mode. Then when the scroll slows back down again the clutch re-engages and goes back to the click mode.

Look at the "MicroGear™ Precision Scroll Wheel" header in:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/130&cl=gb,en

 

Eh, I thought that was a MX-only feature. Then again, I never use it in the click mode. I'll have to try it and see! Thanks.