Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 (Black) | 
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| Brand: Microsoft
Category: CE
Buy New: $99.99
New (41) Used (3) from $30.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 3668
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 20 x 3.3
MPN: XSA-00001
Model: XSA-00001
UPC: 882224626996
EAN: 0882224626996
ASIN: B001B8EOMU
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Flip 3D Experience this dynamic Windows Vista feature by pressing a key or the mouse scroll wheel to display a 3D overlay of all open windows, and cycle through them. | | • | Translucent Border and Polished Racetrack Detail Brings the subtle elegance of Windows Aero to your desktop. | | • | Comfort Curve with Ultra-Thin Quiet Touch Keys Your hands sit more naturally on the quiet, responsive keys for comfort and productivity. | | • | "My Favorites" Keys Customize these 5 touch-sensitive keys to instantly bring up the folders, fi les, and Web pages you use most. | | • | Mobile Laser Mouse - with Magnifier, 4-Way Scrolling, Extended Battery Life, and 2.4 GHz Wireless |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The sleek, ultra-thin comfort curve keyboard encourages natural hand and wrist positioning for unprecedented comfort and productivity.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 [Was 3.5 stars, now 3] Excellent ergonomics, some problems November 30, 2008
Interesting, no, that I'm using the keyboard and mouse package right now to write this review? I wonder if I started typing out words it doesn't like whether they would somehow revolt, start sending "nice" instead of "terrible"?
So I've been using the mouse and keyboard for about three days now and while the experience has been mostly positive, there have been a few problems. The installation was a breeze into Vista. I didn't need any drivers and within 10 minutes, I was using both the mouse and keyboard without a problem. I did need the IntelliPoint software installed so that I could program both the mouse and keyboard.
The ergonomics of the keyboard are pretty good. It comes with two little "feet" that you can insert under special slots under the keyboard to raise either the front or the back to your liking. Or leave them off all together. I experimented with all three and found that inserting the feet under the front ends give me a better typing experience.
Programming the keyboard's several "special" keys was rather straightforward and there are quite a number of those. Keys exist for one-click printing, email program execution, open different folders (the user's Documents and Pictures, for example) and the list goes on. I don't really know how much I'll use these but they are quite convenient and like I said, setting the programming up is quite simple.
It has long been my contention that the best keyboards I have ever used with the Sun Microsystems keyboards that came with the old UltraSPARC machines and I've since judged any keyboard by that standard. The keys on the SPARC were spongy yet firmly resistant so that typing a key wasn't a chore. The keyboard in this package is close, very close. I like the softness of each key as it is pressed, which softness leads to a quiet environment. Nothing breaks my concentration than the clickety-clack of keyboard keys, especially with a fast typist. Definite big points on this.
At first I thought the mouse would be "interesting" to use seeing its shape. That was the least of my problems as it turned out. The ergonomics of the mouse took some getting used to, to be honest, but within a few hours, it became second nature. The mouse is right handed only with groves for the other, non-clicking, fingers to rest.
On the left ridge of the mouse are two buttons mapped to backwards and magnify (the magnify threw me off the first time I used it, but a nice feature is that a help screen immediately pops up explaining the magnification process and most importantly, how to get out of it--I wish they'd simply mapped it by default to "forwards" as I'm used to, however). In Vista, Flip 3D with the mouse wheel enables you to flip through the applications. Nice, but useless for me.
One thing I did find slightly irritating was that the mouse wheel had no clicking! It makes it difficult to accurately choose when and where to stop scrolling and while the (good) point has been made that no clicking makes it easier on the hands and fingers for long documents, I much rather a clicking for better control. The mouse is definitely comfortable in the hand and works well for extended computer use. Accuracy is good in general.
I ran into one issue that I'm not sure about: mouse and keyboard flakiness. The claim is that with the 2.4GHz "dongle" inserted into one of the computer's USB ports, you can use the mouse and keyboard within a 30-foot range. When I'm playing on my flight simulator program, I have to move the mouse and keyboard about four feet away but I start experiencing dropped keys and the mouse starts catching and jerking as I move it around. Very annoying.
