Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000

I logged in here to order my second set of this keyboard/mouse combo and was surprised to see all the negative reviews? I even paused to order my second one as I thought maybe the quality or design somehow changed? I went as far as considering the competition. But, decided to go ahead and order my second one, crossing my fingers I would not be disappointed. I received it and everything looks the same. I compared my old set (letters are worn off the keys, silver paint worn off the index clicker for my mouse) to the new one, side-by-side...they look identical. I plugged in the new USB to my monitor, slipped the batteries into each and...well...all is runing perfect and smooth. The keys on the board are the slightest bit stiffer...but this is because it is new. Just like when you drive a new car, everything feels tight and fresh. With time and use, they will loosen up. Personally, I like the feel of the keys. The space bar is working perfectly fine. For those that are finding the different sizing of the keys is strange, I can tell you, if you are a muscle memory typist, they are a complete dream. It took me about 2 days to get used to the keyboard, but now, I am miserable typing on a standard keyboard. The wrist rest on the keyboard is amazing and so comfortable. The mouse...the mouse is awesome. Rest your hand on the table in front of you...you should notice that the natural position your hand wants to take is slightly tilting outward. This is not a coincidence. I am a petite person and I remember the first time I layed my hand on the mouse, I was like "What the!?" It did feel almost like I was resting my hand on a ball. But it did not take me long to realize how comfortable my hand was on it. I am sure if I had a larger hand, it would have been an even easier adjustment. But even with a tiny hand, it fits and works perfectly for me. So darned comfy!!! So, not sure what I like better, the mouse or the board. I can't decide. I guess I love them both equally! My pain completely disappeared when I started using this set over three years ago. I hope Microsoft never stops making this set as it has made a tremendous difference for me. I have never had a connectivity problem with the set, ever? Maybe this is because I have the USB protruding from my monitor (most monitors come with 2 USB ports on the bottom front left side...just plop it in there, stick the batteries in, depress the tiny light gray connectivity button and you should be set to go). While the distance between my eyes and the monitor is a little over 2 feet, there is at least 36 inches of space between my mouse and the USB (as a crow flies/diagonally speaking). The keyboard rests on my 4G Humanscale swivel shelf attached to the underside of my desk (as does my mouse); the keyboard is "under" the desk, yet, the keyboard connects consistently without hesitation. I never download the accompanying software... I don't ever the buttons on the top of the keyboard, including the zoom, I suppose I could try them...but, I just use the mouse to adjust volume from my monitor, etc. I don't mind the calculator pad on the board, I use it almost every day (what can I say). I think the calculator pad is pretty darn convenient. I am SOOOO happy I did not hesitate due to the negative reviews and re-purchased! As a keyboard and a mouse, they are a perfect pair. I love this set!

I have used a similar ergonomic Microsoft keyboard for years. Much to my surprise, I really liked the split keyboard, which was very intimidating to me. I was afraid that I would not be able to type comfortably and accurately. However, after about a week, I found that I had no problems using the new style keyboard at all. In fact, I much prefer it to the standard keyboard. This keyboard is pretty much the same as my previous version, with a few important upgrades: 1. It is wireless. After tripping myself on the keyboard and mouse wires for the millionth time, I decided to look for a wireless alternative. 2. The keyboard has a riser under it. For some reason, the riser has alleviated joint pain that I was experiencing. I type for a living, and was worried I might be developing long-term problems in my left hand. However, after 2 days of this keyboard, I felt fantastic (and have stayed that way). 3. the mouse is fantastic. I feel very comfortable using it and it does not irritate my wrist. It is also wireless, which I find especially useful in a mouse. My only complaint is that I occasionally accidentally hit the "magnifying" button. It always surprises me, but is easy enough to turn off. I suppose if I had poorer eyesight, I would really love that feature. One final comment: a co-worker of mine has the same keyboard. She loves that the keys are very customizable for her own personal shortcuts. I haven't used that function myself, but she swears that it makes the keyboard outstanding. Overall, I highly recommend this keyboard. I know that the split-style of the keyboard will take some getting used to, but after a week, you will be typing like a pro again! If you just give it a little time, I believe your overworked hands will thank you for it!

