Microsoft’s press release verbatim:
Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac, its first Mac-specific desktop complete with a stylish wireless Comfort Curve Keyboard and a wireless High Definition laser mouse. With this new desktop set, the Microsoft Hardware division combines comfortable design with High Definition technology to deliver the ultimate in cutting-edge performance, luxury and style to any Mac user. The futuristic silver finish complements the Mac design to make a mark on any desktop while providing the freedom of wireless control.
The Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac features Microsoft’s first keyboard designed specifically for the Mac. The key layout is consistent with Mac-only keyboards. To truly meet Mac users’ needs, this is Microsoft’s only keyboard without the Windows Start button. The Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac is compatible with the new Intel-based Mac machines as well as PowerPC models, and will have Hot Keys that map to Mac programs such as iTunes and iPhoto.
“We are excited to see our colleagues on the Microsoft Hardware team provide this Mac-only keyboard and mouse to strengthen Microsoft’s lineup of products for Mac users, which includes our productivity suite, Office 2004 for Mac,” said Scott Erickson, director of product management and marketing for the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft. “This launch further demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to enhancing the computing experience for Mac users. We were able to preview the product at Macworld this January and saw firsthand the very favorable response from Mac customers.”
Classy Comfort
For greater comfort at work or in the home, the Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac’s Comfort Curve Keyboard encourages natural hand and wrist positioning in an easy-to-use layout for enhanced comfort and productivity. The Comfort Curve design is preferred by a ratio of 3-to-1 over flat, straight keyboards, and includes a cushioned palm rest for supreme comfort.(1) Designed and tested by Microsoft’s in-house ergonomists and usability experts, the Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac is the ultimate in comfort and performance for Mac users and includes the following key features:
• Mac Modifier Keys. Control, Option and Command buttons are right where users need them.
• Zoom Slider. Consumers can zoom in for a closer look at digital pictures, maps and more.
• My Favorites Keys. These five keys can be customized to instantly bring up favorite photos, folders, files and Web pages.
• Eject key. This key lets users easily eject CDs and DVDs.
• Hot Keys. These buttons offer one-touch, immediate access to programs consumers use the most, including those for e-mail, chat, music, photos and the Web.
High Definition for the Mac
The Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac features a sleek silver wireless High Definition laser mouse. Microsoft’s cutting-edge High Definition technology is two generations ahead of standard optical mouse products and gives the mouse ultimate precision and responsiveness.(2) In addition, the mouse utilizes Microsoft’s Intelligent Tracking System for smoother tracking without interruptions or skipping, even over unique surfaces. For enhanced performance this mouse also features a Tilt Wheel for navigating and viewing documents and spreadsheets with ease. One-click access to Microsoft’s Magnifier tool makes the Mac magnifier feature more discoverable for real-time document enlargement.
“The Hardware team has been creating Mac-compatible peripherals for many years,” said Rusty Jeffress, general manager of the Microsoft Hardware team at Microsoft. “We always value the feedback of our customers; for this product we went back to the drawing board with the specific requests of our Mac users, and are excited to deliver our first Mac-specific keyboard and mouse that provide the tools and features Mac users need to be productive.”
Pricing and Availability
The Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac will be available this summer for an estimated retail price of US$99.95.
More info: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=078
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Mac users should not buy Microsoft software (or hardware) – May 16, 2003
Now if they can just stop making mice that are the size of guinnea pigs.
Who needs Microsoft crap!
hideous! I say!
Talk about ugly. Man, it looks like an abortion gone horribly wrong.
Let me guess … lardass Balmer personally designed it
Fugly POS
Jim, Richard Gere respectfully disagrees with your opinion.
Why that mouse looks exactly like my logitech mx700. Is this Microsoft copying stuff again?
Ugh !
And please, “High Definition”. Give me a break.
Sign me up for the Logitech set…until apple makes the Mighty with BT
Come on guys, don’t be such knee-jerk M-soft haters. The MBU makes all their best stuff. What I wonder is whether this thing ships with Windows drivers for bootcamp.
Is it Bluetooth, RF or IR?
