Product Description
WRLS ENT DSKTP 7000 SILVER WIN XP/VISTA USB PORT UK
Customer Reviews:
Good but a little more info would help.......2007-10-04
An excellent keyboard and mouse. I bought this to replace an existing Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse that I had no problems with except that I needed the greater range that bluetooth provided. I was apprehensive about the instalation as I have had problems with bluetooth in the past but the installation was simple and worked straight away. The only problems which prevent me giving it 5 stars are; I did not realise how much I used the numeric key pad and although I knew that this did not have one, so can't complain. The real problem was with the mouse I put it on charge for 2 hours as instructed the indicator lights changed from steady green to flashing green to flashing red and finally to steady red. In the absence of any information I assumed that this meant fully charged, silly boy. The mouse held its charge for about 10minutes so perhaps this sequence of lights means dud battery. I replaced the energiser battery (Chinese/American) version for a Sony (Japanese) rechargeable battery and now it charges fine. Little point in sending a desktop set back because of a faulty battery but annoying.
As a media keyboard it's almost there........2007-09-10
The Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 certainly looks the part. The gentle curve to the keyboard, the slim profile, various extra keys for assorted functions and a nicely shaped scroll-wheel mouse make this a very stylish package. The clue as to its real purpose is in the name... "Entertainment".
First up, installation is a breeze, and it took me less than 10 minutes to install this on a Windows XP machine that had no existing Bluetooth connectivity. Simply unpack the various parts, insert the batteries into the keyboard (a trifle fiddly but hopefully not something you have to do more than a couple of times a year), put the rechargeable battery in the mouse, plug in the mouse charger and wait for an hour for it to charge up. Then insert the Bluetooth dongle into your PC and load the software. The one gotcha is that you need to be connected to the Internet at this point as Windows needs to download a critical Bluetooth update before the software will install. One reboot later and both keyboard and mouse are working fine without even having to resort to pressing the `connect' button on each device.
Now you must remember that as the name suggests, Microsoft are marketing this as a desktop combo that's equally at home on your lap controlling a media PC in the living room as it is sitting on a desktop, so it's a keyboard of compromises. Stick with that thought and you'll be ok. Keyboard build quality is top notch, and for such a thin device it is reassuringly solid, with no sign of flexing. The key layout and feel is very much like a laptop, and there's a nice weight and feedback to the key presses. The additional keys are all clearly marked and well positioned, although the function keys aren't really keys at all. Above the number keys on the top row (there is no numeric keypad), are a series of touch-sensitive ridges, each labeled with a function key role (e.g. F1, F2, etc.) plus an alternative role for when the Fn key is pressed. Despite some initial hesitation, like touching it and wondering if anything has happened, they work very well and always respond first time to even the lightest touch. My only criticism would be that while there are dedicated keys for My Pictures, My Music, Messenger and Internet Explorer, there is no Email key. Having said that, all the keys are fully programmable via the IntelliType software. More importantly for people thinking of this as a full-blown desktop keyboard, the arrow keys are quite small and tightly grouped, the Home and End keys are now at the end of the row of touch sensitive ridges rather than being keys in their own right, and there is no way to adjust the height or angle of the keyboard. Also there's no indicator light for the Caps Lock keyich would have been an easy thing to include. Still, it's a design compromise at the end of the day.
The mouse (the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000) that is included in the package is pleasant to use although somewhat unremarkable. It is symmetrical making it suitable for both right and left-handed users and uses a single rechargeable AA battery (included) that will charge from completely flat in about one hour using the charging base provided. It has sculpted sides and features two additional small buttons that default to `Browser Back' and `Magnify' although these can be reprogrammed via the IntelliPoint software. They are well positioned so accidentally pressing them shouldn't be a problem. Accuracy is as good any other mouse I've ever used, and I had no problems when putting a game like STALKER though its paces. As a lounge/laptop device you also have a navigation pad on the keyboard itself which while measuring only 3cm square, works surprisingly well as an occasional mouse replacement. I also tried the unit out on a Vista PC running it's Media Centre feature and all the media keys worked very well indeed, skipping music tracks, changing TV channels and generally doing what Microsoft claim it does. I haven't experienced any of the connectivity issues that some have reported, with the Bluetooth receiver working fine from about 4 feet away through a 1 inch thick wooden desk when used in the study, nor have I had any problems using my Xbox 360 Media Remote while also using the unit in the lounge. As for battery life for the mouse it's still early days, but all I do is leave it on its charging pad once or twice a week and that seems to keep it going, even with fairly heavy daily use.
So what stops it from getting 5 stars? Well this is marketed as a media centre device, with Microsoft suggesting that you use it on your lap or in your lounge. As such, it's likely to be used near where people eat rather than tucked away in a study, and therein lies the first (albeit minor) problem. The keys have a very nice silk finish and if you have the slightest bit of grease on your fingers (say from a bowl of peanuts, your TV dinner or even just rubbing your eyes), then you are rewarded with very visible shiny marks all over your keys that very quickly make the keyboard rather shabby. Given that many people will buy this keyboard simply because it looks cool, that might be a problem for some, however if you have kids then you're probably pretty relaxed about that sort of thing! Perhaps a different finish or a paler key colour might have been better. The other problem is the price - it is pretty expensive for what it is. Typical prices range from £110 or so at PC World, down to £80 or so from places like Amazon. (In the US, Amazon sell it for a slightly more reasonable $124, about £62 at today's rates). Microsoft will soon be releasing a fancier version of this setup which includes a couple of extra features (like backlit keys that light up when you're close by) in the form of the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000, but don't expect much change from around £160. On the plus side, the `8000' gets pale grey keys which may not show up greasy fingerprints so much.