UPDATE: 11/6/2017 In spite of my 1-star review I continue to use this keyboard because, when it works, it is great. However, the times when it suddenly becomes unresponsive and limits my ability to type I want to throw it out the window. I've been reading somome (see! That is what happens when the keyboard stops communicating with the transmitter!) some of the other reviews of the newer keyboard and may have to try it out. I can't bring myself to return to wired as I still like to type from my lap at times, and now use a standing desk. I wish Microsoft had made this keyboard with a better transmitter. Anyone know of an after-market USB transmitter that would improve the keyboard's communication? That would be wonderful. Here's the original review. I work from home and am on the phone constantly. I take notes when I speak with people and touch-type fairly well. I have an old ergonomic keyboard that was sooo loud I just couldn't take it. I had instead been taking notes on a notebook PC since they tend to have the quietest keyboards. Well, the notebook became unreliable and I had to switch back to the desktop PC and wanted to upgrade my keyboard. After many trips to different stores where I could type away on different keyboards I decided this one seemed to have the quietest profile. I then proceeded to read MANY reviews and became skeptical of the quality and some of the noise issues people mentioned. I even went back to some stores and tried again. Ultimately I decided to purchase this keyboard/mouse combination to give it a try myself. I plugged in the USB transmitter less than 12 inches from the keyboard. For the most part communication is fine, but sometimes there is an odd lag and it drops for a moment. Not sure what that's about but I'll be typing away and suddenly there is nothing on the screen. Hmmm. Sometimes it's just a lag and suddenly the letters will appear, other I get nothing until it reconnects on it's own. No idea what that's about. The space-bar on this keyboard is MUCH louder than any of the other keys. Since the space bar is probably the most commonly struck key something should have been done to reduce the sound profile of that key. I hear it constantly as I type and have even tried to adjust the way I strike the key. Interestingly I've discovered that it is the sound of the space bar returning to its resting position that creates the sound. I think the center of the key strikes the bottom of that center column on the keyboard. I may try some modifications to see if I can silence this noise. Since this noise is noticeably louder and different than the sound generated by the rest of the keys it stands out and people have commented on hearing my typing when we're talking. Also, shortly after using this keyboard the space bar actually became stuck while typing. Just stopped partway down and wouldn't return. Suddenly I was typing without a functioning space bar. Fortunately, I still had my old keyboard connected so the breakdown didn't disrupt my call too much. All that said, I love the mouse. Took me a while to get used to it, but since then I've been thrilled with how comfortable it is. I can live with the issues above and hope once I fix the space bar noise this keyboard will last for a while. Why can't somebody manufacture a great, reliable, nearly soundless, wireless, ergonomic keyboard? If you know of one please let me know! For now, I'll live with this one and it's flaws. UPDATE June 2013: I've found a solution to the sticky space bar problem. The problem occurs only when the elevated stand is connected to the front of the keyboard. It seems the weight of my hands on the hand-rest causes the keyboard to bow just slightly. This bowing causes the spacebar to catch in the depressed position very frequently hence making the keyboard useless when elevated. When the front stand is removed and the rear-legs lowered the spacebar no longer sticks. Not at all. This is clearly a design flaw and more rigidity needs to be integrated into the stand or the keyboard. Were this an inexpensive keyboard I could tolerate the cheap design, but at this price-point it should function equally in all configurations. I am now using the keyboard flat on my desk. It is harder on my wrists in this position but I don't see any alternatives for now. The space bar also is not as noisy when the keyboard is flat on my desk. Don't get me wrong, It's still the noisiest key on the board and not yet satisfactory. I'm still working on quieting it down.

