Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Pro v2.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the last 2-3 few years, I've used no less than 4 different keyboards and more than 8 different mice. As a programmer, I spend hours (10+) each day typing on the computer and then even more time after hours playing computer games. As such, the quest for a comfortable keyboard/mouse has been a long one; it has become my quest for the "Holy Grail" of comfort.
I have to say that I am impressed with thie setup. The mouse is one of the most comfortable ones that I've EVER used. The keyboard is soft, tactile, and well laid out (spacing + key size). Both components operate without the slightest hint of lag, which is one big turn off I had in my previous experiences with wireless input devices. As far as the materials quality, both components feel top notch. While the keyboard squeaks a bit when you torque it, the plastics are certainly of high quality and the design is clean and functional (lots of handy quick launch buttons, all well laid out and labeled).
Setup was a breeze. I was somewhat concerned as it appeared that I would have to use PS/2 to connect the keyboard while my laptop does not have a PS/2 board. However, the base station only needs to be connected via one USB port for both keyboard and mouse. And if you are using the USB interface with a newer O/S, this setup is completely plug and play with no need for any driver installation (for basic features). Some of the advanced features (like the horizontal scroll) require driver installation.
So far as battery life is concerned, I can't comment at this time. But hopefully will be on par with similar models (Logitech at work has been on same battery for 3+ months now).
So give this keyboard a shot if you've been waiting on the technology to catch up with the concept, if you've been having pain with other keyboard/mouse setups, or if you just want a cool looking wireless setup.
------UPDATE-------
Since I've gotten this set in October (mid March now), I've been on the same set of batteries for the keyboard and I've changed batteries once for the mouse. Keep in mind that this is with regular 10+ hours of use a day.
I've had some issues with the signal intering with other wireless devices (it's either my cell phone, cordless phone, or the router). This will cause the keyboard and mouse (mostly mouse) to act quirky. However, this can be resolved by 1) creating more space between your workspace and the suspect interering item and 2) hit the connect button on the base station and then on the mouse (usually the mouse goes quirky) a few times and it'll usually correct itself.
Other than that, I have to say that I am still extremely satisfied with my purchase. Extremely comfortable! Cramping and pain in my hands have been reduced drastically since using this set. It's hard to believe that, before I got this set, I was feeling numbness and twitching in my right hand...still some pain now (you can't help it with 10+ hours on the computer), but it's much, much better.

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Add wireless freedom, stylish looks, and one-touch features to your desktop with the Wireless Optical Desktop Pro keyboard and mouse combination. This desktop package features customizable keys, optical mouse technology, and a comfortable, ergonomic design. The Wireless MultiMedia keyboard's split, gently sloped shape encourages a natural hand, wrist, and forearm position for maximum comfort. Also, your digital media activities are within easy reach--start, play, and navigate music and video clips with the touch of a button. Customizable hot keys let you quickly start Messenger, Mail, Internet, and Calculator programs. And get one-touch access to files stored in the My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music folders in Windows. Perform common tasks right from your keyboard--press a button to open, close, and save documents, send and forward e-mails, put the computer to sleep, log off, and more. Press the F LOCK key to toggle between standard and enhanced function key commands. The mouse's wider, clear scroll wheel allows you to comfortably move through documents and Web pages quickly without clicking the scroll bar. Accelerated scrolling reacts to how quickly you roll the wheel, saving you time and effort. And the optical sensor replaces your mouse ball, for accuracy and precision--no mouse pad needed. It's ambidextrous, too--whether you control it with your right or left hand, the wireless optical mouse is shaped for comfort. Both the keyboard and mouse work within six feet of the included receiver, even if your computer is out of sight. The pair comes with a three-year warranty.

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Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 4000 Review

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(More customer reviews)We use allot of computers in my business. I use the MS wireless (split key) natural keyboard and mouse for my personal use because I like the angle it places my arms at.
We just picked up a few of these 4000 units.
My employees are very pleased with them in every way! They also like the slight angle it places there
arms and have told me they don't get as tired typing anymore.
We like the rechargeable batteries in them! No more battery expences!! Or downtime trying to locate new cells. We located the transmitters in a location above and away from the users desktop units.
The signal is very strong and the mouse is very responsive.
We have 10 of these in our office now. None of them conflict with one another at all! They don't seem to wear out near as fast as the standard keyboard, and our employees like the fact that They can sit back and place them on their lap.
I like the mouse without the tail so I can reach over
Pick it up and use it without having the person get out of his or her chair to show them something.
The other user review that says they are having problems might not have a good FULLY charged set of batteries and may not have the transmitter located up and away from the keyboard and mouse.
We picked up ours for $26.99 with 11.99 shipping...
On a final note: This mouse is not like a 4 button tilt wheel mouse I.E. (The Explorer 2.0 intellimouse) so if you want that style with the side buttons for advance configurations, than this laser 4000 unit might not work for you...

