This keyboard/mouse combo has been very good so far. The keys are quiet; the keyboard is comfortable to use and the programmable keys are great. The software provided lets you reassign all the Function keys and create macros for them. Most of the Hot Keys can have macros on them, too - except for the 5 "Favorites" keys. They can only be assigned to open programs or websites - although someone will probably find a way around that. The software also allows 3 different profiles for the button setup, too - great for setting up specific game controls.
The mouse is very good, too... the scroll wheel just seems a little hollow-sounding as you use it, but it works well and is comfortable to use. Seems quite accurate.
The main reason I've rated it 4 stars (really 4.5 stars) is that it has a large wireless receiver that has to be pretty close to the keyboard/mouse to work well. The receiver is about the size of a mouse - just not as tall. I had it on one side of my desk - away from the mouse - and I just couldn't double-click on anything. I thought the mouse was defective - until I moved the receiver closer to the mouse. All is fine now! Other than that, I'm very happy with my purchase. Microsoft Wireless Media Desktop 1000 (Black)
KEYBOARD:
This is the cheapest wireless mouse/keyboard offered at my local Best Buy. I thought I was taking a risk, but the keyboard is great. If you want super fancy, spend $100 on the keyboard that controls your home media station perfectly. Otherwise, get this one.
PROS
The keys are shaped to finger pads (a MUST for a comfortable keyboard)
The keys depress easily.
CON
The function keys (F1, F2, etc) are printed in blue ink above symbols on the actual keys. I don't like it, but this is minor.
MOUSE:
I thought the mouse sucked, but you can make it a good mouse, despite being a bit bulky, with just three basic buttons: left/right/middle + scrolling.
Out of the box, the scroll wheel is just ridiculous. Choppy, clicky, bad. If you are willing to be a little creative and void the warranty, there is an easy fix:
1)take the batteries out.
2)undue the little screw that is revealed.
3)take the components apart. The circuit board, still attached to the base, should pretty much fall out. This is the piece that you want.
4)The wheel and its casing is clipped into the circuit board. Carefully un-clip it.
5)Now, carefully un-clip the wheel frame its little plastic casing.
6)You will see that the inside of the wheel contains little ridges, which rub against a small prong on the "wheel casing" in order to create the clicking of the mouse. Cut the prong off for 100% smooth scrolling. Better yet, carefully use a sharp knife to shave down the little plastic bump on the prong itself. I shaved it down about 90%.
7)Reassemble the mouse. It should now work smoothly. Smooth scrolling action on the wheel! The screen scrolling is still not 100% smooth, but it scrolls continuously as you move the wheel, instead of jerky half pages at a time!
Start to finish, less than 5 minutes. This is an easy modification for anyone comfortable using a knife in close quarters. This modification saved me from buying a new mouse for the wireless keyboard that I like.
BOTTOM LINE: Great for budget-conscious people looking for a wireless keyboard/mouse.
I will make this simple. Stay away from this product. The keyboard is well constructed and worked well--no problems with the keyboard. The mouse was very comfortable and the price was right for both of them. However, when I started using the mouse I noticed the scroll wheel on the mouse worked sometimes and sometimes it didnt work. When I would try to scroll while surfing the internet the wheel sometimes worked and sometimes it would not. It was very inconsistent and wasnt very responsive. I even had the mouse a few inches from the receiver and it still was very inconsistent. Like most of you reading this, you probably use the scroll wheel a lot when you are on the internet to scroll up and down when reading internet pages, etc. This was very frustrating.
The last mouse I had was a Logitech wireless mouse and it worked awesome and I never had problems with it. I wanted a wireless keyboard also so I got this Microsoft combo pack at one of the local office supply stores because it was about the cheapest you could get. I thought something was wrong with the mouse when I first used it but saw that others complained also about the same thing happening with their scroll wheel when I did a little research on this product. I returned this Microsoft keyboard and mouse combo pack and got the Logitech MK320 combo pack for about the same price and the mouse works great. The Logitech mouse isnt as comfortable as the Microsoft mouse but it works well and doesnt miss a beat. My friend who works as an IT person says Logitech makes the best keyboards and mouse and he gets very few complaints with their products. I say I have to agree. I have never had problems with their stuff and will be loyal to them from here on out. I hope this review helps and good luck!! - Keyboard - Mouse - Wireless - Mouse Combos'
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