Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth Review

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://hardware.earthweb.com/peri/article/0,,12094_1482071_,00.html">http://hardware.earthweb.com/peri/article/0,,12094_1482071_,00.html</a><br /><br />The first reviews of the Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard and mice combos are starting to roll out, and the results seem to be pretty impressive so far. This isn't the model I'd buy personally (I need the natural split keyboard), but the functionality looks great.<br /><br />I'm a huge fan of Microsoft hardware, and I use their mice and keyboards exclusively, but I have to say this: Microsoft's branding team must have been sleeping at the wheel the past few months though - first up, they release a <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/keyboard/nmmk_info.asp">new line of keyboards and mice</a> that are a nice deep blue colour...but they don't have Bluetooth. Then they <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/keyboard/default.asp">release a new line of wireless products</a>, dubbed the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/keyboard/wodp_info.asp">Wireless Optical Desktop</a>...but it's radio frequency-based, not Bluetooth. This is the cause of a lot of confusion, which surprises me - Microsoft usually has a pretty good handle on branding and product naming.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/dunn2002/msbluetoothkeyboard.jpg" /><br /><br />"Microsoft's Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth is expensive ($159), and works only with Windows XP (either Home or Professional) PCs. But it has two things going for it: First, its swank USB transceiver supports not only the mouse and keyboard but up to five other Bluetooth devices at distances up to 30 feet, putting you in a position to clear away cable clutter with present and future printers, PDAs, and other peripherals or use a Bluetooth phone as a wireless modem with your laptop." Source: <a href="http://www.devbuzz.com">Derek Mitchell</a>.

[johncruise]

forgive my ignorace but I need to ask this also:

:?: will these keyboards and mouse have a driver that comes along with it for pocket pc? its pretty much useless if the pda can see the mouse and keyboard but doesn't know what to do with it. just curious.

[Jason Dunn]

:?: will these keyboards and mouse have a driver that comes along with it for pocket pc? its pretty much useless if the pda can see the mouse and keyboard but doesn't know what to do with it. just curious.

No, I highly doubt it - using a desktop keyboard and mouse with a Pocket PC is the kind of insanity that even I don't dabble in. :lol:

[takotchi]

I must admit I didn't even really care about this thing until finally this review stated the mouse is available outside the package. I have a notebook so it's rather pointless to have a different keyboard. Though I could attach another one, I'm too used to the layout of the notebook's keyboard to switch every evening.

Now that I know the beautiful blue IntelliMouse Explorer is available with the same receiver without the keyboard, it is definitely on my christmas list. Might want to mention that, since I didn't consider buying it when it was packaged with the keyboard.

[Gen-M]

No, I highly doubt it - using a desktop keyboard and mouse with a Pocket PC is the kind of insanity that even I don't dabble in. :lol:

Why? My two main wishes are for BT keyboard and a heads-up display!

That way, when I need to write a paper, I can sit at my keyboard without fiddling with wires or connectors.

Most of the time the stylus is all I need. 8)

[SassKwatch]

[quote=johncruise]No, I highly doubt it - using a desktop keyboard and mouse with a Pocket PC is the kind of insanity that even I don't dabble in. :lol:
This from the guy who's been raving about what a great product 'Pocket Controller' is? Heresy my man, just plain heresy. :lol:

BTW, I couldn't agree more about PC. It may well be the single 'kewlest' app I've purchased for the PPC. Everyone that sees it on my desktop at work comments along the lines of "Now THAT'S a really good idea".

[Jason Dunn]

This from the guy who's been raving about what a great product 'Pocket Controller' is? Heresy my man, just plain heresy.

Actually, that was Andy - you guys gotta' learn to read the bylines. :lol:

I think Pocket PC drivers would be cool, don't get me wrong, but that's the lunatic fringe and you never see stuff like that in a 1.0 product. :wink:

[gmelfissg]

sorry i have to disagree with you Jason but microsoft optical mouses arfe the worst in the market. The best are Logitec.

