Rating: 
Summary: Saved this Reviewers Reviewing Reputation
Review: It sounded like a good idea to clean a laptop keyboard (I thought that would solve some problems), but let me tell you once you put all the lovely little keys back, nothing works. So, I figured it was either time to get a new laptop, deal with waiting days and days while the keyboard was repaired or find another solution. It took a few hours and suddenly I decided to go look for a keyboard and try to plug it into the laptop. The thought really didn't cross my mind before or I would have bought this amazing keyboard months ago. Not only can I type way faster, I love the freedom of the cordless world. Plus, hey, hey, I can now see the letters on the keys. My laptop has a few keys where my nails literally clawed through the top of the key. It is funny, but true. The "Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop" is quite a sexy system with a sleek look and plenty of style. I really haven't used all the features because mostly I just type and type and type some more. This is a nice package deal with one-touch features. The customizable keys will amuse anyone who has the time to figure everything out. If you love to listen to music while you are at the computer, there is a Media Center so you can open, play and navigate music with the touch of a few buttons. I was trying to figure out why you would want a keyboard that works within 6 feet of the receiver and then I figured it was for the music functions. The Wireless Optical Mouse is shaped for comfort and can be used by right or left-handed users. The clear/wider scroll wheel allows you to move quickly through web pages. I noticed that the scrolling was much faster and there is no need to click on the scroll bar. Basically everything works faster with this keyboard. I'm quite impressed. This works with PS/2 or USB. 4 AA batteries are included. Two for the keyboard and two for the mouse. They seem to last quite a long time. The Software installation and setup was so easy, I thought I was dreaming. Within hours of finding out I was not able to type, I was suddenly back in the review-writing mood. Although my husband says I sounded like someone had died when I told him I could not type. Talk about feeling helpless. Since fixing a computer is a few hundred dollars these days, I think we really lucked out by buying this very affordable desktop system. When I comparred prices, I saved myself over a thousand bucks. Well, if I had to go buy a new computer. The reason I chose this particular keyboard is because it has a palm rest, which makes typing very comfortable. ~TheRebeccaReview.com
Rating: 
Summary: Non-standard key layout
Review: Maybe all MS keyboards have the strange layout with the double sized delete key and the insert key up higher, but I'm still struggling to get used to it. I prefer the 6 key layout for the home, page up/dn, end, delete insert between the letters and numeric keypad. I don't like the fact the function keys are off by default. The cordless works very nicely, they keyboard has a nice feel. I just can't get used to the key layouts.
Rating:
Summary: Mouse problems corrected
Review: My wife liked the keyboard and mouse very much but the cursor would randomly jump and move down and left. I played with receiver location and batteries then I read the comments here and on the circuit city site. I want to thank whoever said they fixed similar problems by adjusting the mouse control software. It solved my problem. No more jumping. Now works great and rock solid.
Rating:
Summary: I can't get why some people are not satisfyed
Review: Ok, let me start by saying that like most other human beings I don't like Microsoft, but lets not allow this to prevent us from judging a product objectively.
This keyboard-mouse combo does exactly what it should do, nothing less, but a few things more.
The keyboard is excellent. Reception is perfect, and the extra multimedia keys work well and are programmable with the supplied drivers. The fact that the CAPS/NUMLOCK lights are on the receiver haven't bothered me a bit so far.
The mouse is simple yet efficient. It does what it should, a bit heavy and most be used from a shorter range than the keyboard (but still surpasses the 6-foot specification), but other than that very good.
Installation couldn't be easier, unless you're a complete newbie to computers. Battery life is good, channel switching is possible (though I didn't need it at all), and the design looks great.
The price is very cheap, what more do you need?
Very recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Not dependable.
