Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 1000 - b5q-00027 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great basic wireless keyboard/mouse set. Works great for the price.It does not eat up batteries, regular batteries can last a good 3-4 months before you have to change them.The keyboard works right out of the box, you don't have to install any software unless you want to use the special shortcut keys, but I recommend against installing included software, it is buggy and may mess up your USB drivers.The range on this is about 3 feet, I wish it was longer, but the usb receiver has long cord so you can position it at an optimal distance for your setup.

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Product Description:
Product DescriptionWireless Freedom, Optical Ease of Use Navigate with ease, free from wire clutter with the included optical mouse, and enjoy one-touch access to e-mail, the Web, and frequently-used features. Use on nearly any surface - Navigate with better speed, accuracy and reliability?the optical sensor tracks movement on nearly any surface without the hassle of clogged mouse partsFree yourself from cable clutter - Give yourself room to move?wireless mouse and keyboard products let you work without worrying about tangled wires. Scroll side to side - Scroll four ways for greater efficiency and comfort with 4-Way Scrolling. Get more done without disruption - Work with less interruption with longer battery life. Enjoy fast access to your media - With the touch of a button you can easily access your favorite music, video clips, and media programs.Additional Features: Spill-Resistant Design E-mail and Internet Hot Keys My Computer and Calculator Hot Keys Enhanced F-Key Functionality System Requirements: Microsoft Windows:Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with a Pentium 233 MHz or higher processor and 128MB of RAM Windows 2000 Professional or Server with a Pentium 133 MHz or higher processor and 128 MB of RAM 60 MB of available hard-disk space An available Universal Serial Bus (USB) port CD-ROM drive Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later Macintosh based computer Mac OS X version 10.1 to 10.2.x (excluding 10.0) Hard Disk Space 30 MB of available hard-disk space An available Universal Serial Bus (USB) port CD-ROM drive

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Microsoft 2.4GHz Wireless BlueTrack Technology Laser Explorer Mouse with 30-Foot Range and Easy Battery Recharging Base (5AA-00001). Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)What I liked:
=============

The first thing that I loved was that the mouse works fine under Linux (and Windows, of course), even the two side buttons: under Linux they are "Back" and "Forward" in a web-browser by default.

The mouse is rechargeable and requires one AA Ni-MH battery (which means it can be easily replaced when the battery dies eventually) and comes with a low charge indicator (slowly flashes red when the mouse needs recharging and slowly flashes green when the mouse is being charged) and an easy charging station. After some minimal charging is done, the green flashing stops and the indicator just stays on green. Unfortunately there is no indication as to when the mouse is fully charged - the indicator does not change to blue or some other color, instead it just stays on green).

The two customizable buttons can be assigned (under Windows) many different functions out of a list.

The mouse indeed works well on most surfaces. However, I found out that it does not work at all on a concrete wall painted with a white paint. It also barely works on its original package (which could mean that it performs poorly on transparent surfaces). I guess there are always exceptions.

The mouse looks beautiful! Although, keep in mind that you won't see the blue light from under the mouse and the BlueTrack sign all the time - it only turns on for a few seconds when the mouse is turned on (i.e. after one takes the receiver out of the mouse) and after the mouse returns from a sleep mode (the mouse goes into the sleep mode to save battery if it is not used for a while).
What I liked and did NOT like at the same time:
===============================================

One thing which I love is the smooth no-sound (no clicks) scroll wheel in a web-browser. It is as convenient to use as a wheel with clicks. It is great, for example, during meetings since the constant wheel clicking would not annoy anyone or in any situation when one wants to be quiet. The scrolling also takes very little effort. However, in all the other applications (not in a web-browser - for example in PowerPoint or in Excel) the scroll wheel is too sensitive, i.e. even a slight touch of the wheel causes a difficult to control scrolling of a page(s). One can get used to it but will still remain uncomfortable.
What I did NOT like:
====================

The first (very annoying) feature, from my point of view, is that the scroll wheel has to be clicked in a specific direction away from the user, when used as a middle button., i.e. if one just presses it down or towards oneself it would not consider it as a (middle) click. So it takes some thinking (or maybe a habit) to put a finger on the nearest end of the wheel and press it away. I love using the middle click to open a link in a new tab in FireFox. And also middle clicks are used really a lot under Linux (paste) so I consider it as major drawback of the mouse. I also cannot understand why the mouse was designed that way, since unlike scrolling, it takes some effort to click the wheel, so one would not click it accidentally anyway.

