Kinda pricey but it's an older item so they jack up the price to double the original msrp: used to be ~$100, now it's $199.
Here's my take: It's a very sleek, thin keyboard and looks great on the desk. Keys are thin, soft-touch and provide just a little resistance. Quiet. There is some heft or weight to it also as the body appears to be made of aluminum. The fabric on the wrist-rest is smooth and firm but also a little bit cushion. The keyboard is no thicker than a pen.
For the price, this is a premium-feeling and premium-featured keyboard.
So far as functionality is concerned, there's a bt-sync button on the bottom for connectivity. This kbd is 100% bt-only, no dongle and uses 2-double A batteries. Also there is a Function-Lock key on it for access to the dual functionality of the FKeys. This is great for devs who constantly use F5, F6, F10, F11 for building, debugging and stepping through code. The arrow keys are highly convenient for those pesky times when you have to meticulously edit a series of sql commands: the dedicated arrow keys and num keys are great for such instances although ai can do a lot of that much faster than anyone can type.
Oftentimes when I return to my desk and the screen is locked, there's a slight delay because the device likely went into sleep mode: there's a half-second blip while you type the first character that wakes up the kbd and initiates the re-handshake to the target machine. No big deal really.
Standard typing flows well as there are no blips or delays while typing.
If you're looking for a cheap alternative ~$50 instead of slinging two hard-earned bills at this premium solution, check out the "Incase Ergonomic Keyboard – Designed by Microsoft – Refined Ergonomic Design, Built-in Shortcuts Keys, Layered Palm Rest for Elevated Wrist Support, Integrated Number Pad – Black". Both the Incase and the MS 3RA-00022 models are the successors to the MS Natural 4000 it seems - I could be wrong though.
Fairly certain you will like this kbd. For me, anything better would have to be built from the ground up and easily cost just as much.
| Brand | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Series | Ergonomic Keyboard |
| Item model number | 3RA-00022 |
| Hardware Platform | Smartphone |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 2.23 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 18.11 x 9.02 x 1.36 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 18.11 x 9.02 x 1.36 inches |
| Color | Gray |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacturer | Microsoft Surface Accessories - PC |
| ASIN | B01MFCTRZM |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | October 26, 2016 |
