Microsoft Natural keyboard - worth it?

[ghem]

I was planning on getting a new keyboard, and was looking at the natural pro keyboard as a possibility. I can find it for about $25 including shipping. The natural elite's selling for about $17, but it has some awkwardly sized/layed out keys (ie, the arrow keys), and the natural pro has 2 USB ports. Does anyone who has it think it's worth the spending the extra money on a split keyboard instead of getting a normal one?

I'm a programmer, so I do use the keyboard a lot, and I play the piano, so my wrists/hands are probably undergoing a lot more stress than a lot of people's do. No pain yet, but I'd like to keep it that way


BTW, does anyone know why newegg stopped carrying the natural pro keyboard? They only carry the elite now

 

[apriest]

I have many MS keyboards (I'm an MS OEM reseller). My favorite by far is the Natural Keyboard Pro. I too play the piano, and I have severe carpal tunnel and arthritis. This is the easiest keyboard I can type on. I love the extra USB ports and audio/internet keys. The cheapest I can sell this keyboard and still make a tiny profit is about $49. Most stores sell it for over $45 before shipping. If you found it for $25 I think it is probably used, or in an auction on eBay, or it is the Internet Keyboard Pro (my best selling keyboard), not the Natural Keyboard Pro. The price just sounds way off. The Internet Keyboard Pro is the same keyboard, but not split, that?s the only difference. By the way, I hate the Natural Keyboard Elite and the Office Keyboard because I don?t like the 2 row home, end, page up, page down, etc. I?d much rather have the 3 row. At least the Office Keyboard kept the arrow keys unaltered. Double check to make sure it?s the right model before you order it for that price. If it is, you?ve found yourself a steal! Order 20 and sell 19 on eBay!!!

 

[vash]

The MS Natural keyboards are SO good, even Linux users cannot do without them. I'd have to say the MS Natural line of keyboards are the greatest keyboards I've used used. I have the original, the Natural Elite and the new Pro keyboard. My favorite is definitely the new Pro. Its a little smaller than the original, but much better than the elite. If you type a lot, then definitely get the keyboard -- your wrists will thank you.

vash

 

[ghem]

apriest - check www.pricewatch.com. It's brand new, just OEM, although it looks like most of the ones on pricewatch are also from dell, so there's a small dell logo on them... no big deal. (Like I said, newegg used to sell the natural pro for that same price brand new but OEM, but they stopped for some reason.)

 

[Darien]

I've gone through a bunch of keyboards, and I can tell you that the MS Natural Keyboard Pro is the best one I've used to date.

It just feels weird typing on a cheap $5 keyboard after using this thing for so long. Accuracy/typing speed has increased a bit for me, hot keys are nice, and the more usb ports the better

 

[kgraeme]

I love mine.

 

[apriest]

ghem, wow, I can't touch that price. Unbelievable. MS is really screwing us OEMs over when we buy 5 packs for more than $40/keyboard before shipping. And, of course, they highly discourage us selling anything but through normal distribution channels. It's an outrage. Hard to make a profit when you can get it elsewhere for less than half my cost! :frown: I might get all my keyboards from that place from now on, screw the blessed distribution channels.