Microsoft's Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000: ready for Windows 7, just like your haggard Vista PC

Microsoft has, against all odds, managed to stuff comfort and wireless into its new Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 keyboard and mouse set. Beyond the usual improvements to design (and some nice new soft touch materials), the setup includes some Windows 7 optimizations, particularly the Taskbar Favorites keys for instant access to corresponding taskbar items from a row of hotkeys (think your number row in World of Warcraft, Mr. Gnome Rogue), along with a Windows Flip button on the mouse and keyboard, and Device Stage support for checking out and setting up your fancy Microsoft hardware in glorious detail. The mouse is a BlueTrack-powered affair, and both devices hook up to the computer wirelessly through an included 2.4GHz transceiver. The pair will be out later this month for $80.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 5th 2009 10:30AM]

@TheMatt: Yeah, but can you see those icons? I've met them. That means those keys don't work as F keys by default, you have to prss a modifier key each time. Even if there's a switcher like num lock, by default it's on the media thingie. Not to mention that I'm an oooold keyboard user, and if it's not divided into three groups of four keys, it disturbs me and can't find the keys without looking.

This keyboard might be good for people who mostly use office software and mostly with a mouse. Which excludes me twice.

(Sorry if this is a double post, the system didn't seem to notice my previous attempt.)

[Fortran Posted Aug 5th 2009 10:20AM]

Wow, that tiny Esc key will be the reason I won't get this. When you use vim on an hourly basis like I do, you need Esc. (And, yes, I know you can map Tab or Caps Lock to Esc, but I use Tab and Caps Lock quite a lot in my coding. Besides, my hands can find Esc on my keyboard faster than I can type most words...muscle memory FTW.)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 5th 2009 11:47AM]

I don't see the point of these keyboard/mice combos. I prefer having a touchpad on the keyboard. I have one of these adesso keyboards and code all day long with it in my lap while I sit on my Ikea POÄNG.
http://www.adesso.com/products_detail.asp?productid=386
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79825193

Yes, I had to paste the name because I was lazy and didn't want to figure out the shortcut for umlaut 'a'. btw, the touch pad may seem small but it's perfectly usable. You can even right-click by putting using a touchpad gesture: three fingers on the pad. One more selling point, I dropped this thing on my sidewalk and it still works just fine. The only con I can say about it is the range, more than ten feet away the signal stutters, even before dropping it. ;) It's great for workstation use though, it has really reduced pain in my hand due to using a mouse.

[tgluak Posted Aug 9th 2009 8:47AM]

Because most people hate touchpads...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 2:02PM]

According to the different review made, one made over here: http://forums.techarena.in/reviews/1238399.htm , I dont think that this keyboard is not that worthit in looks. Even a simple logitech keyboard looks good when compared to the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 keyboard and less expensive?