Microsoft's Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000: ready for Windows 7, just like your haggard Vista PC
By Paul Miller 
posted August 4th 2009 10:24AM
posted August 4th 2009 10:24AM
posted August 4th 2009 10:24AM
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These keyboards are amazing. If it's anything like their 4000 it should be extremely comfortable.
I've been using the Comfort Curve keyboard for a few years now and I have to agree it is amazingly...well... comfortable to type on. And this one just up it a bit by becoming wireless, which is what I have been hoping for! Cool. Time to ease my wallet of the price.
ALl the schools I went to used Dell laptops, so I got the same kind, cuz it's so comfy for me. Although I bet these would really be a whole lot better.
Dell keyboards are actually really great to type on too. I have heard many things about Microsoft's as well but I haven't typed on one of their keyboards in a while.
Man, that's really nice looking. I'm glad they went back to the "standard" six button button Del / End / Home / PGU / PGD / ETC, keys. I was irked by Dell, HP, Logitech, and others, who all started making keyboards with their own style of those buttons... you could get used to each keyboard, but then if you were at work or on another person's computer, you'd have to re-think those keys.
Couldn't agree more, especially because I'm left-handed and using the old-school copy & paste key combinations (Ctrl+Ins, Shift+Ins and Shift+Del) with my right hand make it a breeze, while the "new" layouts disrupt all that.
Ah, more great innovation from the most innovative company, Microsoft.
Wait, this is breaking news? Slow day?
No no, we all know that you're an idiot, so that's not news at all.
Your attempt at sarcasm fails. Microsoft keyboards and mice have always been amazing, and even if that thingie called windows fails, they could easily produce mice and keyboards for the rest of their lives.
I'm still using an Optical Blue to this day, because its lasted me the last ~10 years. Their technology of 200dpi + simulated 1000dpi makes the mouse have an overall realistic accuracy of 2000dpi, which only started hitting the internets 2-3 years ago. It was way ahead of its time, and comfortable as all hell for either hand.
The only MS mouse I've used that was a load of BS was the Starck mouse. No offense to the great Philippe Starck, but MS really messed up the material to that mouse. I was hoping that one would last me forever and not having the paint job "melting" away over the course of a year. Sad. I really liked that one.
@argot
I was talking about the post. new keyboards=breaking news?
I have a logitech wave keyboard and except for the media buttons, this thing looks pretty similar. I don't however see the increase in height in the middle so my fingers can reach them. Is this keyboard as comfortable to use as the Wave?
Testing testing 123
Oh finally this bs comment system decides to work
Twice as well... must be your lucky day.
Looks pretty sweet.
I don't know about you, but I don't use any of those extra hotkeys since Alt+Tab and the Start Menu are much quicker for switching between and launching new programs. I do, however, use media hotkeys since they eliminate the need to switch into WMP.
The keyboard looks nice! Can anybody tell me if it will be good enough for gaming? If not, then please suggest me a kbm set within $100.
They work very well for gaming. The 2.4 is instant (much like the logitechs stuff). Also for long hours in a game very good on the hands.
Far better than flat laptop or desktop keyboards that cause cramps after 5+hours.
Geez, 5+ hours? Maybe you should take a break or something. Or Perhaps as nice walk?
@kazbaeden, you've never gotten a new game and played it strait through? lol.
(I'm not talking about CS:S or anything like that. Either way this should be an amazing keyboard, wish logitech would get a license for their mice).
No... I guess I didn't realize how much time people spend gaming. I spend 2 hours at most per sitting, and I though that was excessive.
No... I guess I didn't realize how much time people spend gaming. I spend 2 hours at most per sitting, and I thought that was excessive.
@kazbaeden, yea 5 hours is pretty excessive. But getting a new game for the weekend and being hungover through Saturday with nothing to do works great to kill time. lol.
(right now is a little dull with game releases though)
I've used MS kybds for years- they can design a really good product when they want to. Soft, positive feel keys, durable and resilient letter appliques, great ergo designs. Too bad Vista came came out.
MS kybds work just fine for games- been using it for games for years.
"I've used MS kybds for years"
Doesn't sound like a testament to MS "kybds" if all your vowel keys are sticking.
Hahahaha >ahem< I mean, h h h h h h h
Just got done order my pc components (core i7 920, msi x58m, 6gb ddr3 and gtx275), all i needed was a good mouse/keyboard was thinking of a dinovo but, i really do like how microsoft keyboards feel... looks like this might be it for me :)
Hope you newegged!
Ready for Windows7, yet still flexing the Scroll Lock, Pause, Insert and Break keys though eh?
Eh, while they don't have their original use anymore, they still find uses... I was actually quite pissed to see my dell studio xps 16 not having a scroll lock key when I needed it for an application I use.
These MS keyboards are awful to use. I always press the Home/Mail key instead of the Esc button every time. For over 30 years the Esc key has been located in the top left corner of keyboards, so you can easily press it without having to look down at keyboard. Not MS has places a Home or Mail key (depending on model) in the top left position. Good work MS.
i had a wireless 6000 (i think) and it was awful - the curve was nasty to use, and the miniscule left CTRL key was one of the most boneheaded ergonomics decisions i have ever seen. i generally like and trust ms hardware but that really should have never made it past the drawing board - i was going to send it back but that's a pain when you order online and need to 'get used to it' first
now i use a wired cherry keyboard with a nice clicky feel and a proper layout with NO surprises, gotchas or oversights (ok the space bar is a little small but i adjusted...)
I have the wireless 6000 keyboard which has a very similar layout. After about two days of use (I'm a system engineer so I use all the keys on my keyboard a lot) I've become accustomed to the layout. Admittedly, the Function & Escape keys were a little weird, but I got used to them. One rarely uses them for fast typing anyway.
This would be amazing for work. Please?
"Mr. Gnome Rogue"
Rouges are for faggots, and anyone that rolls Alliance is a goddamn douchebag.
To be honest, I don't see how any keyboard would NOT be ready for Windows 7. Unless it has one of those larger-thanPS/2 type plugs, but even then you can get a USB adapter.
I've been using my MS 4000 for many months now on my Mac and love it! It's the best keyboard I've ever used. I wonder if all those special Windows 7 keys can be mapped to Mac functions like the ones on the 4000? There've been issues with BT MS keyboards and Macs before so I also wonder if this keyboard resolves those issues. Mainly, it syncs natively with the Mac and doesn't require the BT receiver.
At least it has a number pad.
Does it require one of those USB Dongly things all the others have? Can it just be BLUETOOTH, already?
Give it to me!!!
Ship it out to me
It may be optimized for W7, but the real question is, is it *compatible* with W7.
I only ask because I made the mistake of buying a Microsoft LifeCam webcam which turned out not compatible with Vista Ultimate Crap until several hours on support with MS and of digging deep, DEEP into the caverns of their website to find a driver that would work.
With MS, compatibility of their OS and their very own hardware is a perk, not an expectation.
i love that word...haggard...
Count me in...
The keyboard looks nice, except it has those function keys that are smaller than all of the other keys and feel different. I'm might get this anyway since most keyboard makers are adopting those weird function keys anyway.
kinda hard to beat the logitech mx revolution as it is. their scroll wheel is far superior.
Microsoft doesn't get enough media fanfare / attention for their peripherals, which are nothing short of amazing.
I'm partial to Logitech Mice/ Keyboards, but I definitely wouldn't mind having some MS gear as well.
No F1-F12 keys? No chance getting one of these.
The F keys are there. They are the wee keys between the number row and the top shortcut row. You can see them better in the full pic: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/press/2009/08-04WCD5000_lg.jpg