Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse - L5V-00001

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After a year + of use, ergonomically, this is a good choice - but it will age badly. I preferred MSs older split keyboard which was a bit more inclined, and, as for the mouse, I preferred another model that was more tilted to the side (a "vertical" mouse). But the nice looks and a smaller foot-print of the keyboard made me purchase this combo for both the office and home. However, after a year of use, the "rubber" where the palm of your hand rests, will become "white" due to use. The rubber parts on the mouse will have "blisters" and deformations on both sides. So, after all, you paid for a quality brand product, and got something that will not look good after a few months of use. I expected better from Microsoft, especially given the price paid.

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I was very very excited to get this item and was immediately disappointed. I have used the Microsoft Ergonomic keyboards in the past and have been using my Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse for years. For some reason, this keyboard misses keystrokes. Mine was specifically horrible with the "N". Backspace was also "slow" where you would hit it 5 times, 4 would be instant and the 5th keystroke would eventually happen. I am an IT Network Engineer and know my way around a PC. I have disconnected as much as I could from my USB ports to attempt finding a solution and even moved the USB receiver dongle up to the desk. Personally I think there is just too much going on. The Numberpad, keyboard, and mouse all probably talk on the same frequency and it gets confused. I do think I had no problems with the mouse and numberpad. Both were very responsive. The keyboard here is what is known to have problems. While I wanted this to work very much, I had to return it. I was hoping the "N" key would break in and get better but it seemed to get worse. I plugged up my old trusty logitech keyboard/mouse combo and the difference is night and day. I am unsure if they have a large batch of defective units or if they are all bad, but there are lots of negative reviews online with the same input lag issues with the keyboard. Hopefully they come out with a Revision 2 or a new model soon. I also found that I never got used to the mouse. I would still rest my palm on the table for better control and because the mouse is so BIG, it would actually bend my wrist worse and cause more pain. I know I wasnt holding it right, but I lost a lot of control otherwise.

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Update: The receiver has stopped working. Its not my computer because I have another one of these setups at work, and I brought it home to test out the computer. So it is definitely the receiver. I have spent over 6 hours on the phone or in chat sessions with various incompetents in the MS tech support apparatus. First, I tried to explain the problem to the Level 1 support lackey. You plug the receiver and nothing happens, the computer doesnt recognize it. It doesnt work in any of my 3 USB ports. My other USB peripherals all work including a different mouse. Its the receiver. It is dead. It needs to be replaced. Her solution, lets update any driver that could have anything to do with a keyboard or mouse. That didnt work. So I get elevated to a Level 2 support flunky. He recommends doing a system restore to the last known date that the keyboard worked. That wont work either, but whatever. Ill let them do what they need to do before they realize its hardware. So he does a system restore to, you know, get rid of all of those driver updates L1 did and some unrelated Windows updates that wont matter. He says hell call me back in 45 minutes to an hour after the system restore completes. He doesnt. He calls me over 2 hours later, at which point I had gave up and started cooking dinner, and leaves me a message to call me back another day. He calls me back, I show him it still doesnt work, and he starts talking about "Well, maybe we could..." and I tell him, "Slow your roll, its hardware, you need to replace the receiver. Arent you convinced yet?" He reluctantly agrees, and tells me I can go get some in person hardware support at my nearest Microsoft store over 1.5 hours away in another state. I told him that didnt really work for me, and he suggested I go to Amazon and request it. I asked how, he said that if I went into my orders there would be something I could click in the order to request a replacement, and I said I dont think thats right, but Ill try it. Of course it wasnt right. I get on chat support. I get a guy who seems like he is actually going to help me. He tells me "heres a request number, go get in touch with sales by clicking this series of things, give them the request number, and theyll get you taken care of." So I went to try that immediately, but the second thing in the series of clicks didnt actually exist on the page for me to click. I try to tell him as much, Im typing, and I know he can see it, just like I can see when he is typing, and basically says "K THX BYE!!!" and disconnects the session. Since then I have been stuck in MS telephone support hell. I think theres a note on my file or number that says "Make sure you f@ck with guy for a while and then hang up on him. AT NO POINT SHOULD HE EVER GET ANY REAL HELP!!!" I keep calling, getting passed around to different people, none of which can ever actually send me the part. Ive remained cordial, no cursing despite a deep burning desire to unload on them, and I keep trying. I dont understand. I would buy it if I could. Logitech sells replacements for their stuff for $10. But MS doesnt. I would have to buy a whole new keyboard and mouse set. Ive been on the phone with them while I write this. If this last person doesnt help (Im on my 7th call, and Ive talked to maybe 10 different people), Im going to go buy a Logitech set. This is ridiculous. Oh, they just hung up on me again. Guess Im done with them. Original Review: Great product. I really like the ergonomics. It helped relieve wrist pain I was experiencing from working on a computer 8-12 hours a day. The mouse is weird at first, but Ive gotten used to it. I thought the separate number pad was dumb at first, but now I like it. You can keep it out of the way when you dont need it, and you can use it on either side of the keyboard when you do want it. I trained myself to use it left handed so I could navigate the mouse with my right at the same time. This is really great for some tasks like entering lots of numerical data into a form or spreadsheet. The only problem Ive had is that the number pad has recently had an issue with losing connectivity briefly. Ill go to use it and Ill have to hit a number key 2,3,4...20 times before it suddenly wakes up and starts working again. The battery is only a couple months old after another battery lasting over a year so I dont think thats the issue. Its a minor inconvenience, but it is annoying.

