Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5050 (PP4-00001)

I like this keyboard and the mouse primarily for its design and aesthetics. However its been only a week since I bought it and the mouse is already having issues. It just stopped working. I read somewhere online that taking batteries out for a while will help. I did this and it actually helped to make it work again, but obviously this is a some type of an issue that will most likely keep happening. Also the first few days of use it was noisy and each click felt like pressing a squiky spring. It went away but it was somewhat annoying. I was going to return it but I do like the keyboard enough to want to keep it even if I end up using a different mouse with it. There are a couple of things that could be improved. As some other reviewers mentioned, the USB stick is too long and it sticks out. Compared to all the other ones out there, this feels somewhat outdated. Not a major issue for me since I use this at work and on a desktop computer and I dont really see it, but I can see that this may be an issue for someone with a laptop or some other smaller portable device. There would be a possibility of breaking or loosing it with movement. Something to keep in mind for sure since this would render the keyboard useless. The keyboard keys are nice, not too soft or too hard, just right and relatively quiet. The wave design makes it comfortable and ergonomic for an extended time use and I like the built-in wrist rest. One thing I dont like is that the special function keys are different size than other letters and in order to press any of them fingers have to slide down and away from the rest of the keys. I have to look down to see what Im pressing. They are also almost flat with the keyboard which doesnt really make sense to me but again these are not primary keys so Im not too hung up on it. I still like the keyboard and most likely will keep it.

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Update: After a month or so of using this one, I noticed this keyboard wasnt really as ergonomic as I thought it would be at all. I have an extra one of these and noticed one weekend my hands got all tingly trying to type quickly on this thing. I stuck with it for a while, but realized that i wasnt really getting what i truly wanted out of this keyboard which was something i could type on a lot for long periods of time and feel comfortable with, while at the same time being able to type super fast. I was also somehow getting tendonitis on a few of my fingers from using this and other so-called "ergonomic" keyboards. Your mileage may vary, but this whole experience has made me realize whats ergonomic for some people may not be so ergonomic for others and that just because a keyboard has a higher price tag does not guarantee quality whatsoever. There have only been a few keyboards where I know i could do this for sure, namely the Logitech MK120 keyboard, and now the K740 which im having a blast typing on. As for the Comfort Curve, ill probably keep it around as a backup and sell the extra one i have in my room, but i wont really miss it that much. It turned out to be a mediocre keyboard at best. The Ergo 4000 i found to be even worse with its super mushy keys and the several times i developed some RSI problems using that one. I am very picky with the keyboards i use because i do a lot of writing at my job and after work i also do coding on the side, so its super important to me that i have something where i can feel comfortable typing on for hours on end and sadly, i dont think this keyboard was truly the best fit for such a purpose. I never used the mouse on this one, and heard there were tons of problems with it. This is the best keyboard Ive ever used hands down. The keys feel just right and for my small hands, everything about the design just works super well for easily reaching the keys without having to think too much about where they are. Im a very fast touch typist, and tried other keyboards, but they kept slowing me down and irritated my hands a lot, like this mechanical keyboard I was using at work for a while. Ive tried the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for a month and could not get used to the split design at all and always felt like I had to press very deep to get something to register on the screen, making my hands really uncomfortable. I recently tried out the Logitech Comfort Curve for a few days, thought it was better than a lot of keyboards I used, but couldnt stand how noisy it was and the keys on it were too firm for my tastes. I use this with a small Logitech mouse and have been excited just to type again because of how nice, soft and comfortable the keys are, reminding me a lot like how the keys on my MacBook Air I used to have were. They dont exasperate any RSI issues Ive had in the past either. Works perfectly with Linux. You just need to put in the batteries, stick the dongle on your USB, and youre good to go. I cant imagine using anything else now. Comes in handy for all the marketing and copywriting material I have to come up with at work each day, and then all the coding and programming I do when I get home, so with all the typing I have to do each day, a great keyboard is a must. Also, heres a tip when youre shopping for ergonomic keyboards. Whats "ergonomic" for one person might not be for others. Go to a store like Best Buy and try out the keyboards there before buying and when you find the one that seems to feel amazing in your hands, go with that one. Thats how I figured out this was really the right keyboard for me without having to spend more time ordering online, using the keyboard for a few weeks and then realizing it still wasnt the best choice for me.