I just purchased the Microsoft Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse 7000 about a week ago. Installation was straightforward and I was up and running with them in about 10 minutes (and much of that time to allow for the reboot of my PC after installing the software). I was a little concerned about some reviews claiming this product had an annoying typing delay at times, but I've only seen it once so far, and it was not really a problem (and I'm not 100% it was even related to the wireless keyboard - could've been processor lag from something else going on with my PC). ***update*** I've seen this lag issue several times now and I will admit that it IS annoying when it happens - sometimes no response in keyboard or mouse for several seconds. It doesn't happen all the time, but only occasionally (thankfully). Still, I'm willing to put up with it because the keyboard is really comfortable for me.(mouse?...still not a big fan yet.) ***FINAL UPDATE*** I'm now experiencing the 'lag' problem with the keyboard becoming unresponsive for MINUTES sometimes. I've gotten to where I actually pull the batteries and reinsert them to get it to 'wake up'. VERY inconvenient, to say the least. Probably too late to return the unit, but at this point, I probably would if I could. This is either a driver flaw or a hardware issue - either way Microsoft should fix this, pronto. I bought this unit because I previous had the Natural Keyboard (wired version) which literally cured a chronic wrist pain situation that I had going on a number of years ago. After using this keyboard, my wrist pain went away entirely in less than 10 days and hasn't come back since. Then....my puppy ate through my keyboard cable and I tried using the original 'normal' keyboard again and I just don't find standard keyboards comfortable any more. So, what better way to prevent your dog from chewing on your keyboard and mouse cables than to just eliminate them! I'm extremely satisfied with the keyboard. However, the jury is still out on the Ergonomic Mouse. It's comfortable enough to use - I do like the more vertical hand position - BUT I have 2 complaints; 1) the scroll wheel is really tight (ie turns sluggishly). Not sure if this is adjustable, but I doubt it. Maybe I'll get used to it...Maybe not. 2) my desk has a slide-out keyboard/mouse tray. This mouse is probably an 1.5 inches taller than a typical mouse due to its vertical design orientation. Unfortunately, because of this I cannot slide my keyboard try back under my desk when I'm done typing without moving the mouse to my desktop surface - which I usually forget to do and just end up jamming the mouse partially between the desk and the tray every time I finish typing and stand up to leave my PC. Maybe I'll get used to that...Maybe not. Anyway, if you don't have a keyboard try (or maybe have one with more than 4" of clearance), this should be a NON-issue for you. ***FINAL UPDATE*** I'm now experiencing the 'lag' problem with the keyboard becoming unresponsive for MINUTES sometimes. I've gotten to where I actually pull the batteries and reinsert them to get it to 'wake up'. VERY inconvenient, to say the least. Probably too late to return the unit, but at this point, I probably would if I could. This is either a driver flaw or a hardware issue - either way Microsoft should fix this, pronto.

I have had Microsoft "Natural" keyboards since the very first model came out. They are the absolute best for typing ergonomics. This one takes the standard and bumps it up a notch with some added ergonmic features. This model has greatly enhanced the "slant" of the keys, leading to a crown in the middle of the qwerty keyboard. So where in the past you have had only the correction for wrist alignment along the axis of your forearm-to-elbow, now you also have correction for wrist rotation so your arms/hands are in a more "natural" resting position as you type. It really is VERY comfortable to use. The mouse is also nice and the "baseball grip" is very comfortable, though it takes a touch of getting used to - even if you are already used to ergonomic mice (Intellimouse Explorer, etc.). Adjusting to moving the mouse with precision while resting the edge of your hand (not just your pinky finger) on the mousepad is not as easy as you'd think. Once you do adjust, however, it's all very comfortable and the layout makes good sense. The only thing to note about the keyboard is that the height specs are a bit misleading. I have a keyboard drawer that I wanted this to fit into, as it helps me maximize my usable desk space. The specs I found (on another website) show it to be well over 4" tall. No way that would fit, so I held off on buying it for a while. Then I was in an office-supply store and happened upon this KB on their display. After looking a bit, I realized that the front wrist rest/elevator is removable from underneath the keyboard, and that gets it down to a height that would fit in my drawer. The crown in the center of the keys is still higher than most other KB's, but it does just barely squeeze in without brushing the keys. Just FYI for anyone else out there seeing the same info.