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Ive been using the keyboard for about 2 years now, it replaced the old-style white Microsoft Natural keyboard (wired). I dont use the mouse much, as I have an Evoluent mouse which I prefer (easier on the arm when you have RSI). As for the keyboard. I love it. Just one minor irritation. There is no visual indicator to alert you if the "Caps Lock" has been pressed or not. Especially annoying when you enter a password that does not show on the screen. Apart from that, I recommend this keyboard, and would buy it again. Again, it is more easy on the arms. 21/04/2017 I am changing my rating to 1-star from 5. My keyboard just stopped working all of a sudden today. Thought it was the batteries, but no. I pulled the USB dongle out, and i was so hot, I could hardly touch it. It fried! Very disappointed, through no fault of my own, I loved the keyboard - while it worked. But what a terrible waste that you have to throw the whole set away when the $1 dongle quits. Unlike Logitech, the Microsoft Dongle cannot be replaceable! That is irresponsible design, Microsoft !!!

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Dear Microsoft, Ive gone through 4 of your Sculpt keyboards in the past two years. The keyboard itself is amazing - great layout, satisfying key spring. Its even lightweight enough to carry around to the office. Im a writer and editor, so no numpad is a blessing. Combine the Sculpt with my laptop stand, and I have an unrivaled ergonomic set-up that allows me to work for 8+ hours without wrist and neck pain. I used to sing the Sculpts praises to everyone I know, but now, I just shake my head. Why? Your keyboard is ridiculously easy to break. Heres your deception: the keyboard itself is durable BUT if anything happens to the tiny, fingernail-sized USB receiver then I am 100% royally screwed. Its like an achilles heel, but on a keyboard. How do I know? I currently have four Sculpt keyboards, all in excellent condition, all sitting in storage. I cant use them because their corresponding USB receivers are broken. Receiver #1 : lost it in my bag, found it a day later, no longer works. Receiver #2: round mouse fell out of my bag and broke on hardwood floor. Receiver was inside the mouse at the time, and now translates my keystrokes as gibberish. The fall was not even bad, it was like a 3 foot drop. Receiver #3: fell on the floor, another small drop, no longer works. Receiver #4: Bought keyboard #4 on August 3rd. (Im a slow learner, I know.) Its now August 30th - not even a month later. Receiver just stopped working for no apparent reason. :******I RIP my poor wallet. The Sculpt keyboard could have been legendary. You could have had me hoarding them, Microsoft, but instead, youre choosing to make me a lifelong customer in the worst way possible, by making me shell out $100 every couple of months because your flimsy plastic receivers break more often than dollar store Christmas ornaments and cant be replaced. All humans drop things. Such is the life of anyone on the go. At this point, Microsoft, youre smart enough to make something that wont be destroyed by a 3 foot fall onto hardwood floor. That fragility would not be acceptable for your laptops, so why is it acceptable for your hardware? Lastly, Microsoft, for the LOVE OF GOD, why are you applying the soulmate principle to your keyboards by making your USB receivers IRREPLACEABLE? It makes *no* *sense* *whatsoever* that I have to replace my entire keyboard and mouse set because of one tiny broken piece! Please, please make a durable and *replaceable* USB receiver for your Sculpt keyboards. I beg you. If youre reading this, dont buy this keyboard unless youre: 1) Daddy Warbucks OR 2) committed to wrapping the usb receiver in cotton and clouds after every use, while you prance your way through life on carpeted surfaces exclusively. The Sculpt is a great keyboard, but Im switching to one I like less because Im not rich enough to spend $100 every time the flimsy USB receiver breaks. In short, what a damn shame.