Microsoft makes excellent mice (I have one myself, and would never give it up for any Apple mouse), and they typically get very high marks for their keyboards.
That said, I’ve never been a fan of hotkeys…but those can just be ignored.
Also…it’s likely MS wouldn’t get in this business if they didn’t think it would make money, which means they are bullish on Apple.
From the above press release, you sure can tell that a salesman runs Microsoft.
Way to go Balmer!
egad! So many extra buttons. Who knew OSX had so much buried functionality that we needed twenty extra nubs to access ’em? sarcThank you Microsoft for empowering me. /sarc
Mike K-
Yeah, well Richard Gere can shove it up… nevermind, it’s too obvious.
The day is upon us when Microsoft ceases to make an OS and will now create only third party applications and hardware for the Mac OS X platform!
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Just kidding. My biggest complaint with most wireless mice is that I have to change the batteries often. I use Logitech stuff, and it gets on my nerves. Functions well other than that. Anyone know of a good wireless keyboard/mouse combo that has a charger to plug the mouse into when not in use?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!
Microsoft has a good sense of humor.
As if anything that looks like that with that corporate logo on it would get anywhere near my Mac.
Who are they kidding???
Jimbo- I have the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX. It has a charging stand for the mouse. In 2 years of heavy use, I’ve never had to change the mouse batteries, and I’ve only had to change the keyboard batteroes once. I love it.
Microsoft simply do not understand concepts like ‘stylish’ or ‘classy’, words which they throw around with abandon…
Idiots.
Ugly as hell, they just don’t get it. They think that everyone want to be a gadget nerd. What’s with all the buttons? Style and simplicity just don’t “compute” with those fools. Just wait, Apple will release the real solution to wireless desktop.
It seems that people here will bash MS no matter what they do. My Apple keyboard quit working last month and I picked up a MS keyboard similar to this one. I couldn’t be happier. It just blows Apple’s away.
Lets be honest here, Apple’s keyboard is way over due for a redesign.
ugly, but natural keyboards are hard as hell to find for the mac, betcha I can’t buy just the keyboard =/
Let’s not get into an arguement about 1 or 2 button mice. I’m looking for a wired, 1-button mouse with a scroll wheel. Does such a thing exist besides the mighty mouse?
OMG what a clutterfuck!
The Hotkeys on this abomination, which someone above says ‘can be ignored’, is a wonderful analogy for everything that is wrong with Microsoft software. It is but full of excessive functionality, that is useless to everyone except perhaps some idiot programmer in a Redmond backroom. 90% of functionality that MS thinks people value are actually things they ‘ignore’.
I agree that Apple’s keyboard could use a design overhaul, but I also like the simplicity of it. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that uses all those cluttered hotkeys.
MS keyboards work very fine. We have three of different models.
———
Guess what Microsoft haters – Apple sells Microsoft keyboards on its website store.
http://tinyurl.com/mj4y8
If the Microsoft products suck like you all say, then who is more stupid Microsoft or the company that sells their products?
P.S. Steve also endorses putting Windows on your Mac.
I’ve used the “Windows” version of this keyboard for quite a while. It is a decent keyboard and I am pleased to see that now I can get it with Command and Option keys instead of Alt and Start. This desktop set doesn’t really deserve the attacks it is receiving here.
I’m not gonna knock the fact that they made a product solely for Mac, hell the more products the better. However, in no way can this be said to complement the design of any Mac, except for possibly the Pro machines, but even then only in terms of colour – maybe.
If they’re (not just MS) gonna have all these extra keys on keyboards then why can’t they make them match the size/shape of regular keys?
Microsoft is just behaving rationally. Apple, in a few years, may be their biggest market for keyboards and mice.
There sure are a lot of buttons on that thing… where’s “Self Destruct”?
What an embarrassing bunch of fools on this site. This is GREAT NEWS, you jackasses. Not everybody wants a square keyboard, and not everybody wants Apple’s mouse. This gives Mac owners more choices, and you lemmings tear it apart just because MS makes it. Oh yeah, and by the way, this is gonna help Apple’s switch campaign, because a lot of people LOVE these kinds of keyboards, and Microsoft has a great reputation for making great keyboards and mice.
