Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard - Conclusions

Written by Ken Wednesday, 17 September 2008 20:36

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Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard
Typing and software
Conclusions
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Summary

 

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 is hardly the most extreme design for those who are keen to prevent RSI. Many ergonomics enthusiasts will talk about the Dvorak layout keyboard that places the common keys in faster and more accessible positions (after all, the QWERTY design was intended to slow typists down!) Those still keen on the qwerty layout might look at keyboards such as the Maltron (around £350), the sadly defunct Datahand (which was something like £1200) or the Handkey Twiddler.

 

What the Microsoft Natural does do is take a very-nearly-normal QWERTY keyboard and make it much more hand-friendly, for a very reasonable price. If you can already touch type, the learning curve with the Natural 4000 is very shallow and short (as compared with having to learn a complete different layout, chording system or shape).

 

Typing is easy and comfortable, the extra keys, buttons and weird slidey widgets that you would expect from an after-market keyboard are all there, and the styling fits in nicely with the black and silver look of most modern PCs.

 

Conclusion

I would strongly recommend that anyone who is still using the cheap spongy keyboard that came standard with their computer spends a bit of money on an upgrade. If you can touch type (or want to learn), the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 is definitely worth the money, especially since it will help to safeguard your health.

 

 

Design    8

Comfort  8

Value     9

 

Overall  9/10

 

 Price £32.25 from PC Arena on Amazon Marketplace

 

Microsoft product website:  http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=043