Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500

[Craig321]

I quite like the look of the Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500.

Can anyone tell me what they are like to use please?

Also, are they quality, will it last etc. ?

EDIT

Oh yes, does it have skip track/back a track buttons? I really use those a lot on my current keyboard.

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[semi-pro waster]

I haven't used that exact Microsoft keyboard but I've used several Microsoft keyboards and they have always had a good action without exception so I see no reason why this wouldn't be the same, reliability tends to be good, my keyboard is 3+ years old and still as good as the day it was made. However what exactly do you expect for £8, that is cheap whichever way you look at it and while I don't doubt it will last I don't think you could have many complaints if it packed in after a couple of years. Oh and the spacebar looks really small which isn't so good.

 

[dun]

I had a similar model (can't remember exact number) and it was great. Nice feel to the keys and nice travel, (till I spilled coke on it and it was never the same again ) As said above the space on the 500 looks awfully small though.

 

[Craig321]

The space bar looks roughly the same size as the one I have at the moment which is alright

However what exactly do you expect for £8, that is cheap whichever way you look at it and while I don't doubt it will last I don't think you could have many complaints if it packed in after a couple of years.

Yep, it is rather cheap, but I might buy something just for now.

I'll probably end up going for the Microsoft Black Digital MediaPro Keyboard though

I was also looking at Logitechs range of keyboards, the only thing I don't like about them is the fact that the keys look weird. Maybe it's just because the letter is in the middle, but they still look weird!

 

[t31os]

I think the comfort curve is the best budget keyboard i've seen in years, and i've so far had 3 people ask me to purchase them on their behalf now.

£13 or so usually though without looking and i'm not sure how much ocuk charge. EDIT: ok £14 with ocuk. or £11.74 OEM.

I'm still attempting to bring myself upto the same speed on the ergo i could use the comfort curve at. Have never found a more comfortable keyboard then a Microsoft since i received one as a present years ago on a birthday, never looked back since, but had plenty of opportunities to use others such as the logitech's and even the zboard (just awful for comfort), sorry but in terms of comfort, which is important as they are the most used part of the PC minus the mouse, nothing in my 10 years using PC's matches the Microsoft Keyboards.... though i'm sure everyone has a preference.

 

[Plethora]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-088-LG&groupid=702&catid=23&subcat=2
If you want one for under a tenner, otherwise:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-066-LG&groupid=702&catid=23&subcat=2

Extremely comfortable and a great action for typing in my experience, prefer them to Microsoft ones for speed. Think the keys are a little more compact and its set a bit lower in comparison though thats my personal preference.

For media keys to skip track think you'd need the latter.

 

[Craig321]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-088-LG&groupid=702&catid=23&subcat=2
If you want one for under a tenner, otherwise:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-066-LG&groupid=702&catid=23&subcat=2

Extremely comfortable and a great action for typing in my experience, prefer them to Microsoft ones for speed. Think the keys are a little more compact and its set a bit lower in comparison though thats my personal preference.

For media keys to skip track think you'd need the latter.

The second one there is the one I've been wanting for a while, but I noticed yesterday that the keys look a bit funny... is it just because the letters are smaller & in the middle?

I think the comfort curve is the best budget keyboard i've seen in years, and i've so far had 3 people ask me to purchase them on their behalf now.

£13 or so usually though without looking and i'm not sure how much ocuk charge. EDIT: ok £14 with ocuk. or £11.74 OEM.

I'm still attempting to bring myself upto the same speed on the ergo i could use the comfort curve at. Have never found a more comfortable keyboard then a Microsoft since i received one as a present years ago on a birthday, never looked back since, but had plenty of opportunities to use others such as the logitech's and even the zboard (just awful for comfort), sorry but in terms of comfort, which is important as they are the most used part of the PC minus the mouse, nothing in my 10 years using PC's matches the Microsoft Keyboards.... though i'm sure everyone has a preference.

I'm not so sure about a bent keyboard (comfort curve) because it's not straight like a normal keyboard. Is it a bit weird to type on at first?

EDIT

I don't suppose Microsoft or Logitech make any keyboards with back lights so I can see the keyboard when it's dark?? (Apart from that super expensive one with a LED screen on it)

EDIT

I quite like the look of the Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000. I trust it keeps with the very nice quality of Microsoft.

 

[Plethora]

Personally I don't like curve keyboards, you're right in presuming they taking getting used to, a learning curve if you like (crap pun) and also once you get used to it if you use a different machine that has a standard layout like in the office or something your speed suffers.

Logitech one is my recommendation, yeah the key print is smaller and central but they're better to type on in my opinion, hopefully you don't stare at the keys while typing anyways

Oh, regarding a backlight, I think only gaming keyboards or top line tend to come with that feature, perhaps that saitek gaming one or something for price.

 

[semi-pro waster]

I used to have a Microsoft Natural keyboard for years and it didn't really take much getting used to although some people find it more difficult than others when there is a curve in the keyboard. There aren't any Microsoft or Logitech keyboards that I know of that have backlights but as Plethora says you should really be able to type without that, you just need to know where the correct finger placement is and work from there.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

got 2 of those keyboard on my table, very good quality and very reliable.

main reason i got them was because of the matrix they use.

can push down more than 3 keys at once without locking up the keyboard which makes playing games brilliant.

 

[Craig321]

you just need to know where the correct finger placement is and work from there.

Yeah, I always type without looking, but sometimes with the special characters I look.

Logitech one is my recommendation, yeah the key print is smaller and central but they're better to type on in my opinion, hopefully you don't stare at the keys while typing anyways

As long as the keys are hugely different (smaller/wider gaps etc.) then the lettering on top doesn't matter for me

I've been wanting the Logitech Media Keyboard Elite Programmable for a while now, so I'll probably end up going for that (I've been told the round F keys are like normal keys, just round?).

Craig.

 

[Cupra]

i love microsoft keyboards and mice

im using the wireless desktop elite keyboard and its brilliant (although i use a zboard fang for gaming)