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The Keyboard- Isgood except that the function keys are way to short. Microsoft should have left them at the same height as the rest of the keys. If you dont use the function keys in excel regularly this keyboard is for you, otherwise think twice. It will take some time to adjust to the lower keys. Additionally there is very little spacing between keys and and the keys are slightly bigger. If you have fat fingers stay clear as it is very easy to accidentally hit the wrong key. Lastly there is not a light that indicates if Caps Lock is on. Yes you can find out by typing but that seems like a pretty generic thing to have on a keyboard! If I could I would go back to my old keyboard by the "C" key kept breaking. The Mouse- The mouse way to wide. The back and forward buttons are way too big and very easy to accidentally push. Luckily if you are ok with disabling them completely there is a way, it just isnt easily found online. See instructions below- Go to [...] Then scroll to "X-Mouse Button Control" review as the first review is no longer compatible for Windows 10. Download the X-Mouse Button Control and edit mouse button 4 for back and mouse button 5 for forward. Also note that when using the buttons the back is on the left and the forward is on the right. Since Im disabling it not an issue but I have heard rumbles from people they dont like this and would rather them be switched. By downloading the above you can swap them. Note I do no work for X-Mouse Button Control I was just very frustrated with the mouse as I kept losing nearly complete e-mails because I would accidentally hit the back button.

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I am only reviewing the keyboard, as I am not using the mouse even though it came with it. The battery life of the keyboard is pretty good; it has lasted me several months already. I like the wave aspect, the larger size of some of the keys, and how close the left ctrl key is for me to reach (I use this a lot for work). It has been very good to use for my small hands, and I do feel it helped me with some of the hand/wrist pains I was getting on my previous keyboard. This was one of the main reasons I wanted to make the switch to what I felt could be a little more ergonomic. However, I must say that the keyboard is dreadful when it does not work! The keys do not register every time, and I attribute this to it being wireless. There are laggy episodes that can last for several minutes that make it so I have to type very slowly, and I end up typing with one finger with small breaks in between presses just for it to register. This is unacceptable when your work involves typing quickly nonstop. I should not have to unplug the USB receiver throughout the day, which just temporarily fixes the issue. Also, I cannot play video games with it for very long, especially online multiplayer type games. It seems to respond even worse when playing games for some reason, and I end up having to switch to an old keyboard a lot. I personally would prefer to just be able to use 1 keyboard for all of my computer activities. I did mainly buy this for work, so I am not faulting them as much for this part of it, but its making me unhappy for work and leisure. One more thing, the key lettering started to wear off after a couple of months of use. It does not affect how the keyboard works, but I do not like how soon this occurred. Overall, I feel this would be a better keyboard if it were wired. And maybe use etched keys next time? I am now having to find a new keyboard that will be more reliable, and its unfortunate, as I do believe this could be a great keyboard.

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Ive had several versions of Microsoft keyboards and mice. Ive been using this combo for a year. This pair is a step backwards in form/function from previous models of the "comfort curve" style. Overall, I would like to give this combo a worse rating (probably 2 star). But I wont because I LOVE the "comfort curve" style of Keyboard that Microsoft makes and I hope they continue making them (nobody else does). Everyone else makes either a Full Split keyboard or Straight keyboard. I love this style being in the middle. Keyboard: Its a nice small form factor, takes up less desk space than previous models. However, Linux users will hate this keyboard because of the ESC key - too small and it is set below the plane of all the other keys. That is a HUGE annoyance and I hope Microsoft fixes that in future versions. Mouse: I have nothing good to say about this mouse. First, the thumb button is set too far forward - I have to reach forward for it every time I want to hit the back button. Second, the wheel is extremely difficult to Click, without also rolling the wheel at the same time. This is very different performance from other MS mice I have used. It is horrible! Microsoft REALLY needs to fix this aspect of this mouse! And last but not least, the battery in this mouse doesnt seem to last as long as others I have had. I would recommend buying this set, just for the keyboard, but consider a different mouse. Note To Microsoft: Please continue making the comfort curve keyboards!

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Keyboard gets five stars, and thats really the reason I bought the set. I wanted something ergonomic but not huge. The mouse is awful. The center wheel spins very freely, which is nice for scrolling, but because of this the center click (i.e. to launch a new tab in Chrome) is nearly nonfunctional. The mouse also loses connection frequently and stops responding for several seconds at a time. Though, the reason I gave up on it altogether is that the right click button squeaks each time its pressed. Its loud enough to be heard by the people who sit outside of my office. Admittedly a relatively small annoyance, but it becomes maddening over the course of the day. So now Im using the keyboard and an old wireless mouse I had laying around. Mildly frustrating because Im now using two of the three ports on my docking station for wireless dongles.

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