I groaned and then was pleasantly surprised. It's a solid and well done product. Good battery life. Incredibly low profile. The easy toggle between two paired devices is awesome. Who cares if they were not the first people to do any of this? Anyway, I'd buy one.
Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
101–110 of 251 posts
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#102As someone who has a weird/non-standard typing technique, that gap in the middle is probably a deal-breaker.
My left index finger strikes "Y" while my right index finger strikes "B".
Traditional ergonomic keyboards with similar gaps have never been viable for that reason.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#103Microsoft once made an awesome trackball and then discontinued it, leaving the remaining supply to be auctioned at high prices on eBay. If you're lucky, you can now find one of these extinct $50 MSRP rarities for the low price of $550 on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-D68-00007-Trackball-Explorer... Why they won't bring this trackball back to the market is a mystery.
I don't understand why the trackball died. I can move a mouse pointer much faster with it than with a trackpad. Google's G1 had also a trackball. I think this was the only smartphone with a trackball.
I'm with you. I'm using a Logitech TrackMan Wheel, and though it operates at a low resolution, is still a very efficient means of moving the mouse across high resolution/multi-screen setups. Microsoft must have something against trackballs, and they shouldn't. I'm sure they could do well releasing a slick trackball that could compete against Logitech and Kensington.
As for the latter, the iPhone in 2007 pretty much set the bar for how mobile interfaces should be done and then everyone just fell in line. And on a sidenote, the trackballs on older Blackberries were very unreliable, so there's that aspect to it as well.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#104Reinvented is pretty strong language here, this idea is far from new. I think this new keyboard looks convenient enough for those needing extreme portability, but also probably a pretty mediocre typing experience. In any case, this time.com post is just blogspam. Here’s Microsoft’s page that all the content comes from: http://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2015/03/02/get-more-done... And here’s another third party page…
I'm interested in the textblade. Was the moment I first heard of it. But I've never spent $100 on a keyboard. I would like at least a good honest review from a programmer I've heard of and respect. I would definitely prefer a hands on at a store before plucking down that kind of cash.
I think $100 would be a reasonable price to pay for a keyboard that you use for many hours every day over several decades. The Textblade seems like something that I'd use in short intervals here or there for a year or two.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#105Definitely a well thought out product for the everyday use. I can see this being hyped up quickly
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#106Has anyone else had serious issues using Microsoft peripherals? I purchased a Microsoft wireless keyboard and ergonomic mouse when I built my current Windows 8 machine, and have had nothing but trouble with both. The keyboard is at least functional, although it doesn't provide much insight to the amount of battery it has left. I'll be typing and suddenly it'll give out. It's usable, though.
The mouse on the other hand has given me grief around the clock. Severe latency issues make it difficult to use, not just while playing games, but during basic usage such as browsing the web. I have to have two mice connected just in case this one throws me for a loop. It is a shame because I really like the feel of both the keyboard and the mouse. I just wish they worked.
That said, I can't say I would ever recommend this keyboard to any of my friends.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smartphones and tablets are at least 15 years old too. Bill Gates used to run around CES telling everyone that tablets were the future. Anyway, for the "Post PC era" to truly take off, we're going to need portable wireless keyboards that "just work". Tablets are going to replace desktops for most people, once we figure out how to attach better input devices. The Microsoft keyboard does appear to be a big step in the…
> Tablets are going to replace desktops for most people, once we figure out how to attach better input devices. That already exists, it's a netbook. Or worst case scenario, one of those netbooks with detachable screen.
I don't think so - my mum was trying to get a cheap-ish new replacement for her 5 year old 10" netbook last month. It's very very hard to do. Certainly when you compare the spec:price ratio of anything on the market today compared to a tablet + bluetooth keyboard.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#108[deleted]
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#109Has anyone else had serious issues using Microsoft peripherals? I purchased a Microsoft wireless keyboard and ergonomic mouse when I built my current Windows 8 machine, and have had nothing but trouble with both. The keyboard is at least functional, although it doesn't provide much insight to the amount of battery it has left. I'll be typing and suddenly it'll give out. It's usable, though. The mouse on the other han…
I've used a Microsoft keyboard and the only thing I didn't like about it was that it was ergonomic but the '6' was on the left instead of the right. My friend loves her Arc Mouse though, and doesn't seem to have any issues with the Surface Pro 3 keyboard.
Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't understand why the trackball died. I can move a mouse pointer much faster with it than with a trackpad. Google's G1 had also a trackball. I think this was the only smartphone with a trackball.
I'm with you. I'm using a Logitech TrackMan Wheel, and though it operates at a low resolution, is still a very efficient means of moving the mouse across high resolution/multi-screen setups. Microsoft must have something against trackballs, and they shouldn't. I'm sure they could do well releasing a slick trackball that could compete against Logitech and Kensington. As for the latter, the iPhone in 2007 pretty much s…
The trackballs on the BlackBerries were absolutely perfect... until some tiny amount of dirt/oil/etc got in there. Then they were glitchy little bastards.
I also have the Logitech Trackman. I swear by it, and will never go back to using a mouse. I started with the wired version, then reluctantly bought the wireless model when I needed another one. The wired sells used now for $300.
FYI, Pledge or similar furniture wax works wonders on the trackball. I pop mine out every couple of weeks and give it a good waxing.