Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 | 
| Brand: Microsoft
List Price: $59.95
Buy New: $25.00
You Save: $34.95 (58%)
New (55) Used (1) from $25.00
Rating:  480 reviews
Sales Rank: 196
Color: N/A
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: MS Windows XP Media Center compatible
Keyboard: QWERTY
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 20 x 11 x 3
nv:Keyboard Type: Ergonomic
Connection Type: USB
Special Features: Zoom
Special Features: Multimedia Controls
Warranty: 3 years warranty
MPN: B2M-00012
Model: B2M-00012
UPC: 882224015462
EAN: 0882224015462
ASIN: B000A6PPOK
Release Date: September 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Cutting-edge design and improved performance for maximium productivity | | • | E-mail and Internet hot keys |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A 14 degree gable separates the two groups of keys, which is complemented by the curved key bed and 7-degree wrist rest for what looks to be a truly comfortable typing experience. Other notable features include a zoom slider, five programmable favorites keys for launching documents and applications, forward & backward keys located in the center of the keyboard, hotkeys, and the standard enhanced function keys.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 475 more reviews...
 Very happy with the keyboard October 29, 2005
Greg Broiles (San Jose, CA United States)
75 out of 80 found this review helpful
I just picked this up this afternoon and have been very pleased with it so far. I used it to replace a Microsoft Natural Elite keyboard. The wrist/palm rests feel very nice, and I like the fact that the keys are quiet - I'm trying to train myself to take notes while on the phone using the computer instead of using a pad of paper, and I find that loud typing while I'm talking on the phone can interfere with my hearing the other person, and with their perception of my attention. The software does seem relatively Spartan but to be honest I'm not a big user of customization features, so it doesn't impact my use of the device. In the past, I haven't even bothered to install keyboard driver software. The zoom feature works nicely in Firefox, I don't use IE much.
So, for my use - standard typing for many hours/day, minimal use of special features - it's a great keyboard. I'm glad it's got the older-style cursor key/insert-delete-scroll key setup, rather than the setup used on the Natural Elite, that I never did really become accustomed to.
Chances are pretty good I'll buy another one to use at home this weekend - I am really happy with this, enough so that I'm ready to give up the old ergo keyboard I've got at home that doesn't have the negative tilt but does have the arrow-key configuration that I prefer.
I realize that split keyboards are interesting to a minority of the population (and everyone should use what works best for them) - but if you're one of the split keyboard people, I suggest giving this one a try.
 Disappointed August 10, 2007
givpilot (Groton, MA USA)
39 out of 45 found this review helpful
I was disappointed in this keyboard for 3 reasons. First, I thought the mechanical feedback for the key press was poor. Some keys, particularly the space bar, required significantly more "push" than the others. Also, the space bar was particularly noisy when fully depressed. Second, the ergonomic design of the keyboard was quite pleasant, but the spacing and the sizing of the keys (some letter keys are larger than others) made typing a bit difficult; larger hands may find it a bit easier going. Finally, the web quick access button did not permit programming any other browser to open other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer, even bypassing the default browser (FireFox) set up on my computer. Other buttons could be programmed for it, but not the button labeled for the Internet. For those 3 reasons, I returned it since it was going to be too frustrating to live with it.
I love this keyboard! September 6, 2006
Neilisa (Tulsa, OK United States)
31 out of 32 found this review helpful
I'm one of the many who have been typing for years; from college where I earned money as a typist, to secretarial work, and now as a software engineer and a part-time writer, so needless to say that my keyboard is basically a constant companion.
From years of typing I've come to learn my likes and dislikes of keyboards. I was one of those who ordered the very first Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard as soon as it came out, and I fell in love with it. After seven years, my faithful keyboard finally gave up the ghost and so I was forced to purchase another.
I was at first lured to purchase a different brand name ergonomic keyboard because it was cheaper, and boy did I regret that decision. Some of the keys were moved from their standard positions, the ENTER key was much larger, which meant the SHIFT key was smaller and the back slash key was moved to the last row. The spacing between the number keys was wider so I had to readjust my reach, and, to make things worse, the keys kept sticking. The whole layout was not to my taste.
In contrast, this keyboard is perfectly suited to me. The keys tap much softer which means my fingers don't absorb as much shock when I'm typing. I type over a 100 wpm and when your fingers fly over the board, they tend to tap harder. The keys are also laid out exactly how you would expect them to like any other keyboard. The shortcuts are my favorites where some are pre-set with others that you can set yourself.
Basically, I have no complaints. I'm very happy with my purchase.
Nice Keyboard That Makes My Wrists Feel Better October 13, 2006
Joe Chin (Edina, MN)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
This is a well-constructed keyboard that has a nice feel to it and a good assortment of programmable keys. It isn't advertised as such, but the "zoom slider" is also programmable. Here's how to reprogram it as a scroll slider: Edit C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliType Pro5.5\IType\Setup\Files\commands.xml.
Replace:
C319 Type="6" Activator="ZoomOut"
C320 Type="6" Activator="ZoomIn"
With:
C319 Type="6" Activator="ScrollUp"
C320 Type="6" Activator="ScrollDown"
 Spacebar is Terrible July 25, 2007
E. Shields (Albuquerque, NM)
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I spent most of my days writing code and am quite comfortable with split keyboards. That being said, I cannot recommend this keyboard. The space bar is just too poorly designed.
If you look at the pictures of this keyboard you can see that the space bar is quite wide. Now think about where your thumb is when you strike the space bar - off to the side. However, the actuator for the spacebar is centered on the space bar. This increases the amount of force required to strike the space bar.
For a traditional keyboard this generally is not an issue. However, the split nature of this keyboard makes the space bar longer than those found on traditional keyboards (the MS spacebar is a full 1.5 inches longer than that on my traditional Dell keyboard).
Worse, the required force results in a loud clicking noise everytime the space bar is struck. If you don't mind a loud keyboard, you may find this acceptable. If you share an office space or work in a cubicle, you'll drive your neighbors crazy. I've got my own office and drive myself crazy when typing.
The solution is trivial, but apparently didn't occur to anybody at Microsoft: the space bar should be split as well. With a spacebar actuator on both the left and right sides of the keyboard, this problem would disappear and the space bar would actuate like all of the other keys (which respond nicely). Why MS feels that a split keyboard should have one big space bar that spans both sides is beyond me.
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