I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact I don't have a mouse pad and use the wooden tabletop instead. It worked for my other Dell mouse which used a red laser--I don't see any lights on the underside of the mouse, by the way. I chose not to investigate further as I don't want my eyes lasered out! That said, I don't see why the keyboard started dropping keys when I moved it only about a foot or two from its normal location.
Anyway, I plan to get a mouse pad to see if it makes using the mouse better but I don't know what I'm going to do about the keyboard's errors. Perhaps I'll try and move the USB dongle from the bad of the computer where it's located now to the one of the front USB ports to move it closer to the keyboard and mouse.
If it weren't for these bouncy, jerky, dropped keys problem, it would be a five-star review. As it is, I'm afraid I'm going to give it a three-and-a-half stars because of the annoyance factor--a four-star if I'm being honest, but it's my review and I'm slightly put out. Just saying.
*Update: I just found out the reason why my mouse jerks and hangs. Incredibly, installing and using the IntelliPoint software with the mouse causes problems and the fix? Well, the fix is to uninstall both the mouse drivers and the IntelliPoint software and then, get this: go into your registry and obliterate any traces of the mouse by deleting a million and one reg keys. Ah, that's the Microsoft I know and love. Demoting to 3 stars from 3.5!
*Update 2: The keyboard is now having the same problems with dropped keys and such. Will it never end? I'm going back to using my wired keyboard and mouse.
 Try it before you buy it... November 27, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm a software engineer so I use a keyboard and mouse all day and I probably use keys that the typical user doesn't. I'd have to say over all that I don't intend to replace my current keyboard and mouse with this setup. I can tolerate the ergonomics of the keyboard and I like that it's quiet; however the space bar make an annoying click that the other keys don't. I absolutely hate what they did to the function keys and the escape key. Instead of being normal keys, they've turned them into small soft like buttons as if they are not important. If you develop software then you probably use the function keys all the time in Visual Studio or the debugger or IDE you use. Trying to find the function keys without looking at the keyboard is impossible. I also don't like the plastic frame that goes around the entire keyboard, it looks like I forgot to take the keyboard out of it's plastic shipping container or something. I'm using it for writing this review and I'm constantly getting double keys inserted, which I'm certain is due to the keyboard. If you don't tilt the keyboard up using the included "peg" feet then the back of the keyboard tilts up when you put you palms on the palm rest. I will say that the palm rest is a nice rubberize plastic material.
Now lets move to the mouse. While the keyboard is silent, the mouse is ridiculously loud when you click the right or left button. People in the cubicles around you will know about every click you do. Yet the mouse wheel has no click or any sort of tactical feedback (I hate a free spinning mouse wheel). The shape is okay, but it's unacceptable for gaming and I prefer the normal mouse shape to this right-hand only contraption. I'd also prefer that the mouse had a rechargeable battery with a charging station like my old Logitech wireless desktop has. I'd have to say that my Logitech wireless desktop from 5 years ago is a better product all around then this.
Keyboards and mice are very subjective things to review so I'd highly recommend that you try this setup out at a local store before committing. The key layout is different and the keyboard and mouse just seem like they were designed by two different teams. If you're big on ergonomics and don't know what the function keys are for, then you might like this keyboard/mouse. If you're a gamer or a developer than I'm going to guess that you won't be happy with it. In the end I'll be sticking with my Logitech G15 keyboard, it's not perfect either but it's light years beyond this MS keyboard setup.
 Outstanding Ergonomics! November 26, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is my third wireless keyboard/mouse combo (I have one from Dell and one from Logitech as well). I have highlighted some things that I particularly liked about it along with some of its drawbacks.
