Microsoft's Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac

Proving that it still has (some) love for the fiercely-loyal army of Mac enthusiasts (especially the dual-booters), Microsoft has released its first Wireless Laser Desktop for Cupertino-created computers. This new keyboard and mouse set, which features a Comfort Curve ergonomic 'board and high-definition laser mouse, sounds almost identical to the company's Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 (pictured above) which was released last year for Windows machines, except for the addition of Mac-specific modifier and hot keys. Available immediately, this package will set you back $100.

[tito @ May 30th 2006 12:51PM]

Mighty Mouse all the WAY!

[ocelot67 @ May 30th 2006 12:54PM]

Hi, Microsoft! It's 2006! We use Bluetooth now! Call me when you do, too! Thanks!

[joe @ May 30th 2006 12:56PM]

Ahhh...

a right click button at last...

gotta train them mac users for their ultimate migration to Vista.
;>

[diulei @ May 30th 2006 12:58PM]

Not until they release a BT version of the Mighty Mouse. Even though I'm betting it will cost $70+.

Speaking of which, I don't understand why Apple doesn't use Mighty Mouse technology on their notebooks. Have the option for the user to turn on/off right-click, and when the option is on, it would sense where the user's finger was, just like the mighty mouse. I'm not diggin the "two fingers on the touchpad" right click.

That's just me though.

[Scott @ May 30th 2006 12:58PM]

ultimate migration to vista??? ewwwww.

vista is just a sweet gaming os that copies all the features of osx.

i second tito btw

[Scottie @ May 30th 2006 1:00PM]

That's one ugggly keyboard.

[Scott @ May 30th 2006 1:02PM]

well the macbook can right click with two fingers i think.

[Andrew @ May 30th 2006 1:04PM]

Well, I don't want that big ass keyboard, but a bluetooth laser mouse might be nice.

[Tylizzle @ May 30th 2006 1:04PM]

HI SCOTT..this isnt a legit comment...oh well

[dzieci @ May 30th 2006 1:10PM]

Bleh! I still waiting for Olympus keybord :P

[alpha dog niner niner @ May 30th 2006 1:10PM]

World War III will consist of two sides...Macintosh and Windows

[Elliot @ May 30th 2006 1:31PM]

J F'n C, look at how much plastic is on that thing! It's like, half keyboard and half plastic framing and "media keys." Earlier this year, I was looking for a cheap keyboard for my folks. They have a small desk, and don't need a lot of bonus keys on their keyboard. Anyway, after a trip to Best Buy, I found that the only keyboard I could find that didn't have a lot of extraneous crap all over it was an Apple keyboard. And don't anyone tell me I should have gotten Das Keyboard...

[Jimbolaya @ May 30th 2006 3:23PM]

I hope the keys won't be black. My last keyboard was like that and when the room was dim, my eyes took a second to adjust before it could go from the bright display to a dark keyboard when looking for a key.

Of course, I can just learb hoe to tpye.

[supes @ May 30th 2006 3:26PM]

that looks like it belongs in the toilet not next to a mac.

[ChillyWilly @ May 30th 2006 3:39PM]

I'm with ocelot67... If they are positioning this for the Intel Mac, all of them now have Bluetooth.

This one's a pass for me.

[Will @ May 30th 2006 3:41PM]

Will the mouse have the extra buttons or not? I have mine set to Close and Forward, makes using a computer so much easier and quicker. Not having those buttons is one of the main reasons I don't switch, as I am so used to them now, I don't want to go back.

[jlee @ May 30th 2006 3:43PM]

One glaring oversite by the braintrust at MS. What Mac owner is going to want to pair their white Mac with a black and gray [ugly clash] keyboard and mouse?!

[tweedleedum @ May 30th 2006 3:49PM]

MS is waiting for Google to create a white version. then they'll just copy it ...

[TheWakeUpCall @ May 30th 2006 4:13PM]

Yeah, Mac users are gonna buy this because Mac users LOVE Microsoft!

[Shunnabunich @ May 30th 2006 4:36PM]

"gotta train them mac users for their ultimate migration to Vista." (#3)

I don't know about you, but I don't willingly downgrade my OS, especially when I have to wait years longer than anticipated to do it. :) I suspect most computer users who know what an OS is, whether they're Mac or Windows users, will agree.

ANYway, I agree that the colour scheme is butt-fugly, but it's simply a design decision Microsoft engineers (or whoever) made in order to keep it consistent with other butt-fugly-coloured Microsoft peripherals and input devices. I'm quite happy that there's a decently-featured ergo keyboard out for the Mac platform, though. Surprisingly, they've even written drivers for it; I wouldn't have expected them to actually *support* those media control keys and such under Mac OS X, instead requiring users to switch to Windows to take advantage of them.

Can anyone see if they put in dedicated keys for stuff like Exposé and the Dashboard? That'd be nice. :) The pictures are just too small to tell...