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Distinctive style and enhanced comfort converge in the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 4000. Designed for comfort by ergonomic experts, the keyboard helps your hands rest in a more natural position, a subtle change that makes a big difference. Add the freedom and performance of a High Definition Laser mouse and your desktop is ready for work and play.

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Microsoft Wired Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 5-Pack Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This item is linked to several price searching websites as a 5-pack (including pricegrabber.com) although it ships as a single keyboard. the single keyboard link is listed on the same page directly from Amazon and is 4.5x less. So you can buy the true single for 42 bucks or pay 188 for "5 Pack" and receive the same single keyboard. Because it doesn't say "5 pack" on the amazon site, although it's linked as such at external sites and is priced as such, they refuse to remove or correct the product page. Good luck to others unlucky enough to fall into their trap.

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Main Features Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation Manufacturer Part Number: B2M-00015 Packaged Quantity: 5Keyboard/Keypad Type: Keyboard Keyboard/Keypad Connectivity Technology: Cable Keyboard/Keypad Wireless Technology: Not Applicable Interfaces/Ports: 1 x Type A Male USB

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Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this set for work because I enjoyed using them at home. I have a desk job where I use a computer all day. In brief, I love these ergonomic devices.
The mouse I give 4.5 stars. Both the mouse at work (and the one I own at home) are amazingly comfortable to hold and use. When you let your hand lay over the mouse, it positions your wrist in what I think of as a "handshake" position rather than flat on the desk. This takes about a week to get used to, but after that it's amazing how much better that angle is. It's a mouse that has a bit of "meat" to it, so it's better for my big hand to hold on to.
The mouse has a smooth-scrolling wheel, great for productivity (though bad for FPS games). Pressing the scroll-wheel for a middle-button effect is very hard to do with this particular wheel, but that's not much of an issue, as one of the two thumb buttons can be reassigned to the middle button functionality via the Microsoft software.
The keyboard I give 3.5 stars. It's wonderfully ergonomic and comfortable to use, but the "wireless" part of the equation makes it work a bit erratically from time to time. I type very quickly, and the keyboard will occasionally just lose keystrokes... or briefly stop receiving input altogether. I much prefer my home setup, where I have the Microsoft Natural Mouse hooked up wirelessly, and the Microsoft Natural Keyboard hooked up via USB.

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Microsoft Natural Wireless Ergonomic Desktop 7000 (Silver) Use the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 to make your time on the computer more comfortable and more productive. The innovative shape of the keyboard and mouse encourages a more natural hand, wrist, and forearm posture. The 2.4 GHz wireless USB mini-transceiver connects wirelessly right out of the box with virtually no interference, and up to 30 feet of wireless range. Advanced design promotes a more natural hand, wrist, and forearm position for greater comfort. Microsoft High Definition Laser Mouse products are more precise, more responsive, and deliver smoother tracking. You spend a lot of time in front of your computer. Microsoft offers some of the most comfortable hardware available.

