Microsoft Arc Keyboard now available in white exclusively from Amazon
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 13th 2010 4:07PM
posted April 13th 2010 4:07PM
Microsoft's Arc Keyboard was already quite an eye-catcher in its original black, but we may just have to give the edge to this new white version with lime green accents, which is now exclusively available for pre-order from Amazon. Of course, the color is the only thing that's changed here, with the keyboard still sporting the same slim, arched design, the same tiny 2.4GHz USB transmitter and, unfortunately, the same $59.95 price tag. Still no exact release date just yet, but the keyboard will apparently start shipping out sometime in June.
Goes great with your Macs right!
That looks really nice! I only wish I had a reason to buy it...
My Linux box has a Logitech G11 and my iMac has the Bluetooth keyboard...
Maybe my PS3, but then I'd get the black one but I like the look of this!
@IamTheFij OH maybe just wishful thinking... but these are the colors for the Xbox 360... Maybe Web-browser support will in the future? I was hoping but then realized it'd probably be rendering with IE...
I tried the black version of this keyboard out at Best Buy and I wasn't impressed. The keys felt mushy and the thing felt a bit flimsy in hand. You know that plastic creaking noise? Yeah. That's what this one made.
But it's good looking, yep!
The best keyboard i've ever tested in a shop was the Logitech Wave. I'm not sure about long term use tho.
@joebrech
Love the feel of the Wave but the noisy keys are really too bad.
Microsoft...
Design...
WHAT?
This looked pretty sweet... until I saw it was wireless. Ugh. Why do they keep making keyboards wireless? Apart from the marginal benefit to aesthetics, there's no advantage in wireless keyboards (unlike wireless mice) and it just makes yet another critical component that needs changing batteries. No thanks.
@Gene +1 If they bring out a chorded version...maybe...until then...nope.
@fast
for why?
@Gene
on the conventional computer desktop i'd agree, but that's not the only setup out there
for example, i've got a projector for a computer screen and operate the pc from a sofa, so wireless keyboard+mouse is a must
Keyboard is sexy but the constant Star War references are not
Sure microsoft keyboards are nice.. but I got a Steelseries "Steelkeys" keyboard about a year ago and never turned back.
keys operated at exactly 59,5g, perfect feedback for an FPS gamer.. and gotta love the fact that that figure has been "researched by studying nerds in their daily lives" (paraphrased) ^^
First the copied OS from Apple and now keyboard, only in the color not the quality. Tsk tsk.
@Raytem
Hey dude I'm Appled up fer sure but you are making the side look bad, giving the haters another tick in the hate box.
Apple makes average to subpar mice and keyboards that are sleek and fine.
Microsoft makes really good mice and keyboards that are fine and now sleek.
It's a bit rich to claim MS is copying anything on this front.
Apple in it's industrial design borders on military utility, which is all good but it is what it is. Minimal and hard
@Raytem
You're joking, right? I didn't realize that apple had a curved keyboard. Apple Mice and Keyboards are NOTORIOUS for being shit. The Microsoft mice and Keyboards are legendary for their quality and reliability. One of the things Microsoft actually got right.
@PBB That's your opinion. I have been using Apple keyboards for ages and they work wonderfully fine. BTW I don't use mice, I've been using track ball by Logitech for years and its great. I don't know why people use mice anyways, they suck ass. Once you use track ball trust me you hate mice.
@Raytem
Because trackballs suck for playing games, especially FPS games.
That's one reason. I prefer a mouse because it's more compact and easier to just grab and take with me when I migrate my laptop.
@ZeroCorpse You are all about playing games. Its all about games. For games I have Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. I get some productive work done on my computer. BTW have you ever tried track ball except when you had a chance for few seconds and you had negative mentality before you even touched it?? Track ball is much easier since you don't have to constantly move the entire thing nor you need lots of space. This is the problem with most (not all) PC users, you bitch about things that you have never tried or at least never tried with clear or positive mentality.
When this is a "desktop" set with the arc mouse and I only need one reciever to use it I will totally throw or give away my current keyboard(rocketfish).
I thought the only point of a chiclet keyboard was for a flat profile to allow the lid to close and for overall thinness. What's the rational for having them on a desktop keyboard?
One change of color to white and Engadget is all over it.
I like it, but there are things missing that I NEED on a keyboard:
1. Numerical keypad.
2. Dedicated media keys (play, forward, volume, etc)
I don't know if I could get used to it without those, and if I purchase a separate numpad, that's taking away from the whole point (sleekness).