Microsoft Wireless Desktop 800 Keyboard and Mouse Combo

I've put up with a wired desktop for years - struggling with stopping the cables dragging the mouse, and climbing behind the computer to swap over the USB cables when switching between my desktop and a "working from home" laptop. Now that wireless alternatives claim to be more reliable than ever and about the same price as wired alternatives I thought I'd step out of the dark ages and get a wireless desktop instead.

I've always liked Microsoft's keyboard and mice, even the basic ones, and this is why I chose to try this basic wireless keyboard and mouse offering from Microsoft.

Initial impressions were very good - the keyboard is gloss black with a white underbelly, and the mouse has a gloss black streak around its edge to match. They both feel a bit too light, but once the mouse has its batteries installed it has a much better weight to it. The keyboard doesn't move at all during use so the light weight doesn't affect the feel or the quality in the end.

Batteries installed (2 AAA and 2 AA Duracell batteries supplied in the box) and the USB "dongle" plugged into my PC, Windows XP found the devices within 30 seconds and they were both ready to use. A nice touch is that the mouse only requires one of its AA batteries to work - handy if you only have a single spare floating about in an emergency. The keyboard takes 2 AAA batteries.

The mouse is very controllable, slightly more sensitive than my Microsoft wired mouse but very accurate and a nice positive button click and scrollwheel. There are no extra fancy buttons to be had here - just left, right, and middle (the wheel). It had a range of over 15 feet when I gave it a test - I ran out of rooms and it was too cold outside to push it to the limit. This was with fresh AA batteries.

As for the keyboard, it's ever so slightly too compact to be the best I've tried, but the keys are all full size so 99.9% of the time this won't be an issue. The reason for the compact size is that the function keys are half height, and the number pad and cursor keys butt right up to each other rather than have a gap like in most keyboards. I've heard this is better to help combat RSI - you don't have to move your hands as far to get to the mouse if the keyboard is compact and you're right handed.

The keyboard has a very good feel to its keys - they're quite short "throw" which I like, quiet to the touch, almost like an Apple offering. It can be raised thanks to a couple of simple feet at the back; my only criticism is that I'd like the back to go up another few mm in order to get the keys to the same level as my last keyboard - but I believe this is me just getting used to it. Another downside is that there are no lights for caps lock / scroll lock. Not too big an issue as it's pretty obvious when you switch to CAPS.... There are some extra media buttons (volume / play / pause) and a calculator button if you like doing sums when you're bored.

All in all this is an extremely good offering from Microsoft - better looking than the alternatives and of superb quality.

EDIT: Battery life is great - first set of batteries and I've used the keyboard and mouse most days for an hour for well over a month. Still getting used to the slightly more compact layout compared to my work keyboard.

I use several different keyboards regularly. I have a wired HP keyboard, which is a little noisy and clicky but OK. A couple of "A4 Tech" wireless keyboards/mice from Maplins which are very compact, but the key action is too heavy and they're noisy.

I also have a 6 year-old Belkin wireless keyboard/mouse which until now was my favourite - simple, but effective.

Despite only giving it 4 stars (I'll explain why), this Microsoft deskset is my new favourite. (And it must be good, as I'm not a big fan of Microsoft!)

The key features are:
- 2.4GHz band: better reception, works from about 10ft away through a wall, and at least 15ft in air for me (I just tested it!) Bear in mind you wouldn't normally want to use a keyboard through a wall, of course.
- 3-button ambidextrous mouse
- tiny USB receiver that stows under the mouse for safe-keeping
- slim profile (overall thickness of keyboard, and height are on the slim side
- keyboard feet to raise angle
- mouse takes 2xAA batteries, keyboard 2xAAA (all supplied, all Duracell in my box)
- key caps have varnished transfers rather than etched/moulded characters; these sometimes wear poorly, but we'll need to wait for a while to see how it goes...

As usual, some pros and cons to help you decide.

Pros:
- individual keys slope up at different angles meaning your fingertips connect with all of them at the same angle: this is much more comfortable than standard keyboards
- the key caps are all slightly concave, meaning more comfortable typing again, and more accuracy, as your fingers can feel where they are better with well-defined key edges
- some keys are ergonomically designed (Caps Lock is made harder to press by accident when using "Shift" or "Tab") or situated (cursor keys and navigation keys are not separated from the alpha-keys by a gap, making for greater ease of use
- keys are "constant resistance" action: there's no large initial resistance click, and so impact is softer, making for more comfortable typing
- the keyboard is also very quiet
- for the comfort, response, and build quality (but not the noise), the keyboard feels like it rivals the legendary old Apple "Extended Keyboard II" (I have one, so I know!)
- the mouse is a simple, 3-button scroll wheel model, suitable for left- and right-handers alike. I sometimes use my mouse left-handed, and can't stand right-handed-only mice!
- the mouse is very responsive with light, positive click action

Cons:
- the mouse's scroll wheel action isn't quite "notchy" enough for my taste - I prefer it a little more clicky, although I'm sure I'll get used to it
- the keyboard's border and mouse's "skirt" is in fashionable "glossy piano black", which will scratch and mark almost instantly as it's a soft plastic surface
- the "Function" keys, and the "Escape" are low profile and 1/3 the height (although same width) of normal keys.

For me, this last point is the "minor design flaw" I mentioned in the review title - I use those keys frequently, and I don't know how comfortable this setup is. It certainly seems odd and a bit fiddly at the moment, although I've only had the keyboard a few hours - I'll update the review if I change my opinion.

Overall, this is a superb keyboard and mouse, with the keyboard being really lovely to type on - quiet, positive, and easy on the finger joints.

If it had bigger Escape and F keys, I'd give it 5 stars; as it is, it gets 4 stars, with a recommendation to try one out if you can, to see if you're bothered by the key size. If you're not, it'd be hard to beat the value and quality of this deskset.

This desktop set is quite stylish, nicely positive keys and doesn't need to be in sight of the receiver. It has about a 15 foot range so it won't matter if your machine is hidden away as it'll still work perfectly. Heaps better than my previous wireless keyboard. The seller was A1 too and it was delivered very quickly. Recommended.