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Lets get the little things out of the way: The keyboard is wireless. Requires 2 AAA batteries The Numpad is wireless and separate from the keyboard. It requires a CR2430 3V Lithium Coin Battery (commonly called a "watch battery") The Mouse is wireless and requires 2 AA batteries All batteries are included with the keyboard The mouse, keyboard and numpad require a single USB connection. The USB connector is a small dongle which can be stored within the mouses battery compartment - its about the size of a quarter. The cover for the battery on the mouse and main keyboard, as well as the riser for the keyboard are all magnetic, snapping into place but having no mechanical hinge. It is possible for the battery covers to fall off if you accidentally drop the hardware, but the batteries are held pretty securely inside and will stay in place even without the covers. It is also really fun to snap the covers and risers into place and I did it far too many times. The battery cover on the 10-key numpad is held on with a screw and friction brackets (it is not fun to play with). Layout - ------------------------------------------------------- I am a long time user of the Microsoft Natural line, ever since their first "split" keyboard back in 1994. For those who have used the Natural line before, the layout of the Sculpt is similar to the "Elite" line. The main body of the keyboard maintains the Delete/Home/End/PgUp/PgDown/Insert keys, but they are in a double-row column. The arrow keys are in the traditional "pyramid" shape, but due to space restrictions, the left arrow shares space with the right CTRL key under the right Shift. The separate numpad contains the full-sized 10-key layout as well as the NumLock, an app button (defaulting to opening the calculator), a clear button (for use in calculator), and a Backspace key. As a keyboard "purist," the 6 key layout is annoying in a full-sized keyboard. I find myself smacking the wrong keys because they arent where I think they should be. I havent had to look at my keyboard layout in years, and having to hunt and peck for the Page Up key is annoying. However its a small thing and something Im sure Id probably get used to over time. If youre a gamer trying to use a Natural Keyboard (bless you), the arrow keys wont seem quite as bad as other squashed six-key layouts because they decided to keep the pyramid configuration. Keys and Buttons - ------------------------------------------------------- The Sculpt keyboard is a "chiclet" style keyboard, similar to those found on laptops. The keyboard is a rubber dome, membrane-style keyboard utilizing scissor switches. For those unfamiliar with scissor switches, these style switches tend to require less distance to activate and give a more solid, "bouncy" feel. If you had previously used a Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 and did not like the "squishy" feeling of the key action, these may feel better to you. They obviously do not feel anything like Cherry switches, but I do like the action much better than my old 4000 (I favor MX Blues on my mechanicals). For those who are office users, the keys are pretty silent - honestly the only key that I hear is the space bar. All of the normal row keys are silent. Like most USB keyboards, the Sculpt only recognizes around four to five simultaneous keypresses. Also, the media buttons are not gone, but instead are set as an Alt-Function of the Function keys. In order to access alt-functions, there is a small physical switch on the upper-right corner of the keyboard. You have to set this switch to Function or Alt-Function (White or Blue). So, if you wanted to play your video, refresh a webpage, and then pause your video, the order of operations would be thus: Set the Function keys to Alt (Blue), Press F1 (Play), Set Function keys to normal (White), hit F5 (refresh), set Function keys to Alt (Blue), Hit F1. Its a little odd. The other option is simply to no longer use the secondary functions. The annoying implementation makes you think Microsoft wants to phase these out anyway. The Sculpt mouse is a side-rest mouse, the hand placement basically the same as the old Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 . If youve never used a side rest mouse before, it will probably take a little time to get used to. The "pulling" motion feels a little odd at first. The mouse uses Microsofts Blue Track technology, meaning that the mouse will track properly even on transparent surfaces. I have a sheet of 1/10 inch plexiglass on top of my maple desk - my older optical laser mice jump all over place when on this surface, however Blue Track mice work just fine. The only dislike I have with the mouse is with the tertiary buttons. The primary, right-click, and wheel mouse are fine and no different from most mice. The wheel does retain both the