Pros
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- Decent Wireless Range
The effective wireless range for both the keyboard and mouse is about 15 ft. Beyond that, the response from the keyboard and mouse becomes sporadic. Still, it's a decent range and will suit the needs of most people.
- Ergonomic Mouse
I love how the shape of the mouse allows me to "hug" it with my entire hand, and it fits very snugly and comfortably. Its ergonomic shape, coupled with the support I get from my wrist rest, really helps to alleviate strain on my wrist. As far as ergonomics is concerned, I'm surprised that I actually find myself liking it a fair bit more than my Logitech MX Revolution.
- Ergonomic Keyboard
The slight curvature of the rows of keys for the QWERTY part of the keyboard helps to accommodate the natural position of your wrist. This is my first Microsoft "Natural" keyboard and I must say it has completely dispelled my skepticism of Microsoft's so-called "Natural" keyboard design. I find that it does work as claimed in helping to properly align your wrist so you can work more comfortably.
- Ultra Quiet Keyboard
Wow... I'm very impressed by how quiet the keyboard is no matter how fast I type or how hard I press the keys; there's none of the familiar "clacking" sound that comes from typing on a normal keyboard.
- Pleasant Tactile Response From The Keyboard
I also love how the keys on the keyboard have an almost laptop keyboard feel to it. The keys are firm, not jiggly, and they have a very pleasant tactile response.
- Accurate Mouse Tracking
The tracking on the mouse is responsive and precise. Because it uses laser tracking, it works on pretty much any surface - light, dark, shiny, dull, smooth, rugged - you name it. It took on surfaces that my optical mice have trouble tracking - with no problems.
- Mouse Customizability
All buttons can be completely customized. These include the left and right buttons, the wheel click, and the two buttons on the side traditionally set to forward and backward.
Cons
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- Lagging Quirk
Periodically, there a slight lag in response from the keyboard for about a second or two, before it "catches up" with the typing - not terribly bothersome, but definitely noticeable.
- Mouse Has Too Much Friction with Surfaces
There is more friction between the mouse and surfaces for my liking. I guess I'm spoiled by the way my Logitech mouse glides on most surfaces - thanks to the coating of Teflon on the bottom of its contact points. Having a mouse that glides effortlessly really makes for a much more pleasant mousing experience.
- Lack of a "Click-to-Click" Wheel
This is a biggie for me - I am thoroughly used to a mouse wheel that gives you tactile feedback of a "notch"/click as you turn it, so I'm very disappointed to find out that the wheel of this mouse turns almost frictionlessly. It's a problem because most people have their mouse optimally set to scroll 3 lines at each click/notch (the default setting), so it requires some effort to precisely control the click-less/notch-less turning of the wheel for scrolling a page up or down to the desired position.
- Mouse Customizability
The left and right tilting motion of the mouse is strictly reserved for left and right scrolling, and is thus not customizable. So far, I've found one particular application (Opera) the side-to-side scrolling doesn't work on.
Conclusion
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What impressed me most about both the keyboard and mouse is how much they help in alleviating wrist strain to help me work more comfortably. I give it high marks for ergonomics, which is a pretty compelling incentive for me to switch to it from my Logitech keyboard/mouse combo. However, it has some quirks, and there are a couple of drawbacks to the mouse, the most significant of which is the lack of a "click-to-click" wheel - something I find very hard to get past. There you have it; the above are some considerations you might want to take into account before deciding whether the Microsoft Natural Keyboard/Mouse Combo is right for you.
