10-23-2002, 11:59 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth Review
http://hardware.earthweb.com/peri/article/0,,12094_1482071_,00.html
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.
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 new line of keyboards and mice that are a nice deep blue colour...but they don't have Bluetooth. Then they release a new line of wireless products, dubbed the Wireless Optical Desktop...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.
"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: Derek Mitchell.
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