Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite | 
| Brand: Microsoft
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $29.00
You Save: $10.95 (27%)
New (49) Used (4) from $20.00
Rating:  145 reviews
Sales Rank: 544
Platform: Not Machine Specific
Color: N/A
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Not Machine Specific
Keyboard: QWERTY
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 18 x 8 x 2.2
nv:Keyboard Type: Ergonomic
Connection Type: USB
Warranty: 3 years warranty
MPN: A11-00337
Model: A11-00337
UPC: 659556585921
EAN: 0659556585921
ASIN: B0000642RX
Release Date: October 28, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Ergonomic design | | • | Built-in palm rests, adjustable keyboard legs | | • | Space-saving design | | • | PS/2 and USB ports ensure compatibility with newer and older PCs | | • | Works with most Microsoft MS-DOS and Windows platforms |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
To design a more comfortable keyboard, Microsoft conducted extensive ergonomic and usability research. The result is the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite. Its split, gently sloped shape encourages a natural hand position-so you can type more comfortably.The Natural Keyboard Elite allows you to place your hands, wrists and forearms in a naturally comfortable position. The built-in palm rest provides a comfortable place for your hands when you're not typing.
Amazon.com Product Description
Microsoft's Natural Keyboard Elite features ergonomic contours that comfortably accommodate not only your fingers, but your whole hands. A built-in palm rest and adjustable keyboard legs help you work in comfort, and two connection options give you the ultimate flexibility: either a round PS/2 port or a rectangular USB port for plug-and-play convenience with the latest PCs. With its improved space-saving design, the new keyboard takes up less room on your desktop and fits easily into keyboard trays. To use the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite, you need one of the following operating systems: Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1 or later, Windows NT Workstation or Server 3.51 or later, Windows 3.1 or later, and an available PS/2 or USB port (USB requires Windows 98, 2000, Me, or XP).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 140 more reviews...
 Good for wrists, not so good for wallet October 28, 2004
edfan (Southern California)
79 out of 86 found this review helpful
I bought the very first issue of the Microsoft Natural keyboard when it came out. It lasted at least five years, after a terrible adjustment period of nearly three weeks. The next one lasted about 16 months. It went downhill for two or three keyboards after that. I've had several models, including the Elite and the Pro and the one with 99 buttons all over the place. The letters now wear off in six months unless you apply clear nail polish to the key tops right away and keep it up. You can't wash it in the shower any more, it no longer has good isolation inside. Use Dow Bathroom Bubbles on a microfiber cloth - rinse VERY carefully, holding the board upside down. Let it dry naturally, don't blow water all over with compressed air, the keyboard just isn't as sturdy as it used to be.
Your wrists/arms/hands can get so used to the comfort that it's impossible to buy a laptop because your wrists ACHE within minutes of using the usual flat keyboard. That's the only downside I see. Otherwise, this is the only affordable ergonomic keyboard around. Keep your receipts handy, tape them underneath the board, in case you have to use the warranty.
Keeps your wrists straight March 6, 2004
The Old Philosopher (WA USA)
36 out of 37 found this review helpful
I've been using my Microsoft keyboard for about 4 years now. I'm a fairly wide guy, and when I put my hands together, the arms are pointed in from the shoulders. If I'm using a regular keyboard my wrists have to bend outward from my arms to make my hands line up with the keys. Using the Microsoft keyboard, my wrists are more straight so long use doesn't tire them out. It also is supposed to reduce carpal tunnel syndrome where the tendons would have to bend through a bent wrist to work the fingers. The keyboard has all the regular keys laid out fairly well. It only takes a few minutes getting used to the split board. The cursor moving arrows and special function keys are in groups between the letters and number pad, which works well. One thing that seems strange is that the upper row, the numbers, are split between 6 and 7, instead of between 5 and 6. That's because there are the dashes and such on the right of that row. Seems strange though sometimes. You get used to it pretty quick. The wrist pad extension seems good too.
 Touch typists (and programmers and gamers) beware March 21, 2006
Thomas Park (Seattle, WA)
29 out of 33 found this review helpful
First off, let me say that this is a pretty solid keyboard. No complaints about the quality.
However, be aware that Microsoft decided to rearrange several clusters of keys on this keyboard. The arrow keys are in a diamond pattern rather than the traditional (and IMHO efficient) "inverted-T". Also, the home/end/insert/del/pg up/pg down cluster has been dissected and rearranged, which causes me no end of grief and mis-keys.
As a touch-typist and a programmer, I've come to expect these keys to be in a certain position. I don't see any added value from Microsoft's updated positioning of these keys. However, they definitely do ding my productivity.
Your milage may vary.
 Wish I'd read these reviews before buying the Elite August 16, 2002
Susan E Benjamin (Culver, OR USA)
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
If you only occasionally type, or you're a hunt-and-peck typist, then this keyboard would be an excellent choice for you. The split keyboard takes some getting used to if you've never used one before, but once you have, you'll never want to go back to a regular square model. The keys on this keyboard are perfectly shaped to cradle your fingers, and the space bar works effortlessly without having to pound your thumb. But, if you are a touch-typist and your fingers already know where the keys are supposed to be, then you'll be greatly disappointed and/or frustrated with this Natural Keyboard Elite. I agree with the other negative reviews regarding the smaller size and changed arrangement of the Insert/Home keys, and the smaller squished-together arrow keys. To paraphrase a saying, they shouldn't have fixed something that wasn't broke. I use my keyboard 8 hours a day in my occupation as a medical transcriptionist. I've been typing/keyboarding for 30+ years and my fingers know where the keys are even if I can't remember. So it is a great nuisance to have to constantly look down away from the monitor to see what key my finger is trying to reach. I keep hitting the Home key when I intend to hit the Insert key, because that's the place the Insert key is supposed to be. The newly sized and arranged directional arrows are impossible to correctly hit without first hitting every other key around them. It's been mentioned in prior reviews that the keyboard I'm looking for is the Natural Pro, so I guess I'll need to go for a "test drive" of that one. And I'll be sure to bring along a map of the key placement I know and love so I won't make this mistake again.
Problematic Key Configuration May 22, 2002
A Software Engineer (New Hampshire)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I used an older Microsoft Natural keyboard for over five years, and it was excellent. By comparison, conventional keyboards are an occupational hazard. Unfortunately, I broke it while cleaning it, and I had to buy a new one. I picked up the Elite model without looking too closely ... but soon after I started using it, I was cursing under my breath ... because of the arrangement of the Home/Page Up/Page Dn/End/Delete/Insert and arrow keys. They've lost the inverted-T configuration used with the older Natural keyboard. Also, these keys are now half-sized, and therefore harder to hit. These may seem like minor quibbles to some of you -- but they preclude the possibility of hitting these keys without looking at them. This inability is detrimental to any serious touch-typist. I'm a full time IT professional, and as far as I'm concerned, this keyboard is unusable. (My suspicious mind guesses that Microsoft used this bogus configuration to push us to pay for the upscale Pro model, which has the correct key configuration.)
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