scrolling up/down as well as the rarely used side-to-side functionality. However instead of the standard back and forward buttons, Microsoft has opted for a back and Windows key button. This wouldnt really bother me as you can easily remap the Windows key to something more useful, but the placement of the keys feels very unnatural. Perhaps its due to hand size, but when I rest my hand on the mouse, my thumb does not rest on the buttons naturally. When compared to the old Natural Laser Mouse 6000, the keys on the Sculpt mouse are set forward, similar to where the second front button is located on the 6000. Also instead of having two buttons at the same level, the Windows key is on top and the back key is set in the thumb recurve area. The back button also takes a fair amount of force to actuate, making the use of the button a wholly annoying process. It should be noted that when I initially installed the keyboard and mouse, Windows 7 had no problem loading drivers, but it defaulted to a generic mouse and keyboard. In order to completely configure all of the media buttons as well as the secondary mouse buttons, you will need to download the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center from the Microsoft.com product page. Flow and Comfort (aka: Learning your Home Row) - ------------------------------------------------------- The ergonomics line is all about comfort and natural motion. In this, I have always liked the feel of the natural line. While not as truly ergonomic like the Kinesis or kits like the ErgoDox, it is probably the best easily obtained keyboard line in this regard. For those who have never used a split keyboard, it forces you into using the standard Home Row style typing method. If you do a lot of typing through the day, you can expect to feel comfortable with the key layout within a week. If you only type sparingly, itll probably take upwards of a month. With frequent use, the side rest style mouse will probably feel normal within a few days. The wrist rest on the keyboard is nice - it is not super plush like a couch, but a simple thin layer of foam covered in a "pleather" type covering over plastic. For users of the old Natural 4000, the rest feels the same, maybe a tiny bit stiffer. The keyboard comes with a riser which tilts the keyboard forward - you may or may not use the riser depending on your chair-to-desk height. The mouse has an O-ring shape on the underside where the mouse makes contact with the surface. Most mice usually only have three or four small contact points and I was afraid that this might make the mouse feel sluggish, but it glides nicely. A bit of Teflon tape probably wouldnt hurt though. Conclusion - ------------------------------------------------------- Microsofts Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop is a good successor to the Natural line but in general a bit of a mixed bag. While I wish Microsoft had opted to go with mechanical switches for their keys, the scissor switch keys a great improvement over the squishy plain rubber dome keys of the old Natural 4000 keyboard. While making the 10-key numpad separate from the main body of the keyboard probably won a few fans, the six-key layout seems like a needless change. Moving from a wired to wireless is nice when keeping desk clutter down, but a total of five batteries in order to power keyboard and mouse seems excessive. Unfortunately due to the odd placement of the tertiary buttons, I am not a fan of the newly revamped Sculpt mouse. Given that the old 6000 is no longer available, the new Sculpt isnt a bad mouse for ergonomic use, but using the back button became something that I had to think about and change hand position to use, rather than being a natural feeling motion. As an end note - Why is everything GLOSSY? Everything, except the keys themselves and the side buttons on the mouse, are a piano black gloss. The mouse looked nasty after simply removing it from the box and putting it on my desk. The keyboard is a jumbled mess of random fingerprints and smudges. All-in-all, if it were possible to pick up only the keyboard, Id be a fan of that rather than the keyboard + mouse combo. However as the keyboard does not seem to be a standalone product at this time, its coin-flip in my opinion on whether to pick up this bundle or not. If you have an old 4000 keyboard that you need to replace, I would say get this product simply because the key action is so much nicer. Keep your old 6000 mouse though. For the folks who have never had a split keyboard, the Sculpt is a great representative of the line and a good keyboard by itself, and despite my complaining, the mouse is not bad, just a little annoying for a nitpicker like myself. **Small edit - Many folks have pointed out that Microsoft is planning on releasing the keyboard as a standalone product later on, however it was not available as of this review.