The second thing that I did not quite like was that the mouse is very big (its physical size: it is wide and thick - feels like a ball in ones hand). It is probably one of the biggest mice I ever seen or used. I have small hands and find it more convenient to use a narrower and thinner mouse. It does not make using the mouse troublesome - just feels somewhat uncomfortable. There is a "Mini" version of the mouse but that one is not rechargeable.

The mouse gets discharged pretty quickly (i.e. in less than a week - just a few days) when it is off. That is if I fully charge it and then snap the USB receiver into the mouse to turn it off with an intension to take the mouse with me on the road in a few days - it does not work, since in a few days when I turn the mouse on again, the charge indicator blinks red (which is an indicator that the mouse needs to be charged). It looks as if some circuit does not get disabled and still drains the battery power even in the mouse's off-state.

I find putting the mouse's wireless receiver in and out quite inconvenient. It takes special care to put the receiver in since it does not naturally find its proper position before one pushes it in. Even much more inconvenient is to take the receiver back out of the mouse - it gets stuck there pretty tightly and deeply and it is not easy to grab on it to pull it out (accurately without breaking it).

I also do not quite like the feature that to turn the mouse off one has to put the USB receiver into the mouse. It is subjective, of course, but I would find a simple on/off switch more convenient. The switch could be even positioned on the front or back side of the mouse so that it does not get congested with dirt over time, if this is the problem.

Also I wish the mouse would come with some carrying case. The idea of the BlueTrack technology is that the mouse works on most surfaces which makes it a good choice to take it with on the road, so, I think, a carrying case is desirable.
Overall:
========

I kept the mouse. My goal was to find a rechargeable wireless mouse which would use standard rechargeable batteries (i.e. AA or AAA) and I found it. It is a good mouse, but I would not call it a marvel of engineering - it has a few important things to get fixed. I guess the Microsoft engineers were so excited about the novel BlueTrack technology that they forgot to make sure that other not so novel features of the mouse are implemented conveniently for a user.

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Product Description:
The Microsoft Explorer Mouse, with revolutionary Microsoft BlueTrackTM Technology, works more places than ever before, including on granite countertops, living room or airport carpets-even on a wood table or rough, unfinished park bench.

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Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As somewhat of a keyboard/mouse collector (16 mice and 12 keyboards) due to the "unfortunate" quirk of being left-handed and desiring a comfortable mouse, I've tried quite a few over the years.I bought this set because Microsoft advertise that it's Mac-compatible, which is important seeing as I use Macs primarily.

Previously, I'd been using the standard Apple keyboard (slim aluminum), but wanted a keyboard with a few function keys.I scoped out the Logitech G15, as I had the older flip-LCD version and Logitech now supports Macs with their new G-series Profiler software, but I decided against the G15 because Logitech annoyed me with their Desktop Wave Pro set - which inexplicably is NOT supported by their SetPoint Mac software, even though the original Desktop Wave set IS supported.Grr!

This set from Microsoft is my favorite Microsoft set in years.The keyboard is fairly slim for an MS keyboard, which I like, and the keys are somewhat low-profile, which I also like.It took me an hour or so to get used to typing on it, as it has a bit of a weird contour to it - not quite as weird as the Logitech Wave, but a definite contour.

As mentioned by another reviewer, the keyboard is loud.I don't notice anything particularly loud about the spacebar, but the keyboard is most definitely loud in general.This doesn't bother me, as I tend to like the clack of a keyboard, but I can see how other people might be bothered by it.There's no way I could type on this keyboard stealthily while talking on the phone, for example.

For Mac users, the newest Microsoft IntelliType software is fantastic.Swapping a few settings allowed me to set the Alt keys to be equivalent to my Command keys, and the Windows Menu key (next to Ctrl on the right side) to be Alt, which is convenient while gaming - as I have easy access to Ctrl, Alt and Shift.The function keys are all customizable, allowing you to perform special functions, bind them to applications on your system, and so forth.One minor nitpick is that although you can bind a key to open your web browser, you can't bind it to a specific website - so I cannot, for example, bind my Mail key to automatically open my Gmail website.A minor nit, but it may also bother some people.

Another minor nitpick is that the F-keys are insanely small and are right above the standard keyboard, and below the special function keys.It took me a little while to get used to this, and I had to disable the iTunes functionality on the media keys because I kept hitting them while gaming, and popping up iTunes in the middle of a game.Not good!Due to per-application profiling, however, it's easy to disable them when in certain applications.

Apart from the above, I really like the keyboard.It's slim, low, the wristpad is of a material that's comfortable, and the keys are very nice to type on once you get used to them.

