Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 - keyboard , mouse

Author's product rating:   

Responsiveness	Very responsive
Reliability	Excellent
Ease of Use	Very Easy
Quality	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Stylish, easy to use, host of features, automatic backlight
Disadvantages:	A purchase price of £150 is one big disadvantage

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

After parting company with our previous computer to enable faster processing speeds for Football Manager 2008 my wife and I decided that it was time to invest in a new keyboard, We opted not to buy a new keyboard at the time of buying the computer as the one we already had was simply superb, comfortable to use. After a friend suggested that the chances of catching MRSA from it had passed from if to when scenario I took a long hard look at the faded keys and with a heavy heart started looking around for a replacement. My initial thoughts were to simply buy the same model as why not go with what you know. A keyboard that had served me over and above the call of duty for 4 years was well worth looking at again, unfortunately a quick telephone call to Microsoft dashed those dreams as it had been discontinued.

The lovely lady I spoke to at the Microsoft helpdesk could tell I was disappointed and after giving her my requirements she suggested a number of keyboards from various price ranges and I went away to do more research to see which one I should buy. The outcome was the introduction to the household of the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 Keyboard and Mouse for a whopping £150. Why did I decide to spend so much money on a keyboard, well I wanted the most up to date one possible because it would irritate my sarcastic friend with his MRSA comments and it looks stunning.

What did I get for my £150? Well a special keyboard and a mouse and that's pretty much it. The keyboard oozes that typical Microsoft quality with a stylish silver finish and has the feel of solid construction when being moved around. Set out in the standard QWERTY format the keyboard is bent slightly in the middle giving it a bit of a U shape. Being fully rechargeable was one of the huge advantages that drew me to this model and the adjustable backlight is just amazing as it gives the keys an eerie glow when I sit playing around late at night. Unlike my previous keyboard I no-longer have to wait for the keys to become unresponsive or for an onscreen warning to appear to tell me that the battery is close to being totally drained, sitting in the top of the keyboard is a battery indicator which allows me to recharge the batteries on a regular basis before I find that most the documents I have typed are littered with typo's because of the weak signal. Recharging is really easy, and it is the only time that the keyboard and mouse is not totally wireless. Attaching the keyboard and mouse to the charging hub provides instant charge and the indicator lights glow a bright green when full.

The keyboard features 4 USB ports, something I have not yet felt the need to use, a navigation pad that allows control my computer with the use of the mouse lots of other little short cut buttons which come now normally come as standard with every brand of keyboard. There is a 'Windows Live' button to enable access to MSN, a 'gadgets' button that accesses weather information, news updates, traffic maps and slide shows of online photo albums, as well as a 'My Favourites' button that allows me to access the items I use most. With a minimum operating system requirement of Windows XP the keyboard is also compatible with Vista as you would expect being one of the most recent releases from Microsoft. There is a shortcut button that opens up the start menu when using Vista that enables searches of the PC and the Internet.

Considering all of the quirky little features the keyboard has I have to say that for novelty value the fact that the backlight is controlled by a motion sensor and comes on automatically when you approach the keyboard and switches itself off when you move away is just one of those schoolboy fantasies fulfilled. If you think that this would annoy you or possibly drain the batteries, for clarification I can confirm that it also senses the amount of light in the room meaning that if it is bright, it won't keep starting up the backlight unnecessarily. What was and still remains cool is the fact that as it gets darker it switches itself on. I'm easily pleased obviously!

The mouse came with the keyboard at no extra cost. If it had I would have simply opted for just the keyboard purchase as my other mouse was still going strong after many years of abuse. Made from brushed aluminium it is really light to pick up and move about. When considering the best feature it was a toss up between the fact that it allows for pinpoint precision and the four way scrolling option that allows you to scroll four ways (up and down, left and right). The Tilt Wheel Technology makes it easy to manoeuver the mouse around and move the wheel not only backwards and forwards but from side to side as well. I find this incredibly useful when looking at larger Internet pages and reduces strain on my wrist by not having to continually move the screen manually using the cursor. As with the keyboard this mouse is also rechargeable and the battery status indicator flashes when batteries need recharging much in the same way as the keyboard. The only other features that really makes it stand out against every other mouse out there on the market is the magnifying button and the instant viewing option. The magnifying button allows me to point at the screen and click upon a webpage or desktop item or page to enlarge it. A pretty good feature if your eyesight is as poor as mine first thing in the morning or late at night when concentration is not at its best. The instant viewing option is a handy tool if like me you open hundreds of windows and get sick of having to click on the toolbar to find the window you want. The mouse has another button that will minimise all of the open screens and places them on the desktop allowing you to see which pages you have open and which can be closed down. As an example, if you have 6 windows open and you can see them on the lower task bar it will place them in the middle of your screen and then using the mouse you can close them quicker one by one should you no longer require them. I use this feature most of all on my mouse and it definitely makes things much easier.

This keyboard looks and feels amazing to use and not only is it stylish it is easy to use and doesn't differ too greatly from any other keyboard it is just that with this one you have a lot more features to make life that little bit easier. Both the keyboard and mouse give the user much more control from less mouse clicks or button presses than any other similar systems I have used in the past. The Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 is slim in design and much smaller in width and length than your average keyboard which means it takes up less space upon your desk or work station and if you are working from your lap sitting on the sofa it is easier to handle and very sturdy.
Overall I am impressed with this keyboard and highly recommend it to everyone looking for a replacement. Things have moved on leaps and bounds since I last bought a keyboard but the entrance of the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 meant that the mourning for my previous love was very short lived. Of course nothing could be perfect but the only drawback to the Desktop 8000 is the price.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.

Steve :o)