Customer Reviews

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I bought the original MS Natural Keyboard because I was developing a slight RSI problem in my right hand. It was wonderful. Recently we purchased several new machines at work and ordered the Natural keyboards to go along with them. We got the N.K. Elite which is, in my opinion, a decided step backwards. The main alphanumeric keys are reasonable and still comfortable, but they feel mushy to me compared with the original. The Numeric Keypad is fine. However, the function keys are dinky and hard to hit, the home/end/pageup/pagedown group has been miniaturized and rearranged (for example, insert is located where page down used to be) which makes it difficult to hit the correct key without stopping to look and worst of all the arrow keys are tiny and arranged in an awful diamond pattern which seems (cynically) designed specifically to cause you to hit more than one arrow at a time. Hey, if one is good, more is better right?

I'm dumping this beast because the frustration level is quite high. I'll be replacing it with either a SmartBoard (from Darwin), the LogiTech ergonomic or the MS Natural Pro (although the extra application keys won't do me any good since I use this on a unix box).

In short, avoid this keyboard and get a slightly more expensive but considerably less frustrating one.

The arrow keys take a little getting used to, but it is great on the wrists.

When I first started using this keyboard it was on my computer at work. For about the first 3 or 4 days, I had trouble with the arrow keys, and the 6 keys above the arrows (home, end, delete, page up, page down, and insert). The problem is that they are arranged different than any keyboard that I have used before. Once I was used to using this keyboard, I had a difficult time using my keyboard at home. Shortly thereafter I replaced my home keyboard with this one.

As far as key placement goes, the important things to know are:

1. The placement of the backslash key. I have seen this in a couple different places on different keybards. The Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite V2.0 has the backslash key above the enter key and below the backspace key. This allows for the larger backspace key. I feel that this is very important, since this is something that I have become very used to. Over the last 15 years, I have tried keyboards that have the backslash key next the the backspace key, and I just seem to make mistakes with that placement. Microsoft has done this one correctly (in my humble opinion).

2. The keypad above the arrows (home, end, delete, page up, page down, and insert) is arranged different that I have ever seen it done before. Usually this is a keypad that is 3 keys wide by 2 tall, Microsoft has changed the layout to 3 tall by 2 wide. This doesn't seem to perform any differently than the old way, it is just different (not good or bad, just different). This will take a little getting used to, but it works well once you have adapted.

3. The arrow keys. Until this keyboard, I have always seen the arrangement of 3 arrow keys across the bottom (left, down, right), with one centered above those 3 (up). This does it differently, there are 2 keys in the middle area (left and right) with a key centered above (up), and below (down).

I seem to be able to type faster using this keyboard than I have using other keyboards.

I used the original Microsoft natural keyboard, and it is elevated off the desk much higher. The older one had an option to raise the front of the keyboard, but this one only has the option to rais the back.

The lights for scroll lock, num lock, and caps lock are located in the center of the keyboard, in the break between the left and the right hand side of the home row. This is good because they are easier to notice than when the lights are in the keys or next above the number lock.

I use this keyboard on both windows and unix, and it works great.

I am not someone who has had problems with my wrists, but I do notice that it is just more comfortable.

If you spend much time at they keyboard, I would recommend this keyboard.

The keyboard is not bad as a whole, with most keys appropriately sized, and convenient. But the \ key is much too small, and the Windows key and the menu key are very misplaced and almost always cause mistakes. The should be outside the ctrl and alt keys, not interspaced.

Additionally, the cursor keys and the alternate keys (home, end, delete, page up, page down, and insert) are easily the worst i've ever seen. They're about as big as tic-tacs and completely out of order. It took me 2 months to stop making mistakes on them. Bad choices all around.

After using the original natural keyboard, I was excited to get one at work. Unfortunately, they purchased a NK Elite. It's a perfectly fine keyboard...if you never use the function keys, arrow keys, or the alternate (pgup, pgdn, etc) keys. I realize that MS felt the need to scrunch everything down to fit the keyboard into regular sized keyboard trays, but this thing is just plain awful. Only purchase if you don't touch type. Go for the Natural Keyboard Pro instead.