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Update: 5 weeks after purchase, which means one week after return window closed and the usb dongle has died!! Cant order a replacement because the dongles are specific to the keyboard and mouse they come with. ORIGINAL review: Second time Ive bought this keyboard. I love the feel of the keys, which are responsive and quiet. Its compact size and separate numeric keypad make it really easy for a right-handed person to reach the mouse, and consequently increases the amount of time I can work without experiencing shoulder, neck, and back pain. The keys tend to stick over time, but my last one lasted a couple of years, which was good enough for me. I can type faster on this keyboard than on any other Ive used in the past 15 years.

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Poor quality and lacks the ability to rebind devices to the dongles. The mice die far too quickly for any electronic product. With the buttons giving multiple clicks after 6-12 months of use. And once the mouse dies you cant just bind another to the same dongle, you are stuck with having another even though the mouse is the exact same product. And say you want to register your product with microsoft so you can maybe get support. The support page you get will direct you to a registration page that doesnt exist, and once you find the real registration page it just fails to load anything once you click submit.

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I love the ergonomics but thats about it. I had to go through 2 of these in 3 years. issues I faced are as below: 1) On the first one, the dongle that connects the unit to computer stopped working. I had to constantly adjust it so that the keyboard gets connected. but then in again about 5-10 min, it would lose connection. got tired of it and decided to buy another one. 2) 2nd unit the keyboard stopped working. giving the benefit of the doubt, changed the batteries, but no use. now I have 2 of these units lying next to my desk. I have another one from a different company (dont want to mention the name as I do not want you all to think I am advertising for the other) since 5 years and that thing doesnt want to die. 2 of my colleagues have the same issue and they are also tired of it. so its not just 2 units I saw but I have seen about 4 units of this product and all turned out to be crappy. I would never buy this product again. If you dont mind buying this every year then go ahead and get one.

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I enjoy the feel of the keyboard, very light touch with a satisfying click (but not noisy). The feel is similar to many laptop chiclet keyboards, but with a slightly longer keystroke. I have had it a month now and feel like I have mostly adjusted to it, however it did take a bit longer to get used to than previous Microsoft Ergonomic keyboards. I cant quite figure out why that is, but my touch typing was seriously slowed down for a while (and sometimes still a bit off). It seems too easy to get my hands off the home keys without noticing, especially the right hand. Overall the typing experience on the keyboard is good though, I like it more than the standard Dell keyboard I had before. The mouse is very poor for me. It is far too high off the desk so it causes my wrist to be bent upwards pretty drastically. I stopped using it in favor of a standard wired mouse. I will explore other ergonomic mice options. Apart from the ergonomics, the wireless performance is really, really bad. At three feet it completely doesnt work at all. I had to buy a small USB extender to get it a little closer. Even then it gets jumpy frequently. My old wireless mouse has never had this issue. The keyboard also has some wireless issues. It mostly works fine, but occasionally will start missing keystrokes. Its not enough to make it unusable, but it is frustrating. The keyboard is literally three inches from the receiver with the USB extender I bought. This is why I dont generally go with wireless keyboards, too finicky (plus who wants to change batteries anyway?). Overall I was hoping for better. I dont know if both of these problems are somehow due to using this with a Mac, but either way Id say this is a disappointment overall.

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