About what I would have expected design-wise from MS. Butt ugly.
MW piece as in…
“Is it Bluetooth, RF or IR?”
Ya know, they never actually say, but since bluetooth is ®, and it is not mentioned, it looks like (from the specs) that it’s a radio device with a USB receiver.
“Computer/Operating System
Mac OS X version 10.4x (excluding 10.0)
Users of Mac OS X v10.2.x must install enclosed IntelliType Pro and IntelliPoint software before connecting the hardware.
Users of Mac OS X v10.3.x must upgrade to Mac OS X v10.3.9 before connecting hardware OR install the enclosed IntelliType Pro and IntelliPoint software before connecting the hardware.
Hard Disk Space
30 MB of available hard disk space
Connectivity
An available universal serial bus (USB) port
Other
CD-ROM drive
A wired mouse and keyboard may be required for installation
Internet Hot Keys are supported for use with: Browser support (only with software installed): Apple Safari 1.2, Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.2.3, Netscape Navigator 7, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, Opera 7
Multimedia Hot Keys are supported for use with iTunes.”
Wow… That is really. Ugly.
For a moment there I thought it was 1 April today. Had to check my calender but it really is real.
I suppose it’s good that M$ are beginning to smell the coffee.
I have a microsoft wireless mouse and it works fine. I really don’t care what a keyboard looks like as long as it is comfortable.
And there is a sweet dell keyboard at work that is about 15 years old that makes a nice click when you press the keys. Now that is a keyboard!
Maybe Microsoft went for the 50’s retro look, to match most PC towers?
Actually there are several features of this keyboard that I would use, and I think all keyboards are butt ugly, so what’s differnt about this one, other than its from Microsoft?
The thing about this that impresses me most is that Microsoft obviously sees revenue here. That means Mac share is growing, and that growth is coming from Windows users, who aren’t turned off by the Microsoft name.
Ye of small minds, open your eyes and pay attention to what’s going on around you. You might learn enough to make a buck from what you see.
Looks OK to me. I would also like some other alternatives to the straight and flat keyboard. I used to use MS’s Intellimouse and liked it until it died. It was the only MS thing I was willing to use voluntarily. I’ll keep an open mind for this one.
Speaking of keyboards, now that I have used my MacBook for a few days, I really do like the new chiclet keyboard. It has a much more solid feel and it just feels easier to type on.
Comes with a free MS towel. Granted it doesn’t absorb anything
just kind of pushes the sweat around.
Well, it’s not as nice as I had hoped, but at least someone has come up with a Mac-specific ergonomic keyboard. Why in the world hasn’t Apple done the same? Straight keyboards hurt my wrists after extended typing. Got to give Microsoft a little credit for trying. I wish it was white; then it would have broader appeal. Looks kind of retro, which turns me off. Overall, I give it a C+.
Ok, I’m really not sure why the extreme hostility. I’ll accept that the keyboard / mouse isn’t anywere near as nice looking as Apple’s, but really is it that much worst than the regular keyboards and mice?
Let’s look at this in another way…
The hardware division of Microsoft sees the Mac market as being significiant enough for them to market a keyboard and mouse combo to that market. This is what I think is the big story. Not how pretty or ugly the device is. Combine this with the story about Dell offering Mac OS drivers and you see both companies noticing an increase in Mac users and wanting to tap into them.
Would I use this keyboard and mouse? probably not. I’ve got a nice Logitech combo already.
What is the big difference between a Mac keyboard and a PC keyboard? The sticker on the command/windows key.
That thing is hideous looking. I like the “look” of the standard issue Mac keyboard, but I vastly prefer the feel of the macally icekey keyboard. Man, I took another look at that microsoft keyboard and it is just wrong. When I read the headline I thought, well maybe M$ has come up with an interesting design. Wrong, dead wrong.
Artist,
I think you’re right.
While I’m no great MS fan, I hear nothing but praise for their keyboards and mice. A friend of mine, a Mac user, swears by them.
Kind folk, let’s try and keep open minds. Dogmatism is an unattractive quality.
