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Microsoft Optical Desktop with Fingerprint Reader
Aalaap Ghag, Dec 28, 2004 0000 hrs ISTWe received the new Optical Desktop combo set and believe me 'tis the season to be merry!
Standard key layout, conveniently placed favorites keys, all shortcuts configurable, fingerprint reader adds convenience to password entry, perfect weight distribution in mouse
F-lock needs to be turned on, although just once; small left Ctrl key; plastic wrist pad could be leather, mouse lags a bit
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If you arrange all the Microsoft keyboards and mice in chronological order, you'll find that they're getting weirder and weirder with each iteration; with their so-called "natural" ergonomic designs, which prove to be comfortable to some, and tricky to the rest. While the mice have been somewhat amusingly shaped, the recent alterations made to the keyboard layouts by the researchers at Microsoft's labs have left the touch-typists fuming with frustration.
I'm talking about the break in tradition of having the page navigation keys (Insert, Del, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down) in a logical horizontal six-pack form in favor of a new "improved" five-pack layout, where the delete button is twice the size and takes up the area previously occupied by the Insert button. The inconvenience doesn't end there - the spacebar is also shorter, bringing the Alt, Win, Context and Ctrl keys more towards the left and the Left arrow key lodged right under the Right Shift key. WHY???
Just when I had crossed out all the Microsoft Keyboard products I had put on my list to ask Santa for this Christmas, we received the new Microsoft Optical Desktop with Fingerprint Reader combo set and believe me 'tis the season to be merry! The keyboard is back to our normal, beloved 104-key layout, which means a normal six-pack navigation key block and an arrow triangle that doesn't shove into the Ctrl key! Ho! Ho! Ho!
The "desktop" version is a set consisting of the wired Microsoft Keyboard with Fingerprint reader and the Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0. Let's take at a look at the two pieces individually.
Microsoft Keyboard with Fingerprint reader
Apart from those reverted changes I mentioned before, which form most of the good points, the keyboard has a few more changes that contribute to the overall score of the product. The keys on top are a little more logical now, with the five configurable "My Favorites" keys right in the center of the top area. An interesting addition is the Favorites Config key right below the five keys that instantly brings up the configuration dialog, wherein you can change the actions performed by the keys. Quick and Intuitive. Displaced by the Favorites keys, the media Play/Pause, Stop, Back and Next keys have been relocated to the left. This makes sense, since the volume up/down and mute keys are nearby on the left bar, which are really easy to access.
To the right of the Favorites keys come the arguably useless My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Mail, Web/Home, and Messenger keys. All the keys do what you think they would, with the exception of the Messenger key that starts Windows Messenger 4.7 (the one bundled with Windows XP SP2) even if you have MSN Messenger 6 or 7 installed. Fortunately, these keys are configurable so you can make the key launch MSN Messenger, or even Yahoo! Messenger if you so prefer. Yes, the Mail key can be configured to launch Thunderbird as well!
Right above the numeric keypad you have the Calculator key - very sensible. Next are the Log Off and Sleep mode keys. I feel the Sleep key is still not strategically placed, as you tend to rest your hands on the side of the keyboard from time to time, and you don't want to be caught napping in the middle of work, but its far less a nuisance compared to the new Function keys (F1-F12) which have different primary functions like Help, Undo, Redo, New instead of the regular F1, F2, F3 and F4. If you want to use the now-secondary function keys, you have to turn on F-Lock. However, the F-Lock stays on across sessions, so you really only need to turn it on once. Phew.
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