Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard

by Microsoft

Product Details

Product Manual [187kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 10.2 x 2.8 inches ; 3.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002CPBUK
• Item model number: BX1-00005
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 1, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Digital Media Pro Keyboard features a new Zoom Slider that lets you zoom in and out of documents and pictures with ease. Customizable My Favorites keys, Media Center, and Hot Keys give you one-touch access to commonly accessed media, programs, and files.

Features

• Zoom Slider
  Easily zoom in on pictures, maps, documents, and Web pages -- without taking your hand off the keyboard.

• Multimedia center
  It's easy to access your favorite music, video clips, and media programs with the press of a key.

• My Favorites keys
  Five customizable keys are as easy to set as your car radio, so you can enjoy convenient, one-key access to your favorite Web sites and files.

• Enhanced F-key versatility
  Open documents or reply to e-mail messages at the touch of a button. For more flexibility, toggle between standard and enhanced F-key commands.

• Sleep and logoff keys
  To save energy and protect your data, you can simply put your computer in sleep mode or log off completely by pressing a single key.

Product Description

MODEL- BX1-00005 VENDOR- MICROSOFT CORPORATION FEATURES- Digital Media Pro Keyboard- Black & Silver The Digital Media Pro Keyboard features a new Zoom Slider that lets you zoom in and out of documents and pictures with ease. Customizable My Favorites keys Media Center and Hot Keys give you one-touch access to commonly accessed media programs and files. * Zoom Slider Easily zoom in on pictures maps documents and Web pages--without taking your hand off the keyboard. * Multimedia center It is easy to access your favorite music video clips and media programs with the press of a key.* My Favorites keys Five customizable keys are as easy to set as your car radio so you can enjoy convenient one-key access to your favorite Web sites and files.* Enhanced F-key versatility Open documents or reply to e-mail messages at the touch of a button. For more flexibility toggle between standard and enhanced F-key commands.* Sleep and logoff keys To save energy and protect your data you can simply put your computer in sleep mode or log off completely by pressing a single key. -- SPECIFICATIONs --------------------------------------CONNECTORs- PS/2 or USBREQUIRES - PC : 233-MHz or faster processor 35 MB of available hard-disk space CD-ROM Drive Windows XP/XP Media Center Edition Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows 2000 Available universal serial bus (USB) port or PS/2 port Mac: 30 MB of available hard-disk space CD-ROM drive Mac OS X version 10.1 to 10.3.x (excluding 10.0) USB port

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best keyboard out there, February 14, 2006

By 

Picky Consumer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard (Personal Computers)

its not wireless, its not even that expensive. But see if you can find it in your local computer store and type on it for a few minutes. You'll see right away why its been rated so highly by everyone.
I still miss my old IBM model M (everyone's favorite keyboard) though it has long since been obsolete (no USB, too loud, too heavy, by today's standards, tho it had the best key-feel and feedback of any keyboard ever made). I havent been happy with any of the new keyboards since 1986! ;) Until now, that is.

I initially went shopping for a Logitech Dinovo (or the S510, which is similar). After trying them out I decided against, since they were too similar to my toshiba laptop keyboard and I was looking for something less cramped.

I came across this one at the store and liked it right away. For me it has the right balance of key-stroke depth and key-spacing. I feel it has just about all the 'positive feedback' and 'feel' as the old IBM M model. Now, you may ask: this keyboard is whisper-quiet and 'soft', while the M model was loud and clackety-clack-hard. How can they be compared? They can be compared in terms of the 'confidence' with which one can type on them, the equivalent typing speeds and error-free typing that both can produce. In my case, I type as well - fast and error free - on this keyboard as I ever did on the model M.
It inspires typing-confidence.

The keys feel substantive under your fingers, meaning you are always sure where you're finger is going. The tactile feedback is quite positive, though it has been described as 'soft'; I think 'bouncy' might be a better word. (Like the old model M, remember?) I think what makes the tactile feedback so nice is that I not only immediately know when a key has 'registered' after I press it, but I also immediately know when my finger has left that key. There's a little 'push'. So I almost never hit two keys at once, or hit a key out of sequence. My fingers fly across it - without the clackety clack, but with as much confidence.

The rest of the stuff on the keyboard are luxuries, and nice ones - the zoom slider, the media and volume controls, and the 'favorites' buttons etc which I have mapped to my favorite applications. I'm sure I will use them. I especially like the 'calculator' shortcut key over the number pad. Its like having a built in calculator since it pops up immediately.

The setup for personalizing the keys is very easy and intuitive. You should update the software to the latest version (in my case the CD was version 5.2 but there was a 5.5 update at microsoft.com/hardware.

If you do a lot of work in front of the computer, you cant get a better keyboard than this in terms of substantive luxury and feel for a fraction of the price of most other keyboards. Other keyboards may be wireless, or sleeker looking, but dont get fooled. For just over 20 bucks you can get a keyboard that will truly make your job easier, connect reliably, and make your fingers fly with confidence.

In sum: Typing comfort is a very subjective thing, but go try it out in a store if you can. Typing on this thing is like driving a go-kart: point and shoot. Feels like a Lexus, priced like a Honda.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value; solid keyboard, October 4, 2004

By 

Bryan Morgante (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard (Personal Computers)

I consider this to be a nice, middle-class wired USB keyboard. The media/shortcut/quick launch keys are convenient and easy to configure and rebind. Keys feel firm and are quiet. My only minor complaint is that the zoom slider does not work quite as well as advertised; from what I've tested, only Microsoft Word works with it consistantly.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice quality keyboard at a great price, December 23, 2004

By 

forestdweller - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard (Personal Computers)

This keyboard is a very good value at Amazon's price, and a real pleasure to use. The key travel is soft and quiet, and the keys for My Pictures, My Documents, Undo, Redo, etc. are convenient. In addition to five My Favorites keys, you can also reassign any of the preset hot keys to your liking. The media player controls are handy also, with the volume control allowing small increments of change. The zoom slider works well in Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop Elements, Word Perfect, and web pages; these are the only applications where I've tested it, but the Microsoft web site lists others where it should work. I haven't had the keyboard long enough to attest to its durability, but it seems solid and well-made, and the black-and-gray finish is attractive. If you're looking for an upgrade from the default keyboard that came with your computer, this is an excellent choice and you won't be disappointed.