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Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 (B2L-00002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Let's talk about the features Microsoft advertises on its product tour mini site.
Great comfort: It's generally more comfort than a traditional keyboard once you get used to the curved layout and thin profile keys. Don't forget to spread out your arms. Other than the surprisingly low cost (for a ergonomic keyboard), I bought it for another reason - good spacebar design. (Well, the spacebar on my copy of the keyboard has a problem that I'll discuss in a moment) I do touch typing and almost always use right thumb for space key. Spacebar on a traditional keyboard has sharp edge towards your thumb pad. Just put your thumb on a spacebar and you know what I'm saying here. The spacebar and all other keys on this row of the comfort curve keyboard have been tilted towards the user and have reduced thickness at the bottom so the thumb touches the flat (slightly curved) surface of the keys. Some traditional keyboards now have similar design but cost more and they are hard to get. However, the spacebar on my copy of the keyboard apparently was assembled incorrectly. The tiny metal support wire/hinge under the key is not snapped in place therefore the spacebar makes noise all the time when typing on other keys. It's easy to fix once I pry open the spacebar and snap in the metal support wire. The spacebar is still kind of loose due to its large size but no more unwanted noise. The quality problem makes me worry about Internet purchase because of inconvenience of return/exchange. My experience tells me that recent Microsoft hardware quality is inconsistent (probably like its software). I bought a Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer early this year and it had a near dead button (push very hard to make it work).
Another annoyance is the tiny Ctrl keys. Due to the layout design, Ctrl keys are fairly small and easy to miss. I'd rather have smaller Win keys to give space for larger Ctrl keys. Or at least the Ctrl keys don't have to be rounded aggressively at corners. More expensive Microsoft Nature Ergonomic Natural keyboard seems to have slightly bigger Ctrl keys.
Easy setup and use: No software is required. The keyboard has USB connector and no USB-to-PS/2 adapter is provided in the package. It probably will work with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter based on what system requirements info says from the Microsoft website. Because it's a USB device, make sure your PC BIOS USB keyboard support is enabled or you lose keyboard control until USB HID (Human Interface Device) driver is loaded.
Spill-resistant keys: This is largely true as long as you don't tilt your keyboard too much or spilled water/coffee below the keys doesn't overflow to the desk. Each key is supported by a cylinder which raises high above the base plate. Base plate has four tiny drain holes. Pry open just one key and you'll understand. I don't know how special function keys at top of the keyboard are protected. They may be more vulnerable.
Save desktop space: False! This keyboard is slightly larger than my Dell Quiet keyboard. It's much bigger than some compact keyboard with razor-thin edges. Basically it takes no more space than your old traditional keyboard.
Ultra-thin profile: Not sure I'll like it or not. Time will tell. It makes me feel like using a notebook but key travel may be comparable to a desktop keyboard. The tactical feedback is close to a notebook keyboard but I can still type pretty fast.
Some other notes:
Special function keys are useful. No software is required but they only work with certain software and cannot be customized. Pictures on Microsoft website are tiny so let me tell you what these special keys are: Back, Forward, Volume Down, Mute, Volume Up, Play/Pause (above vol down, mute, vol up keys), Web/Home, Search and Mail. There is also a Calculator key next to the keyboard status LEDs.
Finally, Microsoft gets rid of the quirky edit keys layout (keys above reverse T toothpick arrow keys) that was popular in its last generation keyboards. The comfort curve keyboard has traditional layout for those keys and that's important to me. I wouldn't use any keyboard without this layout.
So far I'm happy with the purchase. It's a nice and cheap keyboard if you're looking for an ergonomic one. Hopefully, the shortcomings I mentioned above can be fixed in the next version of this keyboard. It's not bad for a v1.0 comfort curve keyboard.
UPDATE: Each special key can be customized once latest IntelliType Pro software is installed. Although Microsoft harware download web site doesn't provide a driver for this keyboard, guess what, this keyboard is listed as the very first one in Keyboard model dropdown list in keyboard settings.
After eight months of use, I still stand behind my comments and it still gets 4 stars :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 (B2L-00002)

Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000Building on its success of the Wireless Optical Desktop Comfort Edition introduced last year, Microsoft is expanding its Comfort Curve product line, at an affordable price, with Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000. With a sleek, low-profile key design, this keyboard allows for more natural wrist and arm alignment, as well as better overall posture than a straight keyboard. With a difference you can feel, Comfort Curve keyboard was preferred 3 to 1 when tested against other best-selling flat keyboards. It's Comfort Curve at a more comfortable price point.

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Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 Review

