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mcdonje 4 days ago

Built in rechargeable batteries are a plus, not a minus.

apricot 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

I disagree. I'm still using hardware that I bought at the turn of the century (a wireless mouse and an MP3 player) because they are powered by rechargeable AAA cells. If they used a built-in battery, I would have had to replace the battery, which is much more complex than changing a AAA cell.

I have three recent electronic devices that I would like to keep using but cannot, as their battery has reached end of life, replacements are hard to find, and changing the battery involves performing surgery on the device that I'm not confident I can do safely.

the_snooze 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I consider them a minus because the proprietary batteries will likely fail before the rest of the mouse does. Using standard batteries means you’re not at the mercy of Logitech’s warranty when that happens. I wish more devices use standard batteries, but planned obsolescence is a hell of a drug.

nfriedly 4 days ago | parent [-]

FWIW, some of logitech's mice use "standard" rechargeable batteries - they look like an AA battery and are roughly as easy to replace (after 5-10 years of use).

Zak 4 days ago | parent [-]

AA-size Li-ion is called "14500" for anyone needing to source these. I'd love a mouse (or various other gadgets for that matter) that uses one behind a tool-free battery door.

Scoundreller 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Since the mice run 2xAA in series, you might get away with running one of those and jumping the other cell space.

If 3.7-4.2V is too much to handle, jump with a 1n4148 diode or two in series.

Zak 4 days ago | parent [-]

My Logitech G604 takes only one AA. I'm not sure the advantages over NiMH (lighter weight, higher capacity) are worth soldering in diodes especially when the efficiency loss would negate the capacity advantage.

nfriedly 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I just went and took mine apart, it's a Logitech Performance MX, and it uses a NiMi battery: 1.2v, 180mA, 1900mAh.

The battery door pops on and off with a fingernail.

They really do look like dead-ringers for AA batteries. I bet you could run the mouse off of a regular AA as long as you didn't try to plug it in!

Zak 4 days ago | parent [-]

That is an AA battery. A web search suggests those shipped with Panasonic Eneeloops, which are probably the best-regarded NiMH AA for general use due to their shelf stability and long service life.

justinparus 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Support for standard battery cells is seriously underrated! Especially when you are on-the-go and your mouse dies, all you need to do is swap in a fresh rechargeable AA/AAA. No need to deal with a cable or waiting for a recharge.

Lalabadie 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

My wireless controller eventually convinced me that AA/AAA rechargeable batteries give the same benefit, but you can swap them in a few seconds instead of getting stuck waiting for a recharge.