What hardware technology do you need to run Mischief?

• 1 strong computer (laptop or desktop)
• 1 LCD projector
• AC power strip
• USB hubs
• About 1 mouse per child (wired or wireless)

Computer

What kind of computer do you need?  It should be relatively "strong," meaning it should run at least Windows XP and have at least 512 MB RAM, 64 MB video RAM, and hopefully dual-core CPU but a good single-CPU machine should do ok.

LCD Projector

LCD projectors cost about $500 now.  I am not an expert by any means.  Any LCD projector should do but you should realize that some overheat and take time before they can be run again.  So you may only be able to use Mischief for 60 min at a time.

Mice

Wired mice are the cheapest.  If you choose these, you have to connect all the mice to the hubs and you may need USB extension cables.

Wireless mice are easier to install and cause less problems but you need 2.4 GHz mice (not a standoard wireless mouse). Wireless 2.4 GHz mice work by using a small USB transceiver/receiver coupled with the USB hub.  Some mice allow you to "snap-on" the receiver to the mouse for easy carrying.  Each receiver is uniquely tied to a mouse, so you can't swap them!

I've tried 3 different mouse brands and compared them.  Here are the results:

Microsoft Laser Mouse 2.4 GHz: $50 each.  Tested with 30 mice.  These are excellent but they are expensive. They allow the user to store the receiver with the mouse for easy carrying.  There is no unique ID number printed on the receiver+mouse to couple them. This is the cheapest 2.4 GHz mouse Microsoft makes, to my knowledge.  Requires 1 AA battery (included).

Frisby M5096G 2.4 GHz Mouse: $10 each.  Tested with only 4 mice so far.  These are cheap but perform surprisingly well!  They waste battey even when not in use (the red blinking dot is on) so the battery will drain quickly.  They do not have a channel-sync button. I have not done in-depth testing yet but will update this page when I do. Requires 2 AAA battires (included).

Labtec 2.4 GHz Mouse: $10 - $20 each.  Tested with only 4 mice so far.  These do NOT perform well!  When I tried to move one alone, it might work ok but when I tried multiple Labtec mice simultaneously, some would stop moving.  This was consistent behavior over the course of a 5-min testing session.  From an industrial design perspective they are excellent (e.g. one can store receiver in mouse) and have a channel-sync button. A unique code is printed on both receiver and mouse for easy coupling. Requires 2 AAA batteries (included).