X61 + Logitech VX Nano

[edinburghphoto]

I was using a Microsoft bluetooth mouse with my X61 but found it a little temperamental and too bulky for travelling.

I selected the VX Nano because it had good reviews and a tiny USB receiver. I can leave the receiver in place all the time because it only sits around 5mm proud of the socket.

The mouse works brillinatly. It's on instanlty, it's accurate and responsive. So far so good.

One evening, I just closed the lid on my X61 to travel home. On arrival I was shocked to find my X61 roasting hot in it's case. I noticed the sleep light was not on. This seemed bizarre as the lid was firmly closed. I tried to re-create the problem and found that if I left the mouse powered on and clicked a button while the lid was closed on the X61, the notebook woke up.

I'm thinking this may be by design for doing lid-down presentations with an external monitor.

So there it is, a great mouse, but please power it down before you put your thinkpad to sleep.

[erik]

have you disabled always-on USB in the BIOS and disabled the mouse's ability to wake the computer?   perhaps that is what is causing the problem.

BIOS change:
hold F1 at startup > BIOS > Config > USB > Always On USB [Enabled/Disabled] > change to Disabled

mouse change:
Start > Run > devmgmt.msc > expand 'Mouse and other pointing devices' > right-click the VX Nano and select 'Properties' > Power Management tab > uncheck 'Allow this device to wake the computer'

[edinburghphoto]

Thanks

Yes I do have the mouse set to wake the notebook as this is handy when I'm working at my desk with the lid up. I just click a button and the X61 wakes.

In an ideal world, I'd really like an option to disable wake via the mouse when the lid is closed.

I'll try the bios settings as you suggest.

[noetus]

I second the positive review of this mouse. I've had it for about 6 months and it is just brilliant. And if you attach the USB receiver to one of the ports on the right hand side then it protrudes less than 1mm as these ports are recessed (at least on the tablet version).

It's easily the best travel mouse I've ever used. It has Logitech's fast scroll wheel (press and spin) which is one of the very few fancy mouse add-on features (such as extra buttons, etc) that I've found genuinely useful. And sideways scroll (and three extra programmable buttons, for those who want that). It is also a 'laser' mouse, not an infrared mouse, so it works on more surfaces (such as dark-colored wood) than an IR mouse. But some surfaces still confuse it, for example tables covered in sheet glass.

It is a bit pricey though.

I used a Kensington Bluetooth travel mouse (model 72104) in the past which is a great portable mouse but not a patch on the Logitech Nano. It has more features and the dedicated receiver is way better - no lag on first use, no need to have the more power-hungry Bluetooth on all the time, and better responsiveness overall. That more than makes up for the inconvenience of using up a USB port, at least for me. Plus it will work fine on a little portable USB hub if need be.

It also comes with a very good travel pouch - padded and zippered. And it is creatively shaped to fit well in the hand.

I also ran into the problem of the mouse waking up the thinkpad while the lid is closed on suspend and it is packed away (it does get alarmingly hot!), and have just learned to switch the mouse off when I pack the computer away for travelling. That's a good habit to get into because it helps save the batteries, too. And it's nice to have an on-off button, a feature that's comparatively rare on a travel mouse.

I think that is really the Thinkpad's fault - ideally there should be an option for power-up events on USB to be excepted when lid is closed.

All in all, it's a truly fantastic little mouse. One of those rare 'almost perfect' products.

[RoadHazard]

Actually this is not at the fault of the Nano but a characteristic of Thinkpad/Windows. However, it turns out to be the problem with the Nano because the receiver is so small many people would leave it attached to their notebook, even during travelling, allowing the mouse to wake up the notebook when moved. Other mice have a larger receiver so most people will disconnect it before packing up so it doesn't matter if the mouse moves during travelling.

[Justintoxicated]

so thre is still no decent bluetooth mouse?
If your using a bluetooth mouse, then you can't use the bluetooth to connect to something else at the same time right? For instance I want to tether internet from my phone and use a mouse through bluetooth?

Thanks for the heads up on the USB sensor waking on Lan.
I found strange sleep behavior on my x61s as well. Like i clsoe the lid and it goes into sleep, then 20 minutes later it seems to wake up. I'll have to check and see if I have wake on lan in the bios or something. It tends to do this mostly when using Maxivista but it sure is annoying!