Can You Use A Mouse With A Laptop ?

Discussion in 'Gadgets & Tech Talk' started by Yvonne Smith, Dec 3, 2018.

  1. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I have been helping to moderate an online forum for couponing, and now the owner has asked me to start updating the coupons.
    What he explained to me, is you have to right-click on the coupon, and then there is a option called “save picture as”, and it has a little number with it.
    I can’t seem to do this with my iPad and I got seriously frustrated trying to make it work.
    Finally, I came to the conclusion that what I need is a very, very cheap old laptop that either has some kind of built-in mouse (that right-clicks), or that I can attach either a wired mouse or a Bluetooth one.
    Amazon has an old (refurbished?) MacBook for $97, which is about the cheapest price I can probably find one for, and since it is a Mac, it would also integrate with my iPad.
    I am hoping that our Guru, @Ken Anderson can help me out with this, and anyone else who has a good idea of what might work for me.
    Old is fine, I just need to be able to go to the coupon website and right-click on the coupons and then update them on the website that I am helping with.
    CC2333B7-7CC1-428C-9413-77085BFF1419.jpeg
     
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  2. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Although Macs are on the expensive side, there comes a time when a Mac become obsolete, as far as being able to update to newer editions of the OS. Because Macs are generally made very well, they are likely to be in very good operating condition but anyone who can afford to do so will want to get rid of them because they won't accept new OS updates. I sold my first MacBook for that reason and my iMac became obsolete with the last update. I still got $500 for it. If it's refurbished, then I guess you can assume that it's in working order and $97 is a very good price.

    Using an older Mac is like running Windows on an old version of the OS. Eventually, you'll find that there will be apps that won't work on it but all the stuff that's made for that version of the OS will work just fine.

    Other options, of course, might be buying one of the low-end PCs, since you can find them new for less than $200. I saw one a Walmart a few months ago for just over $100.
     
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  3. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Thank you, Ken, and I might end up doing that or just finding one used for sale here in town. I realize that this was probably made back as early as 2009-10; and it would be like getting an older model ipad, that can’t update to the latest system.
    What I need to be able to do with it is such a basic thing, that just about any old laptop should be able to do it. If it will work with my iPad, that is a plus; so for my purpose, and old MacBook might be better than a newer Windows one.
    I will message you the little video that shows you what it needs to be able to do.
     
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  4. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    yes of course you can use a mouse with a laptop...I use one all the time on my laptop tbh, I can't get along with the trackpad :D
     
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  5. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Thank you , Holly. I know that it probably seems silly, but I have never even had a laptop; so I just didn’t know how it would work.
    I used to have one of those old dinosaur desktops, so of course, it had a keyboard and mouse.
    When it quit (back around 2011) , Robin loaned me her iPad 2 while she tried to rescue the old computer. I so loved the touchscreen, and being able to sit in a comfortable chair, and not be stuck in the old hardback chair that was in our computer room; so she left me the iPad, and bought herself a new one.
    All I have had ever since is an ipad.
     
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  6. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Totally understandable that you wouldn't know Yvonne .:) If I'm using the laptop on my knee while sitting on the sofa, I use a stiff table mat on the arm of the sofa to roll the mouse on...
     
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  7. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I think you'd be better off with a new low-end computer than with a used one. At least, I haven't been pleased with the results from used computers that I have bought in the past - refurbished, from the company, should be okay, though. But for what you want it to do, a new $120-140 laptop PC will probably be a better deal than a used computer around the same price. The last time I looked, even Best Buy had computers for less than $200. A $97 MacBook might be a good idea, though, as long as it's working.
     
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  8. Harry Havens

    Harry Havens Veteran Member
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  9. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Thank you , @Harry Havens , and that is right, and it does work; but it only gives me the option of saving or copying the image, and what I needed was the little descriptive information that a regular mouse click gives, and the iPad doesn’t.
    After discussing this with my oldest son in Idaho, he said that the older Mac Book for $97 was a good deal; but he has an older Dell that will do exactly what I need it to do, and he is going to box it up and ship it out to me.
    Then , I will keep this laptop for using when I am updating the coupons on the website.

    As a little further information (and this should probably be in the “jobs I have had” section of the forum), I have a new parttime job as a Virtual Assistant.
    It started when I joined an OMAD diet forum (omaddiet.com), and noticed that the quality of posts there was lacking greatly, and I was offered a position as a moderator.
    It only pays $25 a week; but it is something that I enjoy doing, and I wanted to be part of the forum anyway.
    That expanded to over-seeing the Facebook Group for the website, and admitting new people as well as blocking/deleting spam posts.
    After I had been doing this for a couple of months, the website owner announced that he also had a couponing website that needed a moderator as well.

    Now that I have got that down pretty well, he wants me to learn to update the coupons, and then to learn to add new coupons, once I am proficient at the updating part.
    The iPad has worked great for everything that I have done up to now, but once I get into the updating and adding coupons, I will need the extra capability of the laptop. However, it is really basic work, clicking on the coupons and getting the cid# from them and updating that; so any old laptop should be quite capable of doing this.

    Here is an example of what I have to be able to do:

    DFAFAA06-115E-453D-8962-CE408F4EEB15.jpeg
     
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    Last edited: Dec 5, 2018
  10. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    I use a wireless mouse if I have a surface to use it on, but I use the touchpad if I don't have space or surface for the mouse. A mouse makes many things easier than the pad. I have always hated laptops, but I cannot carry a desktop with me when I travel, so....
     
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  11. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    me too re laptops @Don Alaska , but like you I use mine mainly for travel, same with my ipad ... but I know Yvonne prefers her ipad ..
     
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  12. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I have gotten used to a trackpad so I use one even with my iMac (desktop). Going back and forth was a bigger problem.
     
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  13. Denise Richardson

    Denise Richardson Veteran Member
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    I don't like laptops either. I have a desktop and a laptop. I only purchased the laptop to use while my husband was in the hospital. The only time I use the laptop now is when my desktop is being ornery and I can't use it.
     
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  14. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    When I messaged my oldest son (out in Idaho), and asked him what he thought about the $97 MacBook, he said that it would probably work, and it was a reasonable price for it. However, he said that he has several older Dell laptops, and he will send me one , so all I need to do is give him money to ship it out to me.
    He is setting it up for me now, so I should have it by next week, and can start getting used to using a laptop. Even though it is an older one, I am sure that it will be a good one, and can do what I need it to do for my coupon-updating job.
     
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    Last edited: Dec 6, 2018
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  15. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Can you use a mouse with a laptop?

    If you want one, here he is.

    mouse on a laptop 1.jpg
     
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