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Microsoft unveils wrist-friendly Sculpt Ergonomic and Sculpt Comfort Desktops
Microsoft has pursued ever more exotic shapes in the name of comfort. Its new Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop might just take the cake, however. The all-wireless bundle's centerpiece, the Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard, centers around a U-shaped layout that keeps wrists in more natural positions; there's also a cushioned palm rest and a separate number pad. Its companion Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse, meanwhile, relies on a gently sloped design that allows for a Start screen shortcut and a tilting scroll wheel. Both the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop and a stand-alone version of the mouse should ship this month at respective prices of $130 and $60, while the keyboard will fly solo this September for $81. If your forearms don't need quite so much coddling, Microsoft is also putting its Sculpt Comfort Keyboard and Sculpt Comfort Mouse together in one kit. The not-so-creatively titled Sculpt Comfort Desktop (shown after the break) drops the number pad and uses more conventional shapes across the board, with the exception of the mouse's swipe-driven touch tab. We suspect many who buy the Comfort Desktop this month will most like its $80 price -- it's a better deal than the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop for those who only need the fundamentals.
Microsoft intros Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, left end of the space bar can be used as a backspace key
Over the summer, Microsoft took a break from showing off Windows 8 hybrids and turned its attention to unleashing a bunch of portable mice and keyboards. Turns out, Redmond wasn't quite done refreshing its accessories collection: the company just announced the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, a full-size desktop model meant to complement all those mobile products announced back in July. Like some of Microsoft's older keyboards, it makes use of the company's ergonomically friendly Comfort Curve layout. In this case, though, there's a split space bar, whose left end can be programmed as a backspace key (Microsoft's rationale is that your fingers are constantly near the space bar anyway). Additionally, there's a padded palm rest, which you can detach if for some reason the extra cushioning isn't doing anything for your wrists. And, being a Microsoft-made keyboard, you'll find Windows hotkeys -- specifically, keys that correspond to new features in Win 8, like the Charm Bar. Speaking of the sort, you can use the keyboard with Windows 7, 8 and Vista, meaning those of you still using XP are out of luck. It will be available "soon," according to Microsoft, at which point it'll sell for $60.%Gallery-164936%
