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Your Mouse and Keyboard - MORE important than Shoes !!!

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On an average day I spend considerably more time using keyboard and mouse than I do wearing shoes.

So having a good Mouse/Keyboard combination (Desktop) is more important to geeks then having good shoes.

I've always had a preference for Microsoft hardware. We don't sell allot of hardware, but the stuff we put our mane on is generally top notch.

I think I own at least one of every Microsoft Desktop Set and my favorite is the Wireless Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth [ read more here ] I don't care so much about the fact that it's Bluetooth, in fact I find blue tooth to often be a nuisance as some of my hardware is "Bluetooth Happy" and other stuff is not. What I like is that it has a great "feel".

Coming in a close second (and a good bit cheaper) is the Wireless Desktop Elite 4000 [ read more here ] it has a comfortable "curved feel" that the Bluetooth version doesn't have and also a great key feel. Note that it's curve is not the separate ergonomic style which I will never get used to.

My minor frustration has been the mouse. I've always been a trackball guy but trackballs have fallen out of favor. The problem with standard optical mice is that they really want to be usen on a hard flat surface. At night I tend to work at home, on the couch (with a chine in my lap) and the standard optical mice don't have great pickup on variable surfaces, even a magazine set on the couch.

Enter - LASER TECHNOLOGY.

The Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 [here] comes with a mouse that uses Laser Technology to accomplish super high resolution with no moving parts so that it works great on any surface including non-flat surfaces.

The keyboard has the "comfort curve" which makes it great for "lap mounted" use. It has the great key action feel that you would expect from a Microsoft Keyboard, and a cool translucent key color.

I love the experience - and since I'm going to be doing so much more writing in my new role I'm gonna pick up another one. The combination of positive attributes has made it easier to recall my touch typing skills (or at least my bastardized version of the skill) and resulted in getting words out of my head and into MS Word faster and with fewer errors.

And that makes it a great value for me - TIME IS MONEY !

There is, however, one more feature that I'd really like so if your reading this, and you're on the Microsoft Keyboard team, listen up!!!!!

I'd like another version of this EXACT Desktop set - but I'd like an optional "Key's Light". LEDs or some other low power lighting technology under the semi-transparent keys would make the keyboard great for using in the dark or low light. Valuable for dad's, red-eye flights, and the like. I'll pay the extra !!!

Comments

  • Anonymous
    May 20, 2006
    This isn't wireless, and isn't movable.

    But for a desktop (one that stays put), I love the MS Natural Ergonomic 4000.  ( http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=043 )

    I've gone through large amounts of different keyboards because they are so important to me (I spend 8-18 hrs a day typing!) - in fact I can see 6 unused keyboards in my closet from here, and I'm sure there's more in this room.

    It's got that separated style that you say you don't like, and I didn't at first either... but after a week on it I just can't go back. anything else feels like I'm trying to squeeze my wrists together in a very unnatural way.

    Try it, spend a week on it. Everyone who's taken me up on that challange is now a convert.

Joe Replied  - Ok Philip, you're on. I'll lorder a 4000 and try the week after Tech-Ed. For the whole week I won't use any other keyboard. I'll post the results here. I do have a question though. Using a split keyboard all the time, does it make you queazy when you have to type on your laptop keyboard?

  • Anonymous
    May 21, 2006
    I also use MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard... it isn't wireless but the touch is awesome .. I've used the Natural Keyboard Elite for years but since I've changed to the 4000 I'm not going back.

    You should like it... and yes... when I go back to my laptop it feels weird... but I almost always use the mouse with my laptop on the road so it isn't much of a problem.