Last week, Gearloggers PJ Jacobowitz, Joel Santo Domingo, and I met with Microsoft to get an early glimpse of two wireless keyboards. The first is an updated version of Microsoft's Natural Ergonomic Keyboard, the 7000. The new model adds 2.4 Ghz wireless capability--which works up to 30 feet away from the transceiver--and ships with the award-winning Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000. You'll still find the familiar curve design, encouraging a more natural position for typing; optional palm rest; 4-way scrolling; and instant viewer.
The Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 touts 6 months of battery life, too. It will be widely available on July 19, 2007 for $149. And here's an interesting fact: Microsoft's previous Natural Ergonomic Keyboard, the 4000, (which PJ and I both own and absolutely love) is the best-selling wired keyboard in the country, which goes to show that despite what critics say, consumers are using ergonomic keyboards!
Click on through to find out what the next cool keyboard from Microsoft is.
The other keyboard is the Wireless Desktop Entertainment 8000, a keyboard that Gearlog fans may remember me blogging about last summer. It's dubbed the first-ever fully backlit rechargeable keyboard and mouse set and is finally going to be released. (Microsoft had originally promised a release date late last year.) It uses "smart backlighting" to fully illuminate all of the keys and is less than an inch thick. Using 2.4 GHz Bluetooth technology, you can connect the keyboard up to 30 feet away from your computer. It sports 4 USB ports, 4-way scrolling, navigation pad, and Gadgets button. The coolest feature of the keyboard is its palm rest sensor: the keyboard will backlight when you're touching the palm rest; when you remove your hands from the palm rest, the lights will turn off to save battery.
The included Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 has an aluminum metal cover and a Bluetooth receiver integrated into the bottom. Unlike most keyboards, the charging hub for the mouse was designed for the top of the keyboard, instead of either side of the keyboard. How's the battery life? According to Microsoft, you'll get a week between charges for the keyboard and 3 weeks between charges for the mouse.
The Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 can be preordered now on Amazon.com for $250; ship date is September 2007.
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June 20, 2007 4:45 PM
The 8000 looks a little small for my tastes, and I'm not totally sure how well the curved keyspread would feel on your fingertips. Still, it's a really cool keyboard feature-wise, and I especially dig the docking, charging mouse on the top. Very swank.
At the same time, my girlfriend adores the MS Natural 4000, so maybe she'd be interested in the 7000, it is backlit after all!
June 20, 2007 5:09 PM
Actually, the Natural Ergonomic 7000 isn't backlit at all, Alan. I don't want to get her hopes up! Only the 8000 Desktop Entertainment is.
The 8000 is a comfortable size when Microsoft showed it to us, and we liked the navigation controls on either side of the keyboard if you're sitting on the couch and don't want to use a mouse.
June 20, 2007 5:57 PM
Doh! My mistake then!
That's good to hear about the 8000! Come to think of it and now that you mention it, it looks like it'd be a great media keyboard for an HTPC or Media Center machine..
June 20, 2007 6:04 PM
the 4000 rocks!
June 21, 2007 9:37 AM
How many versions of wired keyboards does Microsoft sell though? Usually if you want a cheap basic wired keyboard you buy the most basic keyboard the store sells, usually the store's cheapest and usually not MS - or you use the one that came with your PC.
Most people buy keyboards to upgrade the standard one that comes with new PCs, so if they're buying a MS keyboard it's probably for a specific need - wireless, ergonomics, etc. If they're replacing due to damage (and don't use that as an excuse to upgrade), most want something simple and cheap - not MS wired keyboards without any added features but for twice the price of the store's brand.
At any rate, cool keyboards, but I still don't think many people buy the ergonomic keyboards anymore.
June 21, 2007 11:28 PM
I wouldn't buy an expensive wireless set on a bet unless it were ergonomically fantastic and came with 10 year upgrades!
Just a note on the Entertainment 8000...Couldn't get me to use that mouse. My hand aches just looking at it (I do like the keyboard, though).
June 24, 2007 12:11 AM
i like the back lite feauture,,but if it dont go on til you touch the base ,it wouldnt do me no good ,as im a 2 fingered pecker,never touch the base,,and wouldnt use the ergo nomic either,would be too confusing.
August 16, 2007 11:02 AM
Well these keyboards are for people that like ergonomic keyboards. The backlit and extra features is something new to come to the split keyboard. The one you can go out in the store thats split also thats the standard MS white is only about $5.00 more then the standard. Not saying you cant pick up a keyboard for $13.00 but you can not expect it to last threw much of a banging.
Also the comment on the mouse I also agree. I don't belive there is a reason to have such a raised mouse it would put your hand at more of an arch then natural and that is something that i couldn't deal with. To combine the complete split over the curve with the backlit and BlueTooth would be a complete egronomic keyboard.