Solid combo with a few minor quirks November 26, 2008
I like this set so far. Wireless range seems ok to me. Everything in my setup is within a few feet of each other, so your mileage may vary. I did lose connectivity to the mouse once. Reseating the transceiver did the trick. I'm not sure if it was an issue with my PC or the mouse itself, but it hasn't repeated. I have a wireless G router approximately five feet away and have not noticed any interference between the two. Performance wise, the mouse seems pretty reliable and accurate. There is no stutter or lag. I don't notice a significant improvement in this particular laser mouse over normal optical mice. Then again, I'm not a big gamer or graphic artist, so I don't need the absolute pinpoint precision. The additional buttons and scroll wheel on the mouse work well, although I have a tendency to accidentally click the side mouse buttons with my thumb. Despite the occasional errant button click, I do like the ergonomic design of the mouse and my hand seems to rest comfortably around it. You do not need to install the included intellipoint/type software for basic use of the set, however it is required if you want to use some of the more advanced mapping options. I use XP Pro, so I can't comment on some of the new features for Vista such as the flip 3D. Keyboard responsiveness is good. The keys are shallower (more like laptop keys) and have a less-tactile feel than normal keys. I prefer firmer keys although I don't find the soft keys particularly distracting. I didn't experience any issues with latency or missed characters. I do agree with others about the design of the escape key. It's smaller, placed farther away than normal, and just not as intuitive to locate when your happily typing away as opposed to two-finger pecking. I'm also not a fan of Microsoft's curved keyboard because it's just not as natural feeling (to me) as standard keyboards. I seldom use keyboard hardware shortcut buttons because I prefer using Windows keyboard combo shortcuts (like alt+tab), the run box, and the quick launch bar. I like the fact that they labeled some of the frequently used Windows shortcuts (such as ctrl+C (cut), ctrl+V (paste), and ctrl+S (save)) on the keys to make them easier for users who may not be familiar with them. There are also plenty of programmable shortcut buttons on the keyboard and controls for frequently used features such as multimedia and web browsing. For users who took the long route over learning the many Windows keyboard shortcuts, this keyboard can save them from a lot of time-consuming digging through menus. I also give Microsoft points for styling an attractive keyboard. The translucent edges give it a modern feel. Microsoft usually goes for frumpy design (remember the original brown brick Zune?), however, they got this one right. Although I'm not crazy about the placement of the escape and function keys, I still think it is a very nicely designed keyboard. It's also lightweight and compact despite all the features.
Overall, this set contains a wealth of features that can make computing quicker and easier, although there are a few design quirks, such as the escape key, that may annoy some power users. It is an attractive combo that (so far) seems to offer solid performance. It is also claimed to be universally compatible. I may test it out on Unbutu and Mac OSX Leopard later.
 Well Designed Wireless Desktop November 26, 2008
I have been using the wireless Microsoft 3000 series keyboard and 5000 series mouse for a long while so I am very familiar with this product range.
The first improvement I noticed with the 6000 series is that you no longer have the big transceiver which will sometimes move and make it so you end up losing your wireless signal. Microsoft has now integrated the transceiver into a device which is the size of a thumb drive and plugs directly into your USB socket. The result of this (along with the better wireless technology) is hardly any signal loss so you always feel confident that things will happen instantaneously when you press a key or move the mouse.
To install the keyboard and mouse you plug in the transceiver, press the silver button and then the white signal buttons on the bottom of the mouse and keyboard and it will auto detect them. You can also install everything using the software included.
The 6000 keyboard is very sleek in design; it is about an inch thick at most and very lightweight. The main keyboard area is similar to the 3000 but there are a lot more `quick keys' around the outer area. Some of the new ones are `magnify' which lets you enlarge screen detail, `my favorites' which is a way to make your own set of personal keys and `flip 3D' which displays a 3D overlay of all open windows and lets you cycle through them. Another cool addition is the battery status indicator so you know when your batteries are running low. The keyboard itself is very responsive and when you press the keys it feels effortless instead of feeling numb and unresponsive like so many keyboards. The built in ergonomic wrist rest helps it feel a lot more comfortable.
The 6000 mouse is well designed and neatly crafted (even better than already excellent previous models) to fit comfortably in your hand. It is quick, smooth and responsive and the keys click with purpose.
Final conclusion - I really like the whole feel of the 6000 desktop series and Microsoft has taken the design of the keyboard and mouse to another level - highly recommended!
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