Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000

The first one I ordered proved to be defective - but I didn't know it at first, and thought it's operation was "normal". What to look for: 1. On the defective 5000, the keyboard usually seemed to be asleep when I first start typing on it. It also seemed to go into sleep mode pretty quickly and often. It would then buffer a lot of keystrokes while waking up. Sometimes it would buffer all my keystrokes, other times they just never appeared. So I would have to type keys until it woke up then backspace to get rid of the useless keystrokes. On the replacement, it just works like a normal keyboard. It rarely goes to sleep, and when it does, it wakes up fast and only has to buffer a couple of keystrokes, which is very acceptable. In short, this mostly behaves just like an Apple Bluetooth keyboard would. 2. Yes I changed the batteries on the first, defective keyboard but that didn't help. Pairing with the Mac mini was a breeze. Just turn it on, and click on the Bluetooth symbol in the top menu bar strip. Type in the number code to pair, and you are good to go. I made sure to go in and un-pair the one I was sending back. The Windows and Alt keys are in reversed physical location compared to a standard Apple keyboard, but if you go into keyboard preferences, you can swap them. I prefer the normal Windows location, since I learned computing on a Windows machine not a Mac. Why did I get this instead of the Mac Bluetooth keyboard? It's about half the price, but that really isn't the point (a Mac mini should be about recycling existing keyboards and monitors, not going cheap on everything except the CPU). I got it because I like MS keyboards - they feel fast and responsive. Also, compared to a Mac keyboard, I have the ever useful Backspace key, which Mac doesn't implement (only the Delete key). This keyboard is nice and compact, saves space on my desk, but the keys (except the arrow keys) don't feel cramped. Right now I am using a Magic Mouse - the Apple wired mouse with the scroll ball on top. I will probably be switching to an Apple Trackpad in the near future - I have gotten spoiled by using one on a MacBook. They are really a fine piece of hardware, and I like the two fingered scrolling, two finger tap for right mouse button operation. BUT the MS Mobile Keyboard 5000 is sweet, and for now I am very happy with it. Yes, it will work with an iPad, but that requires resetting it and repairing it, since it can only remember one pairing at a time. Update 12-11-12: While my replacement does not have the horrible lag or quirkiness of my first sample, I do not recommend this at least for Mac users. It just takes too long to wake up. My Apple Trackpad is also Bluetooth, battery powered, but I NEVER experience a wake up delay on it. With this MS mobile keyboard, there is ALWAYS a slight wake up delay, if I haven't been typing for a couple of minutes which happens a lot (I'm not writing a book, I'm just replying to emails, using FB, etc., so typing is intermittent). I do like the size, quality, and feel of this keyboard, and it is a much cheaper alternative to the Mac wireless keyboard - plus I get a real backspace key - but really, it degrades from the seamless Mac experience. I haven't tried it on a Windows computer, so I can't say whether you would get the same delay there (I am not sure to what extent the delay is a "device on" issue or a "re-pairing" issue - not a full re-pairing of course - but on a Mac mini the experience is not as good as it should be in terms of wake up speed. Also, from time to time the keyboard and computer forget the settings for the Windows and Alt keys - I have them reversed, so the Windows key behaves like an Apple key (instead of the Alt key taking that role) and sometimes I have to go into Preferences and reset my preference. My faith in Windows-branded hardware continues on unabided, however, since I just ordered the successor for this keyboard, the Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard which hardly saves any money at all over an Apple, but has a real nice cover for travel and of course the Backspace key I know and love. When I get it and give it a work out I will post my results on that product page.

I didn't want to buy the Samsung Ativ Keyboard because there are so many complaints about it loosing connection all the time, so I decided a Bluetooth keyboard was the way to go. I already have a Perixx Bluetooth keyboard which I really like because it's very light and has rechargeable batteries but, unfortunately, I had to remove it from the Bluetooth devices each time I wanted to use it with the Samsung and repair it (I'm assuming it doesn't like Windows 8) - which made it such a pain to use that I decided to try this keyboard. After the initial pairing with the Samsung Ativ 500 it connects every single time without having to repair. Although it is larger and heavier than the Perixx, it is still small and light enough that it would not be a problem to take it when I travel. The keyboard itself is wonderful, unlike most mini Bluetooth keyboards it feels like a good desktop keyboard with great key travel and feel. I don't know if it is the curved "ergonomic" shape or what, but it really is a pleasure to type on. At least with the Samsung there is no lag whatsoever, it feels exactly like using a wired unit. At the price this is a great deal. Instead of paying 4 times as much for a bulky Samsung keyboard that only works with one unit, I got a quality keyboard that should work on any Bluetooth enabled computer or tablet. The only complaint I have is that the keyboard markings are stickers (although they all seem to be that way now) and I worry about them wearing off, and I haven't had it long enough to know how long the two "aa" batteries will last.

I purchased the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 in an effort to reduce cable clutter on my desktop. I'm a big fan of Microsoft hardware and have used their products for almost 20 years. I was the first one on my block to get the original Natural Keyboard (the ergonomic split key design with the front elevation and the new Windows key). So, I had high hopes for this keyboard. Overall, I'd say the keyboard is an excellent choice for mobile users who need a solid keyboard for occasional typing. The keyboard is compact and light, yet surprisingly sturdy. The keys feel responsive, like a really well-designed laptop keybaord. The slight curve makes the lower keys a bit larger, but makes the typing feel very comfortable. The keyboard doesn't have a dedicated 10-key (although a separate one is included with the 6000 model). While it has dedicated Function keys, Volume Up, Down, and Mute keys, some of the page control keys are combined (e.g., Home and End are Fn-alternates of PgUp and PgDn). That's not a real problem, except the Fn key is awkwardly placed between the right Alt and Ctrl instead of on the left like most laptop keyboards. You get used to the layout pretty quickly, though. Connecting the keyboard to my BT-enabled Win 7 Pro laptop was really easy. There's nothing to install, just activate the BT on the laptop, power on the keyboard, and press the recessed BT button on the keyboard to put it into pairing mode. My laptop detected the device and displayed a security code, which I typed on the keyboard and pressed Enter to complete the pairing. It's lost the pairing on a couple of occasions; once, I even had to remove the keyboard altogether and let Windows find it all over again. My only real issue with the keyboard is that it's sometimes sluggish to wake up between uses. Sometimes, I find myself clicking a field and pressing several keys before it seems to respond. Once you start typing for an extended period (such as this review), it's prompt and responsive. When you're clicking around and filling out web forms, not so much. I haven't used the device long enough to speak to battery life, but I've been using it every workday for the past 3 weeks, and so far, so good.

This is my favorite keyboard ever. It's perfect. It's small but not too small. It doesn't have keys I don't use (like the number pad or mouse pad), it's wireless and doesn't take that much room on my desk. I love it. It's the perfect keyboard.