If you're in the market for a stylish media keyboard, and you've got deep pockets then this should be on your shortlist. If you want the ultimate money no object, coffee table combo then the Logitech DiNovo Edge keyboard together with the Logitech MX Air Mouse at a combined RRP of about £250 would most likely impress your guests. The MX Air Mouse doesn't even needs a mouse pad as it can operate using gestures alone. For more modest budgets there's always the Logitech S510 Media Desktop which includes a separate remote as well as keyboard and mouse, or for an all-in-one unit there's the very reasonable Keysonic Compact Wireless which has an integrated TouchPad and which Amazon sell for just £25.
One final note to UK buyers and that is that the keyboard layout differs slightly to the US version which is what appears on the photo on the box, and even on the Microsoft UK website, so it's best to satisfy yourself that you're happy with the layout before you buy. I have uploaded a photo of my keyboard to the Amazon image gallery for this item so you should see a link somewhere on this page where you can check it out.
So all in all I'm pretty pleased with it as a media keyboard, just a shame about the minor niggles and the bloated price tag.
bit of a let down.......2007-08-10
This product promises a lot but having purchased one am wiser as to it's faults.Keys are spongey you have to press hard at times to obtain the correct spelling!.I find it frustrating at times to have to go over the same words. Secondly mouse freezes now and then. is it me?!.since borrowing a rivals keyboard no problems.
I like this keyboard / mouse set a lot, but..........2007-08-03
The mouse is as good in use than the previous MS Wireless Laser Mice, and the keyboard is excellent - as someone who doesn't make much use of the number pad, I didn't miss it. However, for me, there are a number of flaws that prevent me from giving it more than two stars.
1) Mouse battery life - I have another wireless Microsoft mouse that requires a new battery every few months with intensive use. The mouse in this set requires a recharge every week or so, with its own supplied battery (2100MaH), and it's not much better with a 2500MaH Uniross rechargeable battery. Not a problem if you don't mind having the mouse sitting on the charging pad when not in use, but I prefer to not waste the electricity or desk space this requires.
2) I run a dual boot system. While the BIOS recognises the keyboard on every boot, Windows loses the connection each time I boot to a different operating system, requiring a monotonous reconnection every time (and this is even more frustrating if it coincides with a time when the mouse's battery has discharged...).
3) I have a wireless xbox 360 controller for the PC (also by Microsoft). It interferes with the Bluetooth K/M set, despite the fact it isn't a bluetooth device itself. None of the keyboard, mouse or xbox wireless controller work properly when they are all connected. This may not be a problem with the K/M set, but Microsoft really should manage to ensure compatibility between its own wireless products.
All in all, very frustrating, because I really like the keyboard and mouse. However, at the moment they are sitting in the cupboard, and are likely to stay there.
Nice touch!.......2007-06-25
What a nice keyboard, lovely keys, great to use.
The mouse is for left or right handed people so it's not quite as comfy as the intellimouse specifically for right handed people but it is ok.
It is lighter with only one battery to power it so that's nice, rechargeable too, just the mouse is, the next one out soon the 8000 has rechargeable mouse & keyboard.
Few problems with the bluetooth not connecting very well to start with but that seems to of sorted itself out.
Slight delay sometimes still when you start typing & when it catches up some letters from the start are missing so you have to keep an eye on it. Does give bluetooth connection for other devices too so that's handy.
Bit longer to be able to use when booting into windows as being another device you have to wait until windows has loaded the bluetooth devices along with the rest of your drivers.
I have had to order another one as at home using a standard keyboard now is like having red hot pokers shoved in your eyes, it's horrible.
If you like accessing special characters using the number pad for eg holding alt down & hit 156 gives you the pound symbol, alt 0174 the registered symbol etc, well I can't do it now as I don't have a number pad on here, you can use the special button & turn the numbers along the top into a number keypad but you can't access the special characters, well not yet anyway.
It does do some other weird things like the screen seems to refresh a lot, the magnifier facility seems to turn itself on but with those problems it's still well worth it but stops it getting 5 stars.
Product Description
Technical DataInput Device / TypeKeyboardTechnical DataInput Device / Form FactorExternalTechnical DataInput Device / Connectivity TechnologyWirelessTechnical DataInput Device / Pointing Device / ManipulatorMouseTechnical DataMiscellaneous / ColourSilverTechnical DataSystem Requirements / OS RequiredMicrosoft Windows XP SP2Technical DataHeader / Product LineMicrosoft Wireless Entertainment DesktopTechnical DataHeader / Model7000Technical DataHeader / CompatibilityPCTechnical DataHeader / LocalizationGermanTechnical DataHeader / ManufacturerMicrosoftTechnical DataHeader / Packaged Quantity1Technical DataInput Device / Interface (DA)BluetoothTechnical DataInput Device / Ergonomic DesignYes
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