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Logitech MX1000 Battery Replacement

Recently someone mentioned to me that their Logitech MX1000 laser mouse stopped working and needed a new rechargeable battery. The problem is the battery is proprietary and Logitech does not sell a replacement battery – part number L-LB2. I think that the battery is not meant to be changed by the end user. 

Isn’t it a green thing to use rechargeable batteries? I just think it is a waste, and bad on Logitech’s part, for consumers to toss out a perfectly good mouse just because they cannot find a proper replacement battery – that is a waste, shame. 

I always avoided rechargeable mice as I am paranoid about not finding a replacement battery when they go belly up. Actually, I try to avoid any consumer product that have a proprietary battery as it means big dollars to replace them if they are designed to be replaceable.

After hunting high and low I was able to find a replacement battery – they can be found on eBay but a lot of people don’t like to shop there. Many people must have found the battery distributor in Australia that sells the replacement - CDB-L-LB2 sold by The Battery Doctor - however, they do not ship internationally. In Canada I found the replacement with a different  part number - CS-LB2RC - sold by Battery Buyer at a very reasonable price. They also have batteries for other Logitech mice and products like their Harmony remotes.  

After finding the cross reference number from Battery Buyer, it made life a lot easier, searching for CS-LB2RC with your favourite search engine will net you many places that will sell that battery.

I hope this helps those that love their MX1000 mice to keep their mice fed and happy for a long time to come.

Altec Lansing iM207 Orbit

I was looking for a small speaker for my laptop which would sound better than the speakers on the laptop. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money as I have multimedia speakers already if I wanted really good sound. As I did research on the web I came across the Altec Lansing iM207 orbit and the newer iM237 which is the model that replaces the iM207.

While trying to source the speakers locally, I wanted to take a look at them in person – I just like to look and feel a product before I buy – I found the iM237 for $49.95 CAD, which was more than I wanted to spend. What I did come away with was that it IS a small speaker and was skeptical as to the sound quality given its size. I kept shopping and found the iM207 at TigerDirect for $19.99 CAD, I figured I could not lose at that price, so I ordered it.

When I put in the the 3 AAA batteries and plugged it into my laptop I was wowed at the sound that came out of the speaker. The sound is clean, clear and crisp, the midrange is rich and warm and highs are very good, obviously the lows are sacrificed for size but by no means is the speaker tinny. It is loud enough to be heard in a average sized room and could be used for presentations in small boardrooms. I have used the iM207 for about 5-6 hours and still have not had to change the batteries. It can be plugged into your MP3 player or iPod as well and comes with a 2.5mm adapter so you could even plug it into your cell phone to share your music. I have used it with my Blackberry bold when watching movies and it is great, as can prop the blackberry up against the iM207.

I do find the length of the cable is very short and there is no place for you to store the 2.5mm adapter, which I am sure I will lose eventually. The on and off switch can be a bit of a pain to use but ensures that it will not be accidentally turned on when stuffed into your bag or pocket. It would have been nice if it could be USB powered to save on batteries if you are using it with a computer. This speaker was more than I had expected and highly recommend it if you can still find it, I am sure the newer model sounds just as good but I think the price is a little steep – for now – and I think the iM207 looks much better.