[Jason Dunn]

sorry i have to disagree with you Jason but microsoft optical mouses arfe the worst in the market. The best are Logitec.

Thanks for sharing your OPINION (you always seem to forget that word when you post) - you may not like Microsoft mouse products, but I prefer them over Logitech. It's nice to have a choice though, isn't it?

[vincentsiaw]

which one a better deal, the microsoft bluetooth combo or the logitech wireless freedom combo?
by the way what about the battery consumption of the bluetooth keyboard?

[NLS]

seems Jason will always be Jason

(I hope next time he chooses something over something else - first to compare it...)

[Jonathon Watkins]

seems Jason will always be Jason

(I hope next time he chooses something over something else - first to compare it...)

What are you wittering on about????? :roll: Jason has not 'chosen' anything! He has let us know that a review of the MS BT KB is out. Some of us were waiting for the heads-up. Someone commented how Logitec makes the best products and MS the worst. That's unnecessarily harsh and Jason politely pointed out that it’s a matter of opinion and that he prefers MS. I too prefer MS KBs and mice – and yes I have tried Logitec etc. It is a matter of personal preference. :idea:

Yes – Jason will be Jason – which is why many of us come back again and again! :D :idea: 8)

[Marc Zimmermann]

I used to be a real fan of Microsoft hardware - until last night. I got the MultiMedia Keyboard which is basically the wired version of this one. They changed the behavior of the F keys so that you have lots of application functions assigned to them. It's certainly a neat feature, but you need to activate "F Lock" to get the usual F1...F12 functions. And this mode does not stick - there's no way to make the old mode the default!

Whoever let this product pass with this stupid design should IMHO be shot. As a software developer, I use loads of applications that rely heavily on F keys. Having to press the F Lock key each time after logging on will drive me insane.

It's much more likely that I'm going to dump the keyboard and will stick with my old one and will never ever consider a Microsoft keyboard again.

I am really annoyed that Microsoft forces things down our throats which they think are neat or useful, without considering the lost productivity that adapting to their design ideas are causing.

Simply outrageous!

[Jonathon Watkins]

They changed the behavior of the F keys so that you have lots of application functions assigned to them. It's certainly a neat feature, but you need to activate "F Lock" to get the usual F1...F12 functions. And this mode does not stick - there's no way to make the old mode the default!

Lets hope that they fix that defect with the next release of the controlling software. That sounds like a deal-breaker to me! I use the F keys a lot too. Hitting the F-Lock key each time sounds like a real pain!

[Bob Anderson]

I'm very glad to see industry heavyweights like Microsoft entering the "bluetooth realm". This review, one of the best written on the MSFT bluetooth product, really showcases the positives, and brings to our attention some problems... notably that "F-Lock" concept (dumb).

What I'm waiting to see is someone using this product in conjunction with a bluetooth equipped pocket PC -- no not as a keyboard and a mouse -- but as a conduit for activesynch!

I'm also disappointed in all the reviews that I've read of this product, that no one has even bothered to try connecting it to a bluetooth printer, or other accesories that are now available (not to mention an iPaq 3870 or 3970.) I don't mind spending $159... if I'm getting a "fully functional" bluetooth "hub".

Oh, as for using the keyboard with my Pocket PC... well, yeah, that would be nice... but it's not my priority!

[ironguy]

SO, could I get a BlueTooth card for my Jornada 568 and sync using this hub? You mention a laptop and no keyboard drivers, but what about wireless PPC to PC? How well does BlueTooth work through walls?


The blue scheme will go very nice in my Family Room. Perhaps I'll need to get a new PC to match.

[takotchi]

One other thing... the mouse is blue, the keyboard is blue, the hub is blue, but the bottom of the mouse is still the same old ugly red color. Why can't they make an optical sensor that works with a more attractive color? I've seen mods that use blue LEDs and the sensor still works, even without red.