The keyboard and mouse in this combo pack are BOTH very comfortable. I think that the products are deserving of individual reviews, so here goes. The Keyboard I have never used an ergonomic keyboard before but after only about a few weeks using it, I had already gotten used to the split design and dividing up the keys between right hand and left. Although I don't type properly using the home row positioning I still manage well with this keyboard. The only thing that took me a while to get used to (and still gives me a bit of trouble almost a whole month later) is the position of the B key. I typically type the letter b with my right hand so when I first started using this keyboard I substituted a lot of 'B's for 'N's. Overall the keyboard is very comfortable and the wireless works flawlessly from what I've seen so far. The only down side to the keyboard I've found is that there is no "On/Off" switch, so the power is always being drained (or so I believe). The keyboard is also not rechargeable. According to the manual the batteries should be removed from the device if it won't be in use for a long time. I use this keyboard for my apple macbook pro laptop. The media keys seem to work without any extra drivers (volume up/down, mute and play/pause). I believe the other keys require a driver available from Microsoft for functionality. If I had to rate the keyboard by itself I would give it an 8/10, mostly due to the lack of an on/off switch and the fact that there is no recharge feature so purchasing more batteries is required once the shipped set dies out (although the batteries seem to have lasted most of a month so far). It would have really been nice to see USB cable feature to be able to plug in and charge the keyboard at the same time, but this is very rare anyway. Next up is the mouse. The Mouse The mouse is fairly comfortable. I used it for about 5 minutes and then pulled out the batteries to save them as replacements for the keyboard. While the mouse that is provided is relatively comfortable to use it has its share of issues. The first thing wrong with the mouse is that it has two buttons on the side--sort of. These are the ubiquitous back and forward buttons you see on many mice today. On this mouse they aren't very easily reachable from a normal grip. You have to bring your thumb up and in to reach them which kind of breaks that comfortable feeling you get from just holding it normally. If I did use this mouse, I probably wouldn't be using those buttons very often. The second problem I encountered with the mouse is that the cursor seems to lag. I'm not sure if this is caused by any interference or just purely due to the fact that it is an IR mouse. Even when changing the channels on the mouse, the cursor still seems to lag way behind making it too difficult to use. For the mouse alone I give it a 2/10 My overall thoughts on the product are that unless you really feel the need for the wireless, you should instead get the wired version of the keyboard ( Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ) and buy a totally different mouse all together. I ended up purchasing a Logitech G500 Programmable Gaming Mouse to use with this keyboard, which has a really nice feel to it and provides a scroll wheel that can toggle between a nice smooth perpetual glide and an individual click feel, which is good even for scrolling through documents because it is less stress on your hands than to spin the wheel repeatedly.

In a word (or rather, in 3 words): I Love It! I've used Microsoft's natural ergonomic keyboards since they first came out some 14, 15 years ago, and I've always loved them. Still, every new keyboard takes a bit of re-building "finger memory", and this was is no exception. Seems Microsoft manages to slightly alter the keyboard layout and/or shape from version to version, so there's always a bit of re-training/re-learning involved. That re-learning curve was a bit steeper with this model than with previous ones, but all in all, it's a very, very comfortable keyboard, and I just love it. I did not notice the problems with the spacebar that some reviewers noted; to me, the spacebar feels perfectly natural and really not much different from my previous MS keyboards. Every once in a while, there's some lag with the input; I'm a fairly fast typist, and there are instances, although relatively rarely, when it just seems to shut down for a second or two and won't accept any input. The "baseball" mouse that comes with the keyboard took a lot longer to get used to, I've had Microsoft ergonomic laser mice before, but this one has a whole new shape and size and positions your wrist in a different way. Also, I have very small hands, so this mouse felt absolutely huge at first. However, it probably took me longer to remember to take the mouse out of the keyboard drawer when closing the drawer (the mouse is too tall to fit in the closed drawer) than it did to get used to the different wrist position and the large size of the mouse. I really like the "Favorites" buttons along the top of the keyboard. For me, the little button that calls up the calculator is one of the neatest features of this keyboard -- I tend to use the Windows calculator a lot, and I'd always have to place a shortcut on the desktop (and then still switch to desktop view to launch it). The Favorites buttons are programmable, so I have them launching the applications I use most frequently. Another feature that I personally find most useful is the ability to control the speaker volume (or turn the speakers off/on) via the keyboard. The controls for my speakers are difficult to get to and, if that's possible, even more difficult to manipulate, so having the controls integrated into the keyboard is simply fabulous. It would be nice if the keyboard had LEDs to show the status of certain keys, such as Caps Lock. The little notification icon that appears briefly on the screen in the lower right corner just doesn't quite cut it for me -- I like to be reminded that my Cap Lock key is on. But that's a minor gripe. Battery life on both keyboard and mouse seems to be very good. Some reviews I'd read indicated that the keyboard batteries wear out quickly, but that has not been my experience. I've had keyboard and mouse since September and, with the exception of about a month's worth of out-of-town trips, am using both daily, generally 6 hours/day or more, and haven't had to replace the batteries in either the keyboard or the mouse. Update: the batteries in the mouse wore out first, I had to replace them after approx. 5 months of use. Keyboard batteries are still going strong. Update to the update: I've had to replace the batteries in the mouse twice now; but, even after well over a year of use, the keyboard is still running on its original batteries. All in all, couldn't be happier with it. Did I say that I love it? Highly recommended, the only caveat being that if you're not used to Microsoft's ergonomic natural keyboards, it **will** take some getting used to.

