Closer Examination

If pictures are worth a thousand words then that's six thousand up there. There isn't much to say here, except that this keyboard is still following the tried and tested layout of the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard from yesteryear. Things are more subtle this time around, with a color scheme so monochrome converting the photographs to black and white did not change anything. There is now also a Microsoft Surface version of the ergonomic keyboard with more color as well as a more premium construction for the integrated wrist rest.

This is not to say that the current-generation Microsoft ergonomic keyboard is bad by any means, it's still a very good design that has been a source of inspiration for a few others, including the Truly Ergonomic keyboard that will look quite familiar with the layout and design. What does differentiate the Microsoft offering from most ergonomic keyboards on the market is that we don't get a split keyboard layout. The tenting of your hands as they type on the keyboard is naturally integrated through the contours of the keyboard case. We also don't lose any dedicated keys with Microsoft not going the small form-factor route, as we instead even have a larger-than-full-size keyboard form factor here. There is still the numpad on the right, but it is modified not only with a few extra keys up top since some keys have also been moved to the left.

In fact, this is what will confuse some people initially since a few things are not where you would expect them to be. Num Lock is now part of a 9-key cluster above the arrow keys, and Print Screen has been moved from its usual position, allowing Num Lock to slide in as seen above. There are hotkeys up top for a few extra functions, and we see Print Screen below them, after F12 and with a second, larger Delete key just a short distance from the default Delete key itself. Menu is moved to the left of the space bar, and in its place we see a dedicated emoji button, because why not? The alphanumeric section is split in two, but on the same keyboard body, and we also have a layout that is far more orthogonal than staggered here.

The integrated wrist rest is another thing you need to make your peace with, in addition to the fixed tenting for the alphanumeric section coupled with the more regular layout to the right. The wrist rest has a soft, cushioned surface, which is easy enough to wipe but also lightly porous and matte to where it will eventually get.. caked over, for the lack of a better phrase. Best to have clean hands when using this keyboard, especially given its membrane switch nature!


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the certification information on the bottom, etched into the ABS plastic case. It is otherwise extremely clean and black again, with five small, round rubber pads along the edges to prevent the keyboard from sliding much on your desk while lifting it to minimize scratches to the case. At the bottom, we see two holes that are placed above the rubber pads.


Jutting out the back is the attached cable, which is quite slim and in a neat coil out of the box. The cable has a no-frills PU insulation, is the standard 6' long, and terminates in a male USB Type-A connector for your PC. USB 2.0 will suffice for power and data alike; in the absence of backlighting, there is not much to power here anyway.


Ah, and now we see how the front tilt leg comes into the picture. Okay, there are two options for tilting with the Microsoft ergonomic keyboard, and the second option consists of simply pressing the inserts of the leg into the two holes in the back of the case. Make sure to follow the curves of the two items correctly since you can indeed install it the other way around as well, but then end up with an imbalanced keyboard. Once properly installed, there is a slight negative tilt that can work well with larger hands more so than averagely sized or smaller ones. I recommend trying it out either way since it takes less than a minute to install and remove should you find it unsuitable. There are no keyboard feet to raise at the top, and the elevation provided by the wrist and palm rest accounts for it.


Here is a look at the full Microsoft ergonomic desktop in play, with both taking two USB ports in total. There is no wireless connectivity or USB pass-through port on the keyboard, as it is just two devices combined together. You can buy them separately as well, which does make for a fantastic typing set for those who either don't have the budget for a mechanical switch ergonomic keyboard, wanted more keys than the usual ergonomic keyboard, or simply preferred membrane switches for general use.


A look from the side better shows the slim profile of the keyboard section, as well as the far more aggressive elevation changes with the wrist rest. The keycap profile is also interesting since Microsoft was not limited by a specific layout as membrane switches are used. There is slight contouring of the keycaps over the six rows of keys, not counting the hotkeys up top, with the bottom row adopting a change midway for a downward slope, even more so at the bottom. The first five rows have a fairly similar profile to where it allows for easier finger movement from a key to the next, or row to row in combination with that staggered layout. The keycaps themselves are laser-etched ABS, so even with the UV cure added, these will eventually show signs of wear and tear with faded legends and shine on the keycaps. There's not much you can do about it given the nature of the beast, and the membrane switches underneath.

The rubber pads on the back hide screws that keep the keyboard together, and given what we already know, I did not see much point in disassembling this keyboard. It would also be a pain to get the tactile dome sheet correctly aligned.