[Review] Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

[Zoom7000]

Review - Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

Right, this is my first review for a hardware product, so bare with me! n00b alert! :p

Anyway, on to the product at hand. The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. I actually brought 2 of them at work as I was starting to suffer the strain from constantly typing on my standard IBM/Lenovo keyboards. The Natural Keyboard seemed the correct way to go. The first shock you get when you open the box is that which is not really apparent from most advertised pictures. This being the "comfort curve". I've taken a picture to demonstrate what I mean:

It is surprisingly quite a high slope and takes some getting used to. I am still getting used to it after using it for 3 days. However, it is apparent almost immediately after you begin to use the product that it is more comfortable on the wrists. In fact, it may feel uncomfortable to start with because we have become so accustomed to the standard keyboard design.

I've taken this picture demonstrating the general advertised picture that you will see and it isn't immediately apparent about the raised curve. It isn't so much an issue but may affect the purchasing decision of some users who may want the flat keyboard effect with the curvature in the keys.

Moving on to the subject of keys, they are similarly placed to most of the old Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard. I have personally experienced some problems getting used to the size of some of the keys being larger than others:

The rather large "N" key that can be seen in this photo is the largest alphanumeric key on the keyboard and in going to type the "M" key you will occasionally find yourself hitting the "N" key. Not so much a problem for neowin.net but a pain for google.con... sorry I mean .com :p

Also, I've noticed that the space bar at first can seem a rather stiff press unless your fingers, or thumbs, as you will find the more you use the keyboard, meet the large sweet spots on the left and right sides.

Then on the other side of the scale you have rather large keys to smaller than usual keys. With most UK Keyboards, the Enter (Return) button is a large shaped button. However, on this keyboard the button has been "slimed" down in size and again will take some slight finger adjustment to get used to the button and not accidently typing the "#" key.

On to the hotkeys. You have the usual Microsoft suspects. On the left hand side:

Web/Home - Launches your home page in your chosen default Internet Browser.

Search - Launches the Microsoft Search utility. Presumably this will launch Windows Desktop Search if installed.

Mail - Launches your default email client.

On the right hand side Mute, Volume Up, Volume Down, Play/Pause and Calculator. All self explanatory me thinks!

In the middle you have 5 customisable "My Favorites" buttons that will launch any application of your choosing once you have installed the included Microsoft drivers and just below there is a "My Favorites" button that launches a menu displaying what each button is configured to. (Note: US spelling for UK Keyboard! :p)

Just above the space bar there is a kind of scroll button that moves up and down that will zoom in when shifted up and out if shifted down. So far however I have only maaged to get this working in Microsoft applications. In Firefox it merely acts as a page scrolling button except that it is inverted, so that shifting up moves the page down and vice versa. As far as I can see, there is no way to reverse this. The software will allow you to turn zooming off, which will also turn off the scrolling, but not allow inversion. I don't think the scrolling was Microsoft's intention anyway.

The keyboard also comes with an additional stand that can clip on to the front allowing the user to prop the keyboard up higher than normal like so:

Personally I found this too uncomfortable and have left it without the stand.

The wrist rest at the bottom of the keyboard is nicely padded. It's firm enough so that your wrists don't dig and sink in to the padding, yet not too firm so that it causes discomfort. The keyboard indicators and Back/Forward buttons are also in this location and personally I find them (Back/Forward buttons) a bit useless in this area and think they would have been better suited elsewhere as it is easier to reach elsewhere on the keyboard as your fingers can reach the upper area of the keyboard easier than the lower padded area if you take into account the common position of your hands when typing.

A last thing to note is that the F Lock is now turned on by default allowing the F1-F12 buttons be used as opposed to the Microsoft shortcuts which I personally rarely use, or at least use less than the F1-F12 keys.

To summarise, the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is a very good product and very well designed in terms of ergonomics. There are some flaws like placement of the Back/Forward buttons, the Zoom function having such a prominent position yet not working in all applications and some of the alphanumeric keys being rather larger than they should. It will take a while getting used to, especially for established typists but is definitely a worthy purchase to save your aching wrists!

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

[GrimReeper]

I have this keyboard, using it now to type this and love it. I agree with you on the bad placement of the back and forward buttons and I think they need to improve the feel of them as they feel to cheap. Like you I couldn't get use the clip on stand so go without. When I first got mine as far as I can remember the zoom slider only zoomed in and out on pages in Firefox, it didn't scroll.

I have never wanted or needed a zoom slider so like me if you want to turn your Zoom slider from a Zoom into a scroller (for all apps) then use this link.

Good review and imo you should do more :)

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

I tried it but could not get used to it.

[Twisted Chaz]

I was going to get one of these, but seeing that tiny return key, I could never get used to that

[GrimReeper]

I was going to get one of these, but seeing that tiny return key, I could never get used to that

I don't know how you guys can use a keyboard like that. I have a old keyboard with the UK style layout and find really odd, the Enter key is a waste of space being that big like are you that bad at typing you need your enter that large lol. I guess if thats what you are use to it would be hard to change but having used both layouts I much prefer the US one.

[GrimReeper]

Double post, sorry delete this please

[]EGG[]

I bought 3 of these keyboards a few years ago and still use them daily in my office and highty rate them

....oh and I don't know a single person that uses this keyboard WITH that stupid clip-on stand either!

:)

[NienorGT]

My friend have this one, I have tested it few days and I can't stand it.

Oh, just to say, the letters on the keys are weak and will erase rapidly if you use it intensively such in games.

[GrimReeper]

My friend have this one, I have tested it few days and I can't stand it.