I've used Microsoft's Natural keyboards for years and been very satisfied, but this new combo is a mixed bag. The good news is that the keyboard is a winner. The keys are solid, the set-up options (flat, raised front, raised back) are the best yet, and the padded wrist rest is a nice upgrade from previous models. I had a problem with one of the keys sticking a few weeks after I bought it, and MS sent a replacement immediately and with no questions asked--so two thumbs up for their customer service. The bad news is that the mouse is a real disappointment. The theory behind the large "baseball" shape doesn't match the reality: it's cumbersome, heavy, and just doesn't feel natural. Worse, the pointer is dodgy, inaccurate, and erratic--and is the same on every computer I plug it into, so I know it's the mouse and not interference or a driver issue limited to my computer. Making that discovery wasted hours of my time. I will end up purchasing another mouse, which is a disappointment considering how expensive this set is. Not sure if they sell the keyboard by itself, but I would not recommend this mouse to anyone. Update, 11 months later: Personally, I hate the mouse for this set, and have been EXTREMELY happy with the Logitech MX Revolution instead. On the other hand, I have not a found an affordable wireless split keyboard as good as this one. I have been using Microsoft's ergonomic keyboards since they were first introduced, so at this point it is almost impossible for me to type properly on a flat keyboard without my wrists hurting (and making lots of mistakes). I would now give this keyboard a 4 rating on its own, deducting a single star for the fact that the letters have a tendency to wear off after about six months, and more are fading quickly. I am a decent touch typist, so that's not the end of the world for me, but for anyone who hunts and pecks, that could be a problem. Plus, it's just annoying. If you have this problem, I suggest calling the main Microsoft Support number rather than Miscrosoft supplemental parts. The latter was a U.S. number that led me to Microsoft rep named Josh who proceeded to cheerfully give me the brush-off and said that the issue was not covered under the warranty. When I seemed incredulous that letters wearing off a keyboard in less than six months was not considered a defect, his reply was "I'm sorry." Thanks, Josh! The main support number, though more of a hassle, led me to someone in Bangalore who gladly sent out a new keyboard. While I would have preferred the designers at Microsoft to be a bit more thoughtful about the longevity of their product, I am grateful that at least some faction of the company realizes that vanishing keys are not only defects, but will also render the product useless for anyone who does not touch type (like other members of my family). Bottom line: great keyboard, but the keys will vanish if you type a lot of your hands sweat. The mouse is bulky, made my hand and wrist hurt, and is not as functional or comfortable as the MX Revolution from Logitech.

This product was brought in to replace the wired version of the same thing... unfortunately, it's slow on the type rate with weird errors when you type fast.. and the user can type extremely fast! I'll be ordering a replacement to see if it's simply the unit but I'm losing faith!