[William]

Whoever let this product pass with this stupid design should IMHO be shot.
Are you serious? :roll: Bit drastic, isn't it?

[Jason Dunn]

They changed the behavior of the F keys so that you have lots of application functions assigned to them. It's certainly a neat feature, but you need to activate "F Lock" to get the usual F1...F12 functions. And this mode does not stick - there's no way to make the old mode the default!

I too just started using this keyboard, and I agree it takes some getting used too - I'm having a hard time adapting to the changes they made to the home/end/delete segement, but muscle memory is just that - it can be re-trained.

I think think your keyboard may be defective though - the F Lock function on my keyboard sticks until a reboot. But once I activate it, it stays that way...

[Marc Zimmermann]

I too just started using this keyboard, and I agree it takes some getting used too - I'm having a hard time adapting to the changes they made to the home/end/delete segement, but muscle memory is just that - it can be re-trained.

I happen to refuse change that is unnecessarily forced upon us. Much like no car manufacturer would dare to build a car with the pedals rearranged or the requirement to push some button to use them with their old functions.

It wouldn't take a brain surgeon to imagine that a way to configure the state of the F Lock key to your preference would be asked for and useful. You can configure the keyboard to death by assigning applications and functions to the new key. Why not this critical feature? I am simply stumped by the arrogance and ignorance towards customers that is expressed by this kind of change. This reminds me very much of how Microsoft Works never got any features that were asked for by the users. I wonder what their focus group is that they haven't heard about this feature missing.

I don't use the center keys often, so I haven't cared much about the layout change that they did with the Natural Keyboard Elite and now continue to make there. But the function keys have been embraced so much by software developers and for two decades now PC users have burned function key assignments into their brains.

I think think your keyboard may be defective though - the F Lock function on my keyboard sticks until a reboot. But once I activate it, it stays that way...

I meant that it doesn't survive a reboot. Having to enable this function each time I use my computer (yes, I power it off after use) is not quite acceptable when you know that this is a stupid omission by neglect.

[Rob Alexander]

They changed the behavior of the F keys so that you have lots of application functions assigned to them. It's certainly a neat feature, but you need to activate "F Lock" to get the usual F1...F12 functions. And this mode does not stick - there's no way to make the old mode the default!

Wow, Marc, thanks for posting this. I was seriously considering buying a keyboard from this family and this is something I would never have considered looking out for. This is amazingly stupid and definitely puts me off that line entirely. Does anyone know if this happens with the Office keyboard as well? I may go back to considering that one (despite the lack of good MP3 control keys), but only if I get regular F keys.

[Marc Zimmermann]

Does anyone know if this happens with the Office keyboard as well?

It does the same according to reviews that I've read. I've investigated some Windows APIs last night and unlike the other lock keys there is apparently no way to "see" or control the key from the PC side. So I doubt that there will ever be a software fix for it.

[Pony99CA]

This from the guy who's been raving about what a great product 'Pocket Controller' is? Heresy my man, just plain heresy.
Actually, that was Andy - you guys gotta' learn to read the bylines. :lol:

I think Pocket PC drivers would be cool, don't get me wrong, but that's the lunatic fringe and you never see stuff like that in a 1.0 product. :wink:
I wonder if some enterprising Pocket PC software guru could write a driver for Bluetooth iPAQs to use this keyboard. That would be awesome for people who use their Pocket PCs in a cradle much of the day.

I'm not a Bluetooth expert, though, and don't know if my iPAQ 3870 has a profile to support a keyboard.

I suspect getting a mouse to work would be more work, though. Windows CE doesn't have support for cursors (unless I've missed something), so you might have to either add cursor support or kluge something up using the tap-and-hold dots.

Steve

[Dave Beauvais]

I searched for about two months to find a place that had Microsoft's now-discontinuted Natural Keyboard Pro -- in my opinion, the last "good" keyboard Microsoft made. It's the closest thing to the original Natural Keyboard that they released in late 1993. (I'm still using that keyboard to this day, in fact. The Pro is going into storage to use when/if this original finally dies.) The Pro has a "normal" key layout, no funky Fn keys, and Win2K and XP even support its special buttons without using the IntelliType software; you just can't reprogram them, though. (Actually you can reprogram them in WinXP using TweakUI.)

