<p>Buying the expensive batteries will make a big difference on the battery life. Normal alkaline batteries have a drastically reduced life in the higher drain wireless devices. So for example, a battery able to provide 800mah may only provide 300mah. (This is also true for digital cameras by the way)<br>
</p><p>However the new, "ultra" batteries use a different chemistry that provides additional energy (for example, maybe 1,800mah) and additionally do not suffer the reduced life in higher drain devices.</p><p>The Energizer Ultra Lithium batteries last 6 months in my bluetooth mouse, Rayovac alkalines last about one month. Paying $9 for a four pack of batteries may seem a bit outrageous but they really do have value in these situations.</p>
<p>Another alternative is to pick up a four pack of the Energizer rechargeable w/ an included charger for about $20. You can just keep two in the charger while you use the other two in the mouse. They won't last as long as the Lithium Iron Chemistry "Ultras" but these NiMH will outlast Alkaline by a good margin (NiMH can handle high draign devices nearly as well), even though the energy density is comparable. <br>
</p><p>Christmas time is a good time of year to get deals on rechargeable batteries. You'll probably find them at the checkout stand at any store that sells toys and gadgets. The Energizers work very well in my experience. Definitely stick with the name brand parts.<br>
</p><p></p><p>Matthew Nuzum<br>
newz2000 on Twitter freenode <a href="http://identi.ca" target="_blank">identi.ca</a> and Skype<br>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote type="cite">On Dec 12, 2009 10:33 PM, "mauri booton" <<a href="mailto:woohoowoohoo@me.com" target="_blank">woohoowoohoo@me.com</a>> wrote:<br><br>It seems like I'm changing the batteries in my wireless iMac mouse<br>
quite frequently (every 6-8 weeks). Is there some way to conserve the<br>
batteries? If not, I'm thinking a corded mouse could be cheaper to run<br>
and I could live without the "convenience" of the cordless mouse.<br>
<br>
~~ mauri ~~<br>
<br>
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