The mouse - which I believe is a Microsoft Wireless Mouse 5000 with a special white underside, instead of the solid black - took me a while to get used to as well, but I love it now.The mouse is very tall, which was a definite change from my previous mouse, a Razer Copperhead.It's ambidextrous, which is a big plus for me, and the sides are rubberized and very comfortable and keep it from slipping in my hand, which has been a problem with other MS mice.

The mouse is quite heavy, which I like, though others may not appreciate that.As is usual with Microsoft mice, the scroll wheel is heavenly - it scrolls so perfectly smooth, with just the right amount of tension.The rubber track on the wheel keeps your finger from slipping and gives good traction for scrolling.The scroll wheel isn't a click-wheel, but it's still very easy to scroll only one or two steps at a time, unlike the free roulette-wheel scroller on Logitech's new mice.

Though another reviewer complained about the loud clicks on the mouse, I don't think it's any louder than some Razer mice (Copperhead, Diamondback or Lachesis are the three I own) or Logitech mice (the G7, VX Nano and VX Revolution are about the same loudness), though it is definitely louder than some of Logitech's "squishier" mice, such as the MX610 and MX620, or the LX8.

I can also definitively say that the BlueTrack is amazingly responsive and accurate, especially for a wireless.After using it for a week, I still haven't had any problems with the pointer slipping or ghosting, or just plain teleporting all over.Very nice.

My only complaint - and it isn't a big one since I don't plan to travel with this mouse - is that although the transceiver snaps into the mouse, it's neither a Nano transceiver, nor does it snap flush into the bottom - it hangs out, which means if something brushes it enough, it could flop out.It would take a good bit of brushing, as there are four rubber teeth that hold the USB transceiver in, but beware if you store it in a laptop bag; your transceiver may be sitting at the bottom of the bag if you clunk it around.

All in all, I really am happy I purchased this set: it's a great value (combining a $40 Wireless Mouse 5000, and a $40 Wireless Keyboard 3000) for two high quality, rugged components - particularly the mouse.If you don't mind the loud clicks or loud keyboard, you'll probably love this set.

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Product Description:
Low-Profile Wireless Keyboard and BlueTrack Mouse Desktop Set - USB

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Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 Keyboard and Mouse Set - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this keyboard because they've been pushing pair programming at work and they want everybody's workstation to have 2 keyboards (whole different topic). Regardless, I took this as an opportunity to shop for a new keyboard to use at work. First, I ordered a Logitech Wave, what a miserable pile that was. I could not get over 90wpm on that keyboard. Now yes, I know, 90wpm is pretty good, but the keyboard kept frustrating me and I could not get in rhythm with it. So I went to Best Buy and got this. And I must say...WOW! I had a comfort 3000 already and loved it, but I did not expect this keyboard to feel so good. On my first try at [...] I hit 136wpm! Thekeyboard's keys are provide incredible feedback and feel amazing going at high speeds, it really is hard to describe. The rubberized palm rest makes the keyboard a joy to use for long hours at a time, and the curve the comfort's are known for makes sure that the extended reach keys (b,n, etc.) are elongated enough to make them easier to reach and unlike the split keyboards, the spacebar feels like a normal spacebar with no extra effort required.

The downsides:
I'm a professional software developer so having good sized function keys is an absolute must. On this keyboard, they are small and slightly recessed. There is also very little separation between the groups as is normal on most keyboards (1-4,5-8,9-12) which makes it hard to find the one you want without looking. This might also be a pain for gamers. The function keys also seem to go down deeper than the regular keys putting a small amount of extra strain on my wrists. My other complaint is about the mouse, while it is small than the average Microsoft mouse, it is still quite comfortable in your hands, but the scroll wheel is annoying. I personally prefer a scroll wheel that clicks, and this one is smooth with no clicking. Again, this might be my preference as a programmer as I like more predictability when scrolling as most development environments scroll by line instead of pixel, but it was an annoyance to me.

So overall, for typing, the keyboard is my absolute favorite keyboard of all time. For other things such as hitting F-keys and scrolling, I guess I'll have to get used to them. The Windows 7 function keys are nice I guess, but even though I do use Win7 (legal MSDN version of course), I find no use for them. The other little feature I like is that the usb dongle is a very small flash drive sized stick and not those long mouse looking things of the past. In the end, every person needs to make up their own opinion when it comes to keyboard preferences because keyboards are like chairs and mattresses, it is highly dependent on what you like.

In the end, with all the bitching and moaning I do with the F keys and mouse, I'm contemplating buying another one to use at home.

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Product Description:
Wireless Comfort Curve Keyboard and Mouse Set with Soft-touch Palm Rest

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