Standard disclaimer before praising the devil. I loath Windows. I am a switcher – turned the whole house Mac (except for my wife, who can’t cut the Redmond cord) but I kept my old MS Natural keyboard with a ps/2 adapter because I’m a writer and I need a comfortable keyboard with minimal keystroke errors. On this one score, MS delivers — the Natural remains one of the more comfortable boards in terms of key layout, although the key action itself is a little on the mushy side. I have always hated Apple keyboards and so stuck with the Natural. Haven’t tried this configuration — the natural has a split rather than a continuous curve — but I suspect this will offer a similar typing experience. Yes, it is on the ugly side, but function trumps form for keyboards if you live on them.
Earlier this year, however, I discoverd a minty fresh Apple Extended Keyboard II on eBay, that old ADB giant, and now my Natural is history. The old Extended II is the BEST KEYBOARD EVER. Lovely key action. All keys still function via adb to usb adapter, even the power on, CD eject (f12) and the boot from CD-Rom keyboard commands (couldn’t do any of this with my PS/2 adapter; don’t know about MS UBS products). I can’t believe Apple isn’t producing a similarly superior USB or Blue Tooth product as the old Apple Extended.
I use a Microsoft Internet Pro keyboard and Intellimouse Optical right now.My Apple keyboard and Mighty Mouse are still sitting in the box.
M$ may f— up operating systems, but they make great keyboards and mice.
I am really please with my Intellimouse and wouldn´t mind a keyboard from MS… This one looks like crap though, way too much buttons I´ll never use. I know from experience.
mdn word .great as in MS actually makes some nice mices…(they do!)
Apple knows that less is more. Microsoft doesn’t. That keyboard just looks like too much extra stuff.
I count about 22 extra buttons than a standard keyboard. 5 extra…ok…10 extra…yeah…alright…but 22? It’s supposed to make things easier but it just makes things more complex
The design promises much, but is let down by the clutter of hotkeys.
Hey, there’s still a lot of room for buttons on that palm rest.
Wow, that stuff really has the “Microsoft look” to it alright. About as elegant as an American SUV.
any word on whether this mouse “feels” more like a windows mouse or a mac mouse? There is a huge difference in how the pointer behaves and it may be the only thing I miss about windows. I’ve gotten used to everything else on the mac but after 3 years I still feel like I have more accurate control of a mouse in Windows. I’ve seen similar posts about the same subject so I know it bothres some other people as well. If this mouse gives me that control it might be worth buying, even though I have a logitech wireless desktop that I love.
I like the palm rest curved key layout that makes it easer on the wrist. I can see where this would appeal to some users.
Choice is good.
Yeah, it should have come with that holier than thou glowing white halo color like the standard mac keyboard.
I like the fact some good folk are jumping to the defence of Microsoft here.
But please, don’t dismiss all the comment as dogmatism and nor are the criticisms universal..
– It is incredibly UGLY. Can you argue with that? I hope not.
– It has FAR too many buttons and gizmo’s on it. It is meant to be a KEYboard, not the fucking bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
I am fine that MS want to make keyboards and mice and see a growing opportunity to make money from Mac owners, and the products are probably very good too. But why can’t they do it in a way that means they look half decent with the products they work with?
Nope, I think you lilly livered apologists ought not to be accepting such design mediocrity even if you like they way they work.
the keys look like a matt type finish. anyone seen one?
a matt type finish could be good. although could pick up gunk more too.
It’s missing the sliders for the transporter! How will I ever beam down to the surface?
What are the extra 50 buttons for. Not a good mesh with the simplicity of Mac
Hey Bill Rancine,
Of course Steve endorses putting Windows on your Mac. It’s a very similar concept to the car companies that let you do a 24 hour test drive. Once you compare the 2006 BMW (Mac OS X) side by side with the 1973 Pinto (Windows), it’ll be a pretty easy choice as to why you should do away with the Pinto completely.
I already saw this at http://www.yuck.com.
Microsoft Bored Meeting:
Balmer: Can someone think of a way to get a keylogger onto a Mac system?
Idiot #1: How about we just make a keyboard and mouse that are specifically for the Mac boxes, but don’t tell anyone there is a keylogger built in?
Balmer: Great idea. Make it so. I want to do my dance by June 1st.