Oh, just to say, the letters on the keys are weak and will erase rapidly if you use it intensively such in games.

I have been gaming on my intensively for the last few years, since I got it pretty much and I haven't had any keys wear out or dissapear. The only thing is that some keys loose the matte finish and become glossy after heavy use but the actual letters are still perfectly fine.

[Xilo]

No keyboard will compare to the original Microsoft Natural Keyboard. I hate keyboards nowadays. They try to put in way too many extra frivolous crap. If my keyboard ever dies, I will scrounge on eBay for another original model.

[Snakehn]

i just sold mine Lol i used that keyboard for over 2 years and loved it.

[zerologic]

I have one of these keyboards at home and work. :happy:

I would highly recommend it!

[Panarchy]

I have this keyboard!

Took me a while to get used to... now I love it (woh, I can type pretty fast on it nowadays!)

Wonder if a wireless version is going to come out...?

Oh, and has anyone else's holder-uppers things (the two plastic things on the back of the keyboard that keeps it high) broken?

When I had a different Microsoft Keyboard (before I got this one) it used to always break off, then I'd use Super Glue to fix it. Is there a better way?

When I next buy a keyboard... should I buy non-microsoft?

Panarchy

[HardSide]

been using that keyboard for 2 years now, its the old-school keyboard design. the arrow keys are correctly positioned, and everything is spaced correctly as it should be. As for the comment that the letters erase, 2 years, my still looks brand new, then again i dont have sweaty fingers that may or may not remove the lettering of the keys.

[Yggdrasilly]

I've been using this keyboard for a couple years now, and love it. A while back though, I had this strange problem with it:

• Sometimes, when booting up [after the Windows login screen shows up], the keyboard wouldn't respond at all.
  
• The lights for NumLock, F-lock, etc, would turn on and off, but I wouldn't be able to type anything.
  
• Changing the keyboard's USB port to another port would 'magically' make it work again.
  
• However, if the issue occured the next time I booted up, switched back to the original USB port would NOT work. Other devices WOULD work in said ports, though.
  
• Obviously, after a few times, I'd run out of USB ports to use, and therefore, would have a completely unresponsive keyboard. I don't know why the previously used ports wouldn't respond to the keyboard. At this point, the only option I seemed to have was to format the system.
  

Anyway, after that, I just contacted Microsoft, and they mailed me a brand new keyboard! :D I didn't have to send the old one back, either, so I gave it to a friend who hasn't had any problems with it. [Go figure.] With the new keyboard, I haven't had that same problem. Though, I've since changed to Vista, so maybe that had some effect as well.

Other than that, I've noticed that when other people use my computer, they always comment on the spacebar, saying that it's 'too stiff', or that they have to 'hit it really hard' to make it work. I've never really noticed anything like this, and I'm a pretty 'light' typer--that is to say, I don't slam the keys like the other people in my family...

....oh and I don't know a single person that uses this keyboard WITH that stupid clip-on stand either!

I actually use that stand, and find it a lot more comfortable. Go figure. :laugh:

Also, your UK version of this keyboard freaks me out. :laugh: The # key is supposed to be shift-3! And that return/enter key... Well, let me just say this: I don't think I could get used to that enter key. I prefer the NA version a lot more:

[GrimReeper]

I've been using this keyboard for a couple years now, and love it. A while back though, I had this strange problem with it:

• Sometimes, when booting up [after the Windows login screen shows up], the keyboard wouldn't respond at all.
  
• The lights for NumLock, F-lock, etc, would turn on and off, but I wouldn't be able to type anything.
  
• Changing the keyboard's USB port to another port would 'magically' make it work again.
  
• However, if the issue occured the next time I booted up, switched back to the original USB port would NOT work. Other devices WOULD work in said ports, though.
  
• Obviously, after a few times, I'd run out of USB ports to use, and therefore, would have a completely unresponsive keyboard. I don't know why the previously used ports wouldn't respond to the keyboard. At this point, the only option I seemed to have was to format the system.
  

Anyway, after that, I just contacted Microsoft, and they mailed me a brand new keyboard! :D I didn't have to send the old one back, either, so I gave it to a friend who hasn't had any problems with it. [Go figure.] With the new keyboard, I haven't had that same problem. Though, I've since changed to Vista, so maybe that had some effect as well.

Other than that, I've noticed that when other people use my computer, they always comment on the spacebar, saying that it's 'too stiff', or that they have to 'hit it really hard' to make it work. I've never really noticed anything like this, and I'm a pretty 'light' typer--that is to say, I don't slam the keys like the other people in my family...

I actually use that stand, and find it a lot more comfortable. Go figure. :laugh:

Also, your UK version of this keyboard freaks me out. :laugh: The # key is supposed to be shift-3! And that return/enter key... Well, let me just say this: I don't think I could get used to that enter key. I prefer the NA version a lot more:

I've had the same problem about the keyboard being unresponsive but for me a restart is all thats needed to get it going again. I find the space to only need the same amount of pressure as the rest of the keys, it is only if you hit it on the top left or right it can get a little stuck but who does that lol.

I didn't realise he was using the UK version until u mentioned it then :laugh: . It freaks me out to :p

[teaumaz]

I also started using this keyboard at work for about two months and was so happy with it that I bought myself one for home use too. It is truly the best keyboard I have ever had.

[gigapixels Veteran]

I've got the comfort curve version (the in-between of standard and ergonomic styles) and I like it. I was thinking about getting this one but I didn't have the money at the time. It's definitely what I want to pick up when I can.

[Twisted Chaz]

I got one for my birthday, quite hard to get used to. And I get annoyed by the noise of the spacebar, maybe I'm just not hitting it right