Review: The concept of a cordless keyboard and mouse is nice, but the application is less than perfect. The product is handsome and well-constructed and seems durable enough to withstand heavy usage. It installed quickly and effortless into Windows XP Pro. The unit requires batteries to be installed into both the keyboard and the mouse, which is a little inconvenient, but an onscreen alert warns you to change the batteries when the power is low, so you don't get surprised with a dead mouse or keyboard every few weeks. However, from the beginning, I've had trouble with the unit. Although the mouse tracks fairly accurately without a cord, every once in awhile, the cursor flies widely across the screen for no discernable reason. This doesn't happen enough to make the unit unusable, but it does happen enough to be annoying. Almost immediately, I began experiencing periods where the mouse would stop working, sometimes for long periods of time (days) although the keyboard would still work. I eventually discovered that a 2.4 gigahertz cordless phone near the mouse was the culprit. Whenever the phone was out of the cradle, the mouse would freeze. I solved the problem by getting a new phone, although I now have a corded phone so that I can have a cordless mouse. This is self-defeating for my objective of getting rid of cords running across my desk, but at least everything was working. However, after a few months of use, the keyboard stopped working. The cordless phone was long gone and not to blame and multiple battery changes, reinstalling the software, and checking the hardware failed to correct the problem. After days of wrestling with the problem, I finally ditched the offending keyboard and replaced it with a USB keyboard. Although I'm back to having a cord, it's a small price to pay for a keyboard that works reliably and doesn't need constant troubleshooting. I still have the cordless mouse, which works adequately, but every once in awhile the cursor flies widely across the screen to remind me of the folly of this purchase. Corded keyboards and mice work well. Although cordless would be nice, it doesn't seem to me that the technology is adequate yet. Bottom-line, I want my keyboard and mouse to work without any effort on my part. Corded versions to do this well, but the cordless equivalents offer less reliability. I don't recommend this product, although if you wanted to buy one slightly used, we could probably work something out......
Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT BUY!
Review: The design of this keyboard is HORRENDOUS. I have many gripes. 1. THE MOST ANNOYING THING IN THE WORLD: F-lock key. I do not even use Microsoft Office/Outlook or whatever program those buttons are for. I would not WANT to use them. Every time I power up my computer, I have to press the F-lock button. 2. The function buttons are grouped in threes, and instead of F1 F2 F3 etc being on the top of each key, it is on the side. The crappy software shortcuts are printed on the top of each key. I would not mind if the keys were grouped in 4 as is normal, but with groups of 3, I find myself constantly having to look at the key to know which one it is - and I have to look at the SIDE of the key to tell! 3. NO LIGHTS. Well, there -are- lights, but they are not on the keyboard. They are on the hub. I do not understand the logic of this. Who the hell looks at the hub? I keep my hub on the desk and never look at it. This means that you cannot tell whether F-lock, scroll lock, CAPS lock, or num lock are on unless you look at the hub - and it uses some sort of code that I don't understand. There's an "A" light, a "1" light, and a "F" light, but they do not light up as expected. When I press F lock, the F button does not go on... 4. The keyboard seems to decide that, if you have been holding in a key for too long, you are done, so it shuts off. This is particularly annoying for games with WASD movement, as W will often be held in, but you have to keep pressing it every few seconds or the keyboard will turn it off. 5. Range. It says 6 feet, but it is not. It is 1 foot. I have no idea why they say 6 feet, it doesn't work that far, even with nothing in the way. 6. Insert has been moved up as a 2nd function of Print Screen, and Home/End/PgUp/PgDn are in a strange arrangement. Delete is double size. Arrow buttons have been moved down and to the left, causing absolute chaos when trying to find the arrows. I rarely look at my keyboard, and having to look to find the arrow keys slows me down. I have no problem with the mouse, except that it is next to impossible to add/remove batteries. The slot for batteries is very tight and I actually pierced the plastic wrapping for my batteries on the edge of the hole. I tried putting the battery in every which way. It did not fit. You have to PUSH it in. There is also a problem with the scroll wheel. I can't quite figure out exactly why it's annoying, but I think it's because of