It's a pity and a shame that Microsoft discontinued this keyboard. Their newer keyboards look nice, but they're a little too flashy for me, and I'm not a big fan of the new keyboard layout. If you're looking for the functionality of these newer MS keyboards but with less of the nonsense, this is definitely the way to go. It sports a not-likely-to-offend beige finish and the old-school 104 key layout. Even has a built-in two-port USB hub, the perfect place to plug your USB mouse and game pad. (It's not a powered hub, so don't try plugging in things like printers and hard drives.)
The lower-end Internet Keyboard has 10 additional keys; this thing sports 19. Use them as marked for one-touch access to web browser and media player functionality, or reprogram them to your heart's content. The pain-free driver install and configuration makes this a cinch. And key response is just about perfect; if you don't already know how to touch-type, learn it, and you'll appreciate this even more.
If you can find it, get it. It's more than worth the time and effort. |
| I bought this keyboard a couple of years ago and have been very happy with it. The only problem is it's size, and I really didn't need all these extra buttons, but other than that, it's a great keyboard. The wrist rest is also quite nice, although I still prefer a gel wrist rest, however with the size of this keyboard, it's easier to use the hard plastic one provided, otherwise the gel one would just keep falling off my desk. I'm a touch typist, so the position of keys is important and this uses the standard size and spacing which I like. Also, I use this keyboard with both Mac and PC, and the software provided allows me to set the keyboard up perfectly for each platform. One problem is that it occasionally stops responding and I have to unplug it and plug it back in again, but this doesn't happen that often and is only a minor complaint really. Not as bad as the IntelliMouse Explorer which stops working for days on end. After getting a thorough soaking with tea, the keyboard obviously stopped working, but after half an hour of cleaning it out and ensuring there was no tea left on the internal contacts, it worked fine, and was much easier to clean out than some keyboards I've tried to repair. So really, it's been pretty damn reliable, even after the tea. Overall I like this keyboard, but in future, I wouldn't bother with all the additional buttons which never get used to be honest. Without then, I could save an additional inch or two on my desk and have a nice gel wrist rest. However if desk space is not a problem and you get use from them, I can see that they would be useful for some users. |
| I am very hard on keyboards and this is the only one that has lasted for more than a few months - first one lasted more than three years! I am a transcriptionist so spend 8-10 hours everyday using the keyboard for work then later for my own leisure. The spacing between the keys, the key cap size and the layout of the keyboard is a power-user's dream. The weight of the keyboard is heavier than most so it stays in place and really stands up to abuse. The two USB ports are conveniently located to quickly attach or remove a digital camera or other equipment and when I tried another replacement board I really missed having the ports "right there". Bottom line is that once I located this keyboard and learned it is no longer manufactured (shame on you MS) I bought two just to make sure I didn't have to buy a keyboard that would slow me down, because this one certainly doesn't. |
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