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(More customer reviews)As a software developer, I am literally attached to my keyboard. On a typical day, I'll spend anywhere between 5-8 hours typing, so it's of critical importance that the keyboard I use is comfortable. As most programmers and typists can attest, the Microsoft Ergo series of keyboards is the best keyboard for prolonged use.
Having used the Ergo keyboards in some form or another for the past 4 years (most recently, the Wireless Elite set), I must say that this keyboard is a step above.
To begin with, the construction is very solid. There is far less flex in the plastic and the keyboard as a whole compared to my Wireless Elite. The wrist pad is made of a nicely textured faux leather material with a tiny bit of padding. It feels rather durable (not to mention comfortable). It's a good addition as one of my main gripes with the MS ergo keyboards was that it was hard to fit one of those gel wrist rests around the curved base of the keyboard.
Compared to previous MS keyboards that I've owned, the keys on this keyboard are very well damped in terms of the sound the produce. It's very muted, even with my hard strokes. One thing that will take some adjusting to is the increased curvature (along two different planes) between where your pinky and index fingers rest (A,F and J,;). Whereas the older keyboards have a relatively flat incline, this keyboard has a slight curve (concave). In addition, there is also a very subtle curve across the keyboard as well (a horizontal curvature), which seems a more natural fit for the shape of hands. Also of note is the fact that some of the keys have changed shape. Whereas previously, MS had kept the striking surface consistent across the different keys (even at the edge), this keyboard has several keys along the ridge that have different striking surfaces.
Interestingly, this keyboard also features the return of the front riser (available on the older versions of the MS ergo keyboards). Actually, in recent months, I've been doing exactly this, but with my own ad hoc methods :) This is a much better solution. The riser is easily removable for those that prefer the standard configurations.
Note that this keyboard is *USB only*, which means that it may be incompatible with some older motherboards. Not a problem for me as I'm using it with a newer laptop. The keyboard does come with software for the programmable keys and extra functions, but it's plug and play right out of the box with WinXP.
I also appreciate the new forward and back buttons for use with web browsing (work with no drivers). The zoom slider in the middle of the keyboard, however, seems inapproriately used. It would have been much more useful as a scroll slider instead.
Sizewise, it takes up slightly more surface space than my wireless elite, but is much, much thinner.
My only complaints are that the space key is a little bit stiff out of the box (maybe it'll loosen up a bit after usage), the distance from Ctrl to the number keys seems to have increased a bit (on the scale of millimeters, this is important for those of us hitting Ctrl+F5 quite often ;-), the Delete key is now the same size as the other keys in the cluster (which some people may prefer, but I need to adjust to due to the extra large delete key on the Wireless Elite set), the Enter key is slightly smaller (by 3-5mm), and the key response is not as "soft" as say the ones I recently sampled on the MS bluetooth keyboard, but still very comfortable.
Overall, a very high quality keyboard. If you can wait, there is sure to be a wireless version coming soon. But anyone that spends a significant amount of type working with computers will be able to appreciate the new layout after 1-2 days of adjustment to the new curvature. I'm very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend this keyboard to my fellow programmers :)
UPDATE: In the past few days, I've had an inquiry into whether I'm still satisfied with the keyboard. The answer is a big, bold *YES*. As I was telling a colleague, this keyboard simply rocks. I can type hours on end without pain. My "seat of the pants" impression is that I also type _faster_ with this keyboard. As I pointed out above, I think that most people will have to go through a period of adjustment to really feel comfortable and fall in love with this keyboard, even if you're coming from a previous Microsoft Ergo series keyboard.

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Microsoft B2M-00012 - Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000

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Microsoft Wired Natural Keyboard Elite Win PS2/USB English North America Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I work in IT, so I get to try A LOT of different keyboards. This is, by far, the best keyboard that I have ever had. I got my first Microsoft Natural Elite about 10 years ago and am only now replacing it because I took it apart to clean it and lost the screws. These things last and last. It got a little louder as it aged, but other than that (and being filthy), it was as good as the day I bought it before I disassembled it.
When I first purchased this keyboard, I immediately picked up about 10 words per minute. I type fast (average around 100 words per minute), and I attribute a lot of that to using a comfortable keyboard.
I code a lot and I email a lot, and I can type on this thing for hours without any wrist or hand strain. The only real drawback is that it's ruined other keyboards for me. When I use a standard straight keyboard, I'm now much more aware of just how awkward and uncomfortable it is. When I use any Apple keyboard, for example, my wrists hurt and my hands cramp after a few minutes.
I recommend this keyboard to anybody for whom comfort is a priority. You cannot beat a split ergonomic keyboard. There may be a bit of a learning curve for non touch typists, but the benefit to your body is well worth the investment.
A final note: I prefer this keyboard over the larger "pro" models because I don't need or like the extra keys for multimedia, etc. and this one is a bit smaller. Also, be advised that they Home/End/Delete/Page Up/Page Down/Insert keys and the arrow keys are not arranged in the standard way. I use all of these keys a lot, but the different placement has never been a problem for me.

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Microsoft Wired Natural Keyboard Elite Win PS2/USB English North America Black

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