the slippery grip, it makes me have to push down on the scroll wheel to move it. I'm used to just pushing it around with ease. Conclusion: For a new/amateur computer user who uses many Microsoft products such as Office and Outlook, you are in for a treat, because this keyboard is made just for you and nobody else. If, however, you do not fall into this category, this keyboard will be useless to you. It is horrendous for gamers (especially!), touch-typists, fast typists, programmers, or people who type a lot. Or basically anyone who is comfortable with the standard keyboard layout. On the upside, it's wireless... which is why I still use it. But for a wireless keyboard, it's CRAP. ABSOLUTE FILTH. Another horrible idea from our friends at Microsoft.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent keyboard but mouse does not have enough buttons
Review: The keyboard is excellent but the mouse has too little buttons, especially if you use the net a lot - luckily there is a way past it. If you have the Microsoft Wireless Explorer Mouse you can use it together with this keyboard by changing the channels on the receiver you get with the keyboard. You can switch the channels so that the keyboard uses the one channel and the mouse the other one. Install the software of the Explorer Mouse and the keyboard before you connect the receiver to your PC by using your old keyboard and mouse. I also discovered that the farther away the receiver is from the PC case or monitor, the more responsive the mouse is - when the receiver is right next to the pc case the mouse goes to sleep much quicker and more often. I also found that the PS2 connection works better than the USB connection (I am running WinXP Pro)
Rating:
Summary: I Love Wireless
Review: The Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop is very much like a luxury automobile. It's expensive to start out with and costs alot to keep working. At 4 batteries about every 2 months is 24 AA batteries a year. I buy them in bulk now. If you need a highly demanding mouse and keyboard for computer games or endless work I would suggest a corded keyboard and mouse. However if you want a great looking keyboard that had no wires and don't mind going through alot of batteries this is for you. Cons- Eats batteries. Weak signal past a few feet. Need to push the "connect" button on the base and bottom of the keyboard every so often so they reconnect. This takes 10 seconds and happens about once a month.
Pros- Program keys how you want. Great looks. Mouse is the prefect size. Quiet key strokes. No wires to get in the way. Perfect for unclutered workspace.
Rating:
Summary: Fast Keyboard, Sluggish Mouse
Review: The Package:
- Setup was easy. I use a KVM switch, which was one of the reasons I liked this package, because of it's support for PS/2 connections. The Keyboard:
- Performance was excellent. There was never a delay, and the shortcut buttons were a nice convenience.
- The layout is awkward with regards to the Home|Delete|End|PageUp|PageDown keys. Microsoft apparently wanted to reduce the width of the keyboard, but I would have prefered the standard layout. The Mouse:
- Performance was choppy. At times the mouse pointer would "stutter", and other times it would fly across the screen just fine. This is annoying. I tried different batteries (the problem started within minutes of use with the batteries included in the box), different mouse pads, and making sure that there was a clear line of sight to the receiver (only 3 feet away). I give this product 3 stars for a good performing keyboard but a sub-par mouse...
Rating:
Summary: Generally Very Reliable with One Small Gripe
Review: This is my first wireless desktop and I've been very pleased with it. I occasionally get a problem with one of my PCs where the mouse and keyboard lock during bootup, forcing me to plug in a wired keyboard simply to reboot. However, this happens rarely plus I've got a real Frankenstein of complexity going on between my multiple PCs (relevant detail: wireless desktop into Belkin KVM swtich). Plus, this problem has never occurred on any of the other three PCs that the desktop is controlling, so problem may be in that one PC. Anyway, the only daily gripe that I have is that the keys are configured differently than most other keyboard. I'm a big keyboard shortcut guy and rely heavily on the section of keys with Home, End, Insert, Delete, etc. I guess in order to make the keyboard a little smaller, the keys are in differently places than on most 102-key keyboards. Not only did this take me a while to get used to, but this also means that I'm messed up when using other PCs, i.e. at the office. This is a trifle, but worth mentioning. I was wary in the beginning about the mouse and keyboard using batteries, but I'm happy to say that I haven't had to change either after over a month of heavy use. Of course, they may die at any inst
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