Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

 

 

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Recently I changed my PC and although my old keyboard (a MICROSOFT Multimedia) was still in perfect working condition, I decided to change the whole set up. I still had fond memories of my old MS NATURAL ELITE PRO keyboard I had used writing my Thesis, so I decided on the 4000 model which seemed to be its improved replacement. I have had the keyboard for about two months - here are my impressions:

THE GOOD:
- The 4000 is not just another beautiful keyboard but a REALLY comfortable one too. Not only are the curves natural and well molded but the minimally padded leather-imitation wrist-rest offers a silky sense of luxury. The keyboard comes out of the box with a negative angle attachment, which can easily be removed - it is comfortable but personally I need to see what I am typing.

- Compared to other Ergonomic keyboards, one has to note that unless the keys are physically separated into two groups any ergonomic effects will be minimal. So, if you are thinking of Logitech's WAVE, it is a good idea to actually give both of them a try at a local store before making a choice. As I said, I am no professional typist (yes, more of a 2-fingers) yet I found that my typing is much faster and my typos more rare when using Natural keyboards.

- I liked the idea of the BACK/FORWARD buttons at the wrist-rest. Although most mice now have this functions on their side buttons, it is still a big help when browsing (my mouse has a Magnifying Function where the FORWARD usually is).

- Also, this is a really quiet keyboard. You get a satisfactory feeling when pushing a button but instead of an annoying "clack" sound only a muted "tap" is heard. Ideal if your wife is in the habit of taking naps in your home-office couch.

- As an avid gamer favoring the right side of the keyboard (arrow keys instead of the WASD configuration) I enjoyed the ample room around the former.

- Finally, I liked the placement of an extra set of EQUAL, PARENTHESIS and BACKSPACE at the top right corner (especially the parenthesis, I always hated finding the opening and closing one among the numbers)

Now, THE BAD:
- For some reason the ENTER and RIGHT SHIFT keys are too small! I could do with regular sized "H" and "N" keys if it would mean not hunting the ENTER. And this is a large keyboard, I doubt it would make any difference if it was yet a bit longer for that.

- The SPACE bar is, well, fickle. Sometimes it works even if hit at the side. Others it refuses unless hit in the middle.

- The key letters and symbols have a tendency to rub off(!). This is totally unacceptable for a premium priced product - especially one sporting MICROSOFT's brand name. I decided to wait for the problem to become more pronounced and have this one replaced.

- The Media keys on top do not sit well in their homings and are not perfectly aligned. Especially the VOLUME UP in my keyboard seems to rest at an angle. Again, poor quality control for such an expensive and brand name product.

All in all: a mixed bag of good features but with compromises and inferior quality control. I REALLY miss my old NATURAL ELITE PRO keyboard - if it came in black I would buy one again.

I have used Microsoft ergonomic keyboards for years. I had carpal tunnel syndrome and these helped immensely. Difficult for some to get used to at first but well worth the effort. much easier on the hands.

I purchased this keyboard to replace my old trusty MS Natural Keyboard. I loved that old keyboard so much, that, when I saw that they stopped producing it for those travesty "Natural" keyboards with non-standard layouts, I purchased a 2nd one. Those two keyboards lasted me a good 15 years between them, but now it was finally time to change.

In my opinion, the Natural 4000 keyboard is the first worthy successor to the original MS Natural keyboard. It doesn't use any odd layout (shrunk arrow keys or two columns Ins/Home/Page keys). Of course, due to the uncompromising design, it's a bit larger than your average keyboard, although not as large as the original. I did not experience any problem that people here have been reporting, mainly the "hard to press" keys. The space bar and the other keys are comfortably easy to press.

I work as a sysadmin and I spend all day typing, so a good keyboard is very important to me. This keyboard met all my expectations. The ergonomic design makes it comfortable to type on. I recommend it to anyone wanting a true ergonomic solution.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Mircrosoft Ergonomic Keyboard
This keyboard meets my expectations. I have been using an ergonomic keyboard for years and I prefer to use keyboard shortcuts rather than the mouse. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Dodger

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect keyboard
It took about 2 days to be 100% functionnal but it totally worth it. Also great quality.

Published 22 months ago by Ben

1.0 out of 5 stars Sticky spacebar
I returned this item because the spacebar was difficult to push down. This strained my hands significantly and defeated the purpose of having an "ergonomic keyaboard". Read more

Published on Oct 18 2009 by L. OHAGAN

4.0 out of 5 stars Good feel to the keys but tall in the centre
I bought this keyboard to replace my Saitek Eclipse that served me for four years. The MS 4000 doesn't have key illumination but it is more ergonomic. Read more

Published on Oct 10 2009 by P. Larkin

1.0 out of 5 stars keys
What a wonderful keyboard, however one drawback, over the last 2 years I have had to purchase several of these (3). Read more

Published on Dec 27 2007 by C. Daigle

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