As long as MS insists on changing the way touch-typists type, the Pro will be the last MS keyboard I ever buy.

--Dave

[Pony99CA]

I must admit I didn't even really care about this thing until finally this review stated the mouse is available outside the package. I have a notebook so it's rather pointless to have a different keyboard. Though I could attach another one, I'm too used to the layout of the notebook's keyboard to switch every evening.
This doesn't interest me much, either, as I don't have Windows XP. However, I bet many people use a different keyboard at home than at work. I used my personal laptop at my last job and at home, but I have a Logitech cordless keyboard attached to it in case I want to type with the keyboard in my lap and the display (i.e. laptop) on my desk.


Now that I know the beautiful blue IntelliMouse Explorer is available with the same receiver without the keyboard, it is definitely on my christmas list. Might want to mention that, since I didn't consider buying it when it was packaged with the keyboard.
I'm exactly the opposite. I'd rather have the keyboard available separately. I much prefer trackballs to mice, and wouldn't want to have to pay for a mouse to get the keyboard. My Logitech cordless trackball will never get replaced by a mere mouse. :-)

Steve

[Marc Zimmermann]

Whoever let this product pass with this stupid design should IMHO be shot.
Are you serious? :roll: Bit drastic, isn't it?

Well, no, not really. However, thinking of "survival of the fittest". This product manager may one day be responsible for nuclear wepaons or something more dangerous... ;)

[mlepage]

I also agree that this would be a nice feature. Presumably all it would require is a driver on the Pocket PC.

This is the sort of thing I could write if all of the specs and programming tools were available, like under Linux. Is there a driver development kit freely available?

[Sven Johannsen]

which one a better deal, the microsoft bluetooth combo or the logitech wireless freedom combo?
by the way what about the battery consumption of the bluetooth keyboard?

Guess the kicker for me would be how far away can you get with each. I know with BT you can get upwards of 30ft. Why, you ask. Check the posts talking about integrating a PC into a multimedia system (not just a multimedia PC). If I have a big screen TV and theatre sound system linked to my MMPC, to allow MP3 plying TV time shifting, etc, I'll want a keyboard that works well from across the room. I'd really like one with a track ball or touch pad on it. IR doesn't hack it, and the RF implementation must be impervious to interference, cordless phones, x-10 cameras, microwave ovens, etc.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Guess the kicker for me would be how far away can you get with each. I know with BT you can get upwards of 30ft.

Up to 300 foot with class 1 Bluetooth - more in an open area like a field.

[Rob Alexander]

Does anyone know if this happens with the Office keyboard as well?

It does the same according to reviews that I've read. I've investigated some Windows APIs last night and unlike the other lock keys there is apparently no way to "see" or control the key from the PC side. So I doubt that there will ever be a software fix for it.

Gosh, it gets worse and worse. It didn't occur to me that they wouldn't be able to fix it with a new driver. Well, all I can say is I won't be buying any keyboard ever that doesn't let me default to the standard function keys. If MS ever fixes this problem, I'll consider their keyboards again. In the meantime, perhaps I'll just stay with what I already have. I'm sure glad this came up here; it saved me some money.

[takotchi]

I can't find either of these for order or pre-order (whichever it is) anywhere. Is there a more exact date than November 2002 for these, or anywhere to check the prices? I figure if it's $85 then some internet store has it for $75. The regular wireless intellimouse explorer had a high MSRP but was cheaper in stores also. Good deal, considering you get a really comfortable mouse (IMO) and a bluetooth transceiver for (likely) under $85.

[Jason Dunn]

They're not for sale yet - I'll post when they are. :-)

[takotchi]

Well, I found them at ExpanSys today, but I'm in the US so... :?