Customer Reviews

Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 1000 (PC & Mac)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

This is a really good "basic" wireless keyboard and mouse set. The software installed just find and after that I plugged in the receiver and was ready to go. It was really snappy and responsive right out of the box. Sometimes people get issues because the battery is low to begin with (remember the battery has been sitting in the package since it was shipped to Amazon, Best Buy, Staples, etc.) Also the proximity of portable phones, other wireless devices, etc will sometimes mess with the signal.

I really like the keyboard. It has a soft feel and is rather quite comfortable. It's not like those old loud IMB clicky types. Depending on your preference you might find the keyboard "mushy" but I think it's just right. There's a few special function keys for e-mail, web homepage and volume controls. I can do without most of them except for the calculator quick launch button. Its great to just hit a button have the calculator popup. I think all keyboards should have this.

The mouse is good too. It's a basic optical mouse a two button one scroll wheel job. It's nothing fancy but then again I don't need a fancy mouse with 5 or 7 buttons. The scroll wheel is nice. It's a clicky one meaning you can scroll line-by-line. There are ridges on the wheel itself which I appreciate as I severely dislike the smooth wheels. The mouse is a bit heavy towards the back end. Probably because both the battery and transmitter are there but it only takes a few minutes to get used to.

There are two things that I don't like but they aren't deal breakers. The first is the rather large receiver. It's not a deal breaker but if you've got limited desktop space it's a pain for sure. The second is that the mouse and keyboard are always "on". As far as I can tell they don't auto-hibernate when not in use for a while or turn themselves off when the computer is shutdown. So in order to fully power them off you've got to take the battery out. I have owned the mouse that's included in the set separately and used it with my old computer. The battery (2 AAs) lasted for about 3 months. I'm sure if I pulled them out every time I shut the computer down it would have lasted for 6. But I'm lazy and had a bag full of AAs so what did I care?

This is a very good product for a decent price. I don't know what's up with the bad reviews they must have gotten a lemon or something because every MS mouse or keyboard I've used has been awesome. If fact the only bad keyboards and mice I've used have been non-MS ones. The Logitech mice are too large and expensive. Belkin keyboards are awful and anything made by Kensington is just atrocious. Overall, I really like this keyboard mouse set and if you can pick it up on the cheap it's a great product.

The keyboard is great. No glitching and the range is really about 4 feet with line of site. The battery life on the keyboard is also great, I have had it for four months and i havent replaced the batterys. The mouse on the other hand is a bit diffrent. In the four months ive had it the batterys have died twice. It glitchs, especially when playing games, and it is a bit small and not very ergonomic. Its a good product but i wouldn't buy it if you spend more than 2 hours on a computer a day.

I have to start remembering to look at Amazon prices first before I buy elsewhere, I actually went to the Staples Store, they had this set for $54.98. But they did have one out, on display. The keyboard keys have a very nice feel to them, as well as the options and design make typing a very easy task. The keyboard is quiet when you type and the mouse is a very nice addition to the set. The mouse moves very quickly and accurately, the setup was easy. I just installed the software and plugged the USB into the back of the computer and it recogonized the new hardware immediately. Batteries were included, which makes it an even better deal.

Great buy, esp if this is your first time wireless keyboard and mouse, as it is mine. And for thsi Amazon price, you can't go wrong, especially due to the free shipping. Grab it now, you wont be disappointed.

This product is pretty much plug and play if you are running XP or Vista. IT WORKS GREAT WITHOUT THE SOFTWARE. In fact installing the software actually makes this product function worse. By not installing the software, you will not be able to use some of the multimedia buttons (My Docs, My Pics, My Music, and the Media Play Controls), I never really missed these buttons any way.

Its a solid product at a good price which does not drain batteries (batteries will last about 4-6 months). Mine even came with a bonus travel mouse which I use with my laptop. Recommended if you can live withs its quirks.

This wireless keyboard/mouse is the bane of my existence. I expect to die at an early age from stress caused solely by this terrible product. Fool that I am, I bought two of them, one for work and one for my home computer, so this evil device torments me day and night. Neither unit works correctly, especially the mouse. The promised range is a joke. If the mouse or the keyboard is more than nine inches from the receiver, it will barely function. If the mouse should stray 12-15 inches from the receiver, I have to click over and over to get one successful click. Occasionally the keyboard just doesn't work at all. I'll click on a text box, get a blinking cursor, start typing, and nothing happens. Replace the batteries daily if you like, the range will still suck.

Rarely have I been more disappointed with a product than this one. The only good thing I can say for it is that it can take a hellacious beating and keep functioning (or not) at exactly the same level as the cursed day I removed it from the box. The mouse frequently drives me to such extremes of rage that I will pound it on my wood desktop over and over, but it just... refuses... to break. It isn't a mouse, but a tangible demon sent from the blackest bowels of hell to torment me for my sins. I also routinely beat the keyboard with my fist or other blunt objects, and the only visible result is that a tiny piece of the casing broke off. I circled the glorious day of that miniscule victory on my calendar and will celebrate it annually until I die too young from the torment of using this product. Since it worked poorly from the first day, it is impossible to determine if these frequent beatings have diminished its performance, but at least it's tough.

If you must purchase this item, give it to somebody you loathe, but only if you are a true sociopath. Anybody with the tiniest glimmer of a conscience would be tormented with guilt for visiting this horrible product on another living soul. I don't know if other wireless units are better than this one, but there is no way they could possibly be worse.

I was really looking for some wireless stuff to keep my desk tidy, i really did not matter much about price, but for those few bucks all seemed to fit. And it was a MS desk of course, anyone would think with a little work you should get it going OK.
Unfortunately not; the mouse is really unresponsive when clicking. It does "wake up" fast and battery has a nice life, but sometimes you click on some link and have to MOVE YOUR MOUSE WHILE CLICKING to make the computer recognize the MouseUp event.
The keyboard, on the other hand is really great, I do know it is a little slow sometimes, but it is acceptable and that bought the second star on this review.
For the whole Combo, I think MS should contact the owners and give them a brand-new, fine-working Keyboard and Mouse.

In my experience, the Microsoft mice and keyboards are inconsistant. Sometimes you'll get one that won't work and there's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes it will work fine and last for years. I had another Microsoft wireless optical mouse that worked fine for three years then worked so poorly all of a sudden that I smashed it against a wall. This set was my replacement. I had to move the reciever around a little to get this one working well, but it's fine now. No problems.

I bought this wireless keyboard/mouse combo a couple of months ago. I used the keyboard for a week before I trashed it; it had an annoying habit of going into "Insert" mode on its own and I would end up overlaying whole sentences before I would catch it. The mouse fared better -- it lasted almost two months and then it got weird. The cursor would travel all over the screen by itself and then it wouldn't respond to me at all. Not a battery issue. I threw it out, too, and reconnected my corded Dell mouse. I will not be buying any more wireless PC accessories because my next computer (soon) will be a Mac. I am sick of Microsoft and all its associated quality issues, and I don't even have Vista... :-)

The key board is just wonderful but the wireless optical mouse is not as great as I expected.

Item being reviewed


Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop (PC & Mac) Quick delivery and no problem setting up the wireless system. Works very well and I find the touch on the keyboard very nice and quite. The only thing I wish the keyboard had was a light indicating that the caps lock was active; but this is no biggy. Would recommend this optical desktop system to a friend.