Besides the fact that I find this keyboard quite ugly, and without discounting the fact that it may indeed be ergonomically quite nice, I am always afraid to install new drivers or pref panes in my OS X setup to handle some wiz-bang button-activated functionality in an external device like keyboards, scanners, external HDs, and the like. Especially software from Microsoft.
Takes time from my CPU while it sits listening all day for those silly hot keys to be pressed, not to mention when a conflict develops with other software –you know it’ll happen–, and then no updated driver for who knows how long.
I appreciate the MS MBU for their work, but sorry I won’t be buying this one.
stylish? are the 80s back?
I have had a MicroSoft split (curved) keyboard running on my iMac for 3 years and I love it… because I am able to type again due to the ergonomics of the curved keyboard.
I simply can’t use a straight keyboard anymore. After 15 years in the newspaper and copy writing business, my wrists are shot.
But I really don’t care if my keyboard is wireless or not, so this one is probably not for me.
Marcus
Barbados Free Press
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/
“How will I ever beam down to the surface?”
Would you really trust a MS product to assist in the scrambling and descrambling of your atomic structure?
Lots of Closed-minded Apple nerds here that put down companies that make products just for macs.
You dweebs deserve the 3% market share.
Jimbo and macromancer – lol, you 2 guys are hopeless, pathetic apple ass kissing dorks.
no objectivity = no credibility.
heY finally, gOod hardware for the white (in most cases “yellow”) keyboarded, single moUse clicking, CLOSED MINDED, Fanatics with 1 % market share…are you sure this isnt a joke? CUz, i’ve never seeN so much funcTionAlity built on a device for a mac-n-traSher..
mw – certain, as in “Certainly” i didnt pull wool with that post.
Just except that the intel macs are pc’s in a mac box. Has anybody every opened one up and noticed how few component are Mac (excluding the white box). Have you every opened a ipod and noticed it is all Samsung, Sony and Ibm components. XP runs Apps faster then OsX on Apple’s own native platform. Why can’t a Mac user use a PC? Cause they don’t know how.
It looks kinda gimmiky to me, with lots of knobs and extra buttons. I’m a touch typist who never looks at the keyboard so all those extra functions go wasted.
I’ve used several wireless keyboards and I haven’t found one that works well. I have a PowerMac attached to an HDTV that I use in my living room. The RF wireless keyboards I tried could not give dependable conections to the recievers and the BT Apple keyboard, though better, drained the batteries very quickly (about 1 week per charge).
So I still have a long, ugly USB cable stretching across the rug to the coffee table. Not pretty, but it works. Microsofts offering does not impress me.
to : macromancer
everyone should know if you need to scramble and descramble your atomic structure you should be using a SGI not mac or pc?
The level of dislike I have for the Operating system (and loathing for their business practices) is contrary to the feeling I have for the keyboard.
I have a microsoft Natural Keyboard (the original, plain white without the mumbo-jumbo extra worthless keys), and I really like it. I never tried the Extended Keyboard II or the Apple splitting keyboard (I’d love to try one of those). But the Natural Keyboard is really good.
Mice, well, I like the MS mice, (even though I use Logitech).
What I think is, would Microsoft put into Windows the quality of work they put on the mice and keyboards, they could eventually get a decent OS. Perhaps not the best looking one, but decent after all.
Of course, this is my personal take on the issue. I don’t expect everybody to agree with me. If I’m an idiot for thinking that the keyboard is OK (I don’t like the one showed here. I’d like to see the plain one, but Mac version), well, at least I’m an idiot who likes to type confortably.
meanwhile…..apple stock races to go under $60.
Where is that over $120 everyone was preaching about.
I have the MS version and use it with my mini in the living room. The key board seems to have good and bad days in the sensitivity department. I have large hands and feel more relaxed with the angle. The mouse is excellent and no problems. Batteries have a long life.
The MS Keyboard preference can change the key board to Apples layout. It looks to me like this new version just changes the lettering on a few keys.
I picked it up at Office Depot for 25 or 30 on sale so the price was right.
It is a USB wireless.
Does Microsoft advertise its hardware in Mac magazines,no.
