Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000

by Microsoft

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.4 x 7 x 1.7 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002NP8XJ0
• Item model number: CXD-00001
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #42 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Computer Accessories > Keyboards, Mice & Input Devices > Keyboards
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 2, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000

Compact comfort. Clean lines. Cool combo.
Stay comfortable and productive with this sleek Bluetooth® keyboard and number pad. Exclusively for Bluetooth computers—no transceivers to connect or lose.

Comfort curve design

Comfort Curve keyboard

Microsoft's Comfort Curve encourages natural wrist posture and is easy to use.

Portable number pad

Stay productive wherever you like to work.

Exclusively for Bluetooth notebook, netbook, and desktop computers

Wireless freedom without a transceiver.

Sleek, ultra-thin design

Thin profile that is easy to take on the go.

Battery status indicator

Portable number pad with carrying case

3-year limited hardware warranty

System Requirements

- Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, Windows XP excluding Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later
- 3 AAA alkaline (included)
- Other: Computer enabled with Bluetooth® wireless technology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comfortable but suffering from slow Bluetooth wakeup time and no dedicated HOME, END keys, December 16, 2009

By 

C. Law - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 (Personal Computers)

This keyboard is the most comfortable slim keyboard I've ever used. It only requires 2 AAA batteries for the keyboard and one AAA battery for the number pad.

Pros:
- Extremely Slim profile
- Number Pad is separated from the keyboard for high mobility and great for any netbook and laptop without number pad. It is also great for saving a crowded desktop space.
- The ergonomic curvature allows less stress on the wrist
- Comfortable tactile feedback but at the same time feels like the keyboard is integrated on your table due to the slim form factor.
- Extremely easy to pair up with my Asus Laptop that comes with built-in Bluetooth and Windows 7.

Cons:
- No dedicated HOME and END buttons on the keyboard but on the Number Pad 7, and 1 keys when Num Lock is OFF.
- Limited Multi Media Controls: only Volume Up, Down, and Mute.
- There are no secondary functions printed on the Number Pad, instead it gives you a tiny piece of card for you to memorize. But the good part is all number pad functions are the same as any other number pads on the market.
- Slow Bluetooth wake up time. It takes around 1 second for the keyboard to respond after 8 to 10 minutes of inactivity. You only need to press once and don't keep repeating the same key otherwise after the Bluetooth reconnects to the computer, you will see all the repeated typed strings.

Conclusion:
If you don't mind the bluetooth slow wake up time by all means get this! It's very slim yet comfortable! It is way better than Logitech's DiNovo or Apple's Bluetooth keyboard.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great design and function, slightly frustrating due to Bluetooth, January 26, 2010

By 

Obsidian "Obsidian" (Saint Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 (Personal Computers)

Overview

Fantastic design and feel for the keyboard. Great key action, it's very similar to the Microsoft ComfortCurve keyboard in layout and key motion. High responsiveness could be used for games although it is certainly not built as robustly as a gaming keyboard. Bluetooth connectivity is a problem from time to time and turn-on delay can be significant after it goes into power-save mode (sleep state). Wonderfully small form-factor fits perfectly inside my smaller laptop bag that houses my ultra-portable 13-inch-screen ASUS UL30VT.

Build Quality and Design: 8 out of 10

The entire external shell of this keyboard is made out of plastic. The bottom is white, not silver or black. I would prefer a silver colored bottom if an accent color was necessary, or just a continuation of black. The top shiny black bar of trim sucks up fingerprints easily but is also easily wiped off. The black area immediately surrounding the keys has a rubberized texture to it like many Logitech mice have. Time will tell if this coating will rub off or not, but it feels robust enough to hold up to lots of use.

If twisted while grabbing the edges, the keyboard flexes a bit. Since it's so thin I would expect this. It does not feel fragile, but this isn't your father's old IBM weapons-grade keyboard. The smaller edge is almost axe-like although not sharp, it does end in a nice blunted taper. This small leading edge along the palm entirely eliminates the need for a wrist rest of any kind. It has exceptional ergonomics if used on a desk or flat surface. Easily one of the most comfortable keyboards I've used.

