Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 4000 (3.0) Silver PS2/USB Mac/Win
by Microsoft
|
List Price: Our Price: $79.50 You Save: $0.45 (1%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $39.95 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 4000 (3.0) Silver PS2/USB Mac/Win
Customer Review: Nice keyboard and mouse, but with connectivity issues
Summary: 3 Stars
I've been typing and using a mouse for many, many years. Just recently, my right hand has started to develop carpal tunnel symptoms. I noticed the pain was more intense when I was typing on those standard straight keyboards. I knew I needed a more ergonomic keyboard, but I hated those extreme split keyboards. When I saw the gentle curves on this keyboard, I thought it would be perfect for me. I was right. After using this keyboard, the pain started to subside. Using the mouse that comes with it also helped too.
Everything would be great and I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for one major problem. The keyboard and the mouse were constantly losing connectivity resulting in keystrokes being dropped and the mouse behaving erratically. I was almost to the point of returning it out of frustration until I put the wireless receiver right next to the keyboard. Once I did this, it started working at an acceptable level. It still drops characters occasionally, but I can live with this. I haven't had any problems with the mouse either. I eventually bought a second keyboard for home. After a few weeks, my wrist is doing much better.
So the bottom line is if you are in pain, this keyboard and mouse will definitely help. If your computer is close enough to put the receiver right next to the keyboard (the cable is about 5 feet long), then I would recommend buying this keyboard. Otherwise the frustration of constantly having to backspace and retype the lost characters will drive you crazy.
Customer Review: Keyboard nice, frustrated with mouse
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this set to use with a docking station on a new notebook - the dock covers the keyboard and touchpad on the notebook, so I have to have a separate keyboard and mouse. I love the keyboard of this set. It's comfortable, has a lot of nice quick buttons, and the zoom feature for my very high resolution notebook screen is awesome.
Part of my frustration with the mouse may just be a result of my newcomer status to a notebook. For starters, though, the software disk that came with this set wouldn't play - auto run or otherwise - on my drive. All other CD/DVD's work fine. No big deal, I thought, since Microsoft's web site offered the software as a download. Except, the link to the mouse software was also defective. I tried installing a slightly earlier version.
The thing I didn't know was that installing mouse software on a notebook in general wants to disable the touchpad permanently. I had NO intention of doing this. I have it working currently where the touchpad has full functionality, and this mouse is working EXCEPT for the sideways scrolling. I'm more frustrated with the computer companies for not figuring out a way to install outside mouse drivers and keep the touchpads functional, but I seem to have mostly found a way around it. Still, I didn't feel that this was the best hardware experience. I really am unhappy that the software was unavailable, though I probably wouldn't have installed it anyway. Just my 2 cents!
Customer Review: Fantastic feel, poor performance
Summary: 2 Stars
I loved this keyboard-mouse set more than any previous accessory that I have had -- and I hated it with equal intensity.
The feel of the keys and the leather palmrest were extraordinary, and the look was very hip. Had this been a wired keyboard, I would have ordered more as holiday gifts for friends.
Instead, the signal steadily degraded over several months, and I finally discarded the keyboard after spending days fruitlessly attempting to select text or files while attempting to meet tight deadlines. Text and file selection was very difficult because the signal would inevitably drop out while I held down a Ctrl or Shift key to select multiple items. Dropouts while typing ordinary text were less frequent, but I did find myself needing to recheck recent typing sometimes -- and the transmitter was barely two feet from my keyboard and mouse.
After discarding the keyboard, I mourned the loss of its extraordinary comfort -- the nice feel of the keys, the ergonomic shape, and the leather palmrest. I don't know what conditions in my office might have interfered with the wireless signal; I don't have other wireless accessories. Whatever the case, it seems this keyboard's wireless technology is not quite ready for prime time.
Customer Review: Keys stick, hard to press buttons on mouse, unresponsive
Summary: 1 Stars
I was a long time user of the wireless natural keyboard and it broke and I was looking for a replacement. I purchased this keyboard thinking it was going to be a good keyboard and boy was I wrong.
First of all if you are familiar with the natural keyboards they are the ones that have the split keyboard and the keys in the center are at least an inch away from eachother in the center. the comfort keyboard is not split in the center its just curved and is supposed to feel the same but it doesnt. I typed about two emails and my hands were already hurting.
The mouse is also bad. The buttons are very hard or stiff. I was having to press very hard to get the buttons to work. The scroll button was very hard as well. I had the scroll button programed to use as a back button and it hardly ever registered the function.
I had to return this keyboard and instead purchased an upgraded version of my original keyboard which is now the microsoft wireless natural multimedia keyboard with matching wireless intellimouse explorer 2.0. I am so happy with this keyboard and my hands are fine now even after typing this long review.
Customer Review: Fine product with annoying aspects
Summary: 4 Stars
I have to admit that I was really impressed by this stuff at first. I didn't need to do anything to make it work with my Linux box! And I could use the keyboard and mouse across the whole room without any problem, I really didn't expect that from an RF wireless product, especially the user's manual says it works within 20 inches from the reciever.
But, as I spent a little more time with it, I just found it so annoying that it doesn't even have the LEDs to indicate capital lock or number lock. All you can get is a small window showing up in Windows telling you what the current capital/number lock status is when you press such lock keys. No no, I can't get used to it.
F1 - F12, are set to a series of new functions by default, undo, redo, new, open, close, reply... If you used to use Alt+F4 to close a window as I do, you need to click the F lock on the right up corner to get back the 12 F keys.
Overall, it's a good product, comfortable, easy to install... But I need an old-fasioned keyboard layout. The new functions Microsoft assigns to the function keys frustrated me a little bit.