Does Kensington and Macally advertise in Mac magazines,Yes.
Who are you going to support?
That is by far one of the ugliest things i have ever seen.
But admittedly, the current Apple keyboards are overdue for a redesign. or hell, go back to the pro keyboard!(like what I’m typing on). I don’t like the fact there’s no incline adjustment, plus i like the look of the USB on their own little extension of the keyboard rather than two holes at the back of the keyboard. But I still would take any Apple keyboard over this trash.
I think Apple is looking for a way to get rid of the battery weight in the MM before making it wireless. Maybe the Pro machines will bring about keyboard/mouse redesigns. Let Apple get the transition finished, then they can go do the periphs
When, oh when, will companies stop advertising accessories as “wireless” when you still need to connect a component to a USB port? I’m sorry, but it’s not “wireless” if I need to connect something with a “wire” to my computer!
DO NOT BUY THIS OR YOUR A FSCKING TRAITOR!!!
No money to Micro$oft, for anything at anytime.
That’s the only way Apple and alternatives can win.
M$ makes over ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN PROFIT PER MONTH
Stop feeding the insanity NOW!!
I’m miss my mighty mouse left-right scroll, and the size of the scroll button. MS is too big.
So, let me get this straight, I can’t plug it into the purple port? Where does it plug in?
Knee-jerk MS hater? Yep that’s me alright, but this does look interesting. Too bad they don’t make a version with a trackball instead of a mouse. I hate mice. If they ship it with matching colored masking tape to cover the MS logo so my knees could settle down long enough for me to get some work done, I’d be very tempted. Although it is a tab bit ugly, but so is my current Macally keyboard and I’m still alive!
Push a button to print. Push a button to retrieve my email.
Still waiting for them to add buttons to wipe my ass for me or secretly adjust me under the desk when my underwear binds up.
> Microsoft makes excellent mice (I have one myself, and would never give it up for any Apple mouse)
—> I agree totally. MS does make great wireless mice and that’s what I use.
As for keyboards, I’ll stick with the standard Apple keyboard. I used to really like the feel of the old SE keyboards – less travel to the keys. I wish they would bring back that feel – somewhere in-between that standard and a notebook feel. On a side note, I thought the more pronounced slant to the look of the letters/numbers etc. on the keys was cool too.
this is ugly and i would never consider it.
that being said, why didn’t they consider using white, like the rest of the apple peripherals product line? this color of silver looks hideous.
also, CURVES are OUT. this might have been decent if it had clean lines. instead, it’s cluttered like everything else they make.
$99!?!?!?!?
they also made a naming mistake. no apple person would ever associate the words “microsoft” and “desktop” together.
That’s not the first made exclusively for Mac?
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=11420
As a designer with arthritis, I forego design for ergonomics when it comes to my keyboard. I find the natural keyboard reduces strain on my hands and wrists. I’d love to see Kenginton or Macally take a crack at designing a natural keyboard for the Mac.
Working in a cross platform environment, I’ve used many MS keyboards and mice. I highly recommend both MS and Kensington mice to people who want a simple USB two button mouse (even for their Macs).
If you have any kind of hand injury or arthritis, stay far away from Apple’s Mighty Mouse. I love the idea behind it, but find my hand hurts within 5 minutes of use. The whole user experience is very un-Apple like. They are usually very thoughtful in their designs toward people with disabilities.
I’ve tried so many “mice,” and the best I’ve found yet for relieving pain in my hand, shoulder and back is the Expert Mouse Pro from Kensington. It’s a “roller ball” that includes many of the functions this Microsoft keyboard offers, namely, six different customizable “launch” buttons that can be programmed to open apps or files, or just run a series of key strokes. Also fabulous is the fact that there are four click buttons, which can also be programmed to perform different functions. I hope this helps some people looking for a great ergonomic solution to mousing.
I like Microsoft’s mice. Right now, I’m using what’s called their “basic” optical mouse, two buttons, scroll wheel, nice symetrical shape. It works great in Mac OS X. It cost me about $6 at a surplus computer store.
I like it and will buy it.
Cool, lots of extra keys, but where’s the Any Key?