Contents of Box: 9 out of 10

The product box is surprisingly small and has a nice weight to it.

Other than the keyboard and the 10-key keypad there is a protective pouch for the keypad that is made out of a gray denim material included in the box. The pouch material isn't particularly amazing and the color choice seems odd since it matches nothing on the product, but at least there's something to put the keypad in. There is no such cover for the keyboard included in the box, and I haven't seen one sold as an accessory.

There are three AAA Energizer batteries in the box. The first round of batteries is on Microsoft. They are difficult to locate since they are tucked in a small white box wedged into the efficient packaging.

The oddly folded "Getting Started" manual is understandable enough and has more languages than I ever would have guessed was required.

Function: 10 out of 10

The keyboard can be used without ever using or connecting the keypad. Or just the keypad can be used without the keyboard, for those in need of an expensive 10-key solution. Each device registers as its own Bluetooth device. The keyboard responsiveness is great, even good enough to play FPS games with from 10-feet away. Although I can't say this is a gaming keyboard it could work for that purpose.

The on-off switch is perfect for shoving this keyboard into a laptop bag. But it does add some conscious effort on the part of the user. If the physical switch is not shut it off when the keyboard is shoved into a laptop bag the keys will inevitably get pressed and batteries will not last.

Connectivity: 5 out of 10

It takes a long time to wake up from a sleep state. I've measured as much as 5-10 seconds. One time so far the keyboard never woke up at all after going into sleep mode. I had to cycle the power switch on the bottom of the keyboard to reconnect the device. I find this unacceptable for the price tag. It's related to the Bluetooth technology, which I still have not seen work as flawlessly as the industry claims. That considered, I've used a few RF wireless keyboards that loose keystrokes and have been unreliable. I would take this keyboard over any of those units. As far as choosing the lesser of two evils I'd go with this Bluetooth unit over the RF devices I've used any day.

Most laptops ship with Bluetooth built in but might not have that connection turned on. There will be no extra hardware needed to connect this device to such laptops. Desktop systems do NOT usually have Bluetooth built in and will require a Bluetooth USB adapter. That adapter can be found anywhere from $8 to $25 depending on where they are purchased. Keep that extra expense in mind if you intend to use this for a desktop system.

Score: 4 out of 5

I had to subtract one point for the sometimes frustrating connectivity that afflicts all Bluetooth devices, this one included. Otherwise this keyboard is solid, designed well and functions great.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bravo, Microsoft..and I don't say that often..., March 4, 2010

By 

Seen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 (Personal Computers)

***Newly Edited 03.26.09

So although I am a Mac, and not a PC, I still inevitably end up using Microsoft products. Most recently, their Comfort Curve keyboard, which I chose over the Logitech Wave. I pretty much refuse to use Microsoft's mice because a number of them have died rather early deaths.

This time Microsoft has come out with something to make even Apple and Logitech jealous. It's this splendidly, sleekly stylish bluetooth keyboard and number. It's about as thin as the instruction manuals that came with it. It also is the perhaps the only keyboard of its kind (ultra-slim, designed primarily for mobile/laptops, bluetooth, very portable) that I've ever seen to have an ergonomic layout.

(If you, like me, get pain & cramping after even short typing sessions with "regular" keyboards, trust me the ergonomic keyboards on the market are well worth it.)

It is PRICEY, but relative to its competition of this genre of keyboards, it's priced fairly reasonably, though it does lack many of the multimedia and hot keys that I've gotten accustomed to (likely sacrificed to keep it compact.)

One final note: regarding infamous delay time. It occurs with "startup" and "power save" mode, which it does quite often. Everyone seems to have a more negative opinion of this, but the time it takes to "wake" on my older Mac from start to type is less time than connecting my bluetooth headset to my phone. I'd estimate about 2-3 seconds to wake up, and when it does, it instantly types out whatever keys I have begun typing. I'm a pretty impatient person, but I enjoy this keyboard enough that it's relatively minor to me personally.