While the layout is ok, the buttons are too small. And who brilliant thought of rearranging 'Insert', 'Delete', and arrow buttons? I very quickly got sick of always hitting the wrong button. Microsoft should have kept the buttons together in the same place in familiar clusters. The previous version of Natural keyboard was much better, why did they mess with it?

I've used the Microsoft Natural Keyboard for years and strongly prefer it over a standard keyboard. When I decided to replace my VERY UNergonomic HP keyboard with a NEW MS Natural Keyboard, the model I ordered was the Elite 2.0.

I was very disappoined to find many of the keys (function keys, Home, Page Up/Dn, End, Delete, arrow ...) were half-size keys. My fingers, which are of normal size, kept hitting the adjacent half-size keys, making it highly unproductive to use.

While the half-size arrow keys would also not appeal to gamers, I suspect they would also not like the Elite cross-layout of the arrow keys. I've read elsewhere that they prefer the inverted-T layout.

I would NOT recommend the Elite model with its pixie-keys to anybody.

You have been warned.

dickm

I use an earlier version of the Microsoft Natural Keyboard at work and that's great. I use a similar keyboard made by a different company at home. I've used this redesigned-to-be-smaller version of the keyboard for about an hour or two, and that's more than enough time to get sick of the re-arranged arrow keys and the undersized insert, delete, etc. keys. If you use the keys between the alphabetic keyboard and the number pad at all, avoid this keyboard.

Being a professional Windows programmer, I'm no fan of Microsoft's, but this is a truly great item nevertheless. I've used all kinds of keyboards, from the cheap to the expensive specialty keyboards that are supposed to reduce injury. None were this good. It's more solid and quiet than any of them, and it's exactly what I want a keyboard to feel like. I just got it because it looked cool, but it really did end up reducing the strain on my arms from typing 15 hours a day every day.

Two things people complain about with this model are the small function keys and the modified arrangement of the arrow keys. I have quite large fingers, and yet I have never noticed any drawbacks to the small function keys. I like the reduced arrow keys because I never use the extraneous inverted-T anways (and I'm quite an avid gamer). Instead, I turn off num-lock, and use the keypad, because then I can reach home, del, ins, and all those keys immediately for superior cursor control.

I bought the Pro model, but it was not nearly as good as this Elite, even with its set of macro keys, because it feels hollow and cheap by comparison. The Elite also has a much smaller footprint, which means that you can switch between the home row, the keypad, and the mouse or tablet without having to move your arm as much. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you're like me, it is.

Now, if only they'd make a model with Cut, Copy, Paste, and Shift-Tab keys...!

My original MS Natural wore out ... it survived four years ofvery heavy daily pounding, never once gave me tendonitis, which the old-style keyboards do, and basically was the best keyboard I ever owned. In a crunch to replace it, I asked the local supplier to rush a new one within the hour. They delivered the Elite.

I am furklempt. The first thing to know is that this design is not "natural". For that matter, its not really useful at all as a true "keyboard". The cursor and editing keys are Chiclets, poorly arranged, too small, and for all practical purposes useless. Those who work rapidly and without glancing at the keyboard will constantly find themselves pressing multiple cursor control keys at once. Your work rate will slow to snail's pace, you'll get to practice your entire vocabulary of curse words, and you'll experience stress levels you imagined happened only to other people.

Spend the extra [money] and get the full size version of this beast...I guess they now call it the "Pro". Yes its bigger. Yes it has a lot of useless "Internet" buttons to make it even bigger than it need be [Why? Why why why?]. But the ergonomics, the touch and feel, are worth every penny if you're planning any degree of daily intimacy with your keyboard.

Amazon.com, why is there no button to award negative stars? END

I have been using the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite V2.0 for over six months now, and it is by far, the best keyboard made. If you do a lot of typing, there is simply no substitute.

After going through roughly 5 different keyboards, the MS Natural Keyboard has won me over. Keystrokes flow smoothly, and my wrists never hurt, even after hours of non-stop typing.

I can't think of any cons with this keyboard. Just wish I had one at the office as well.