Not the Best I’ve Ever Used, But It’s a Close Second

Author's Rating:

Pros: Specialty keys, one function keys, look, feel of keys.

Cons: Rather large in comparison to other keyboards.

The Bottom Line: 
This keyboard (Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard) serves me well, so I think I’ll keep it around as long as the keys don’t fade.

Author's Review
Believe it or not it is possible to form a lasting relation with your keyboard. After all it the primary input interface with your computer and you can spend countless hours through out the typical day pressing keys. Those keys should feel just right, you know depress willingly and not resist the finger too much; and they (the keys) should click the right way as to make them enjoyable for the ears. All other functionality pales in comparison.

I have tried all manner of keyboard trying to the get the right feel, and recently settled on the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard for me and my wife. The keys on our old generic keyboards were fading and we both needed new (affordable) replacements. Since I have owned or used Microsoft keyboards in the past and trust their reliability, I gave these a shot.

The Keyboard

The Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard is an attractive (PS-2) keyboard as far as that aesthetic might appeal to you when looking for a functional keyboard. And it is big keyboard, especially when the wrist rest is installed; too big as a matter of fact for my keyboard tray. So I removed the wrist rest, which I didn’t need anyway. The Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard is three-tone: blue, white, and grey; i.e. the main keys of the board are white, while the upper portion where the (Specialty) buttons are located is blue with again, white buttons or keys, and the one function keys (see below) are grey. And the wrist rest is blue as well.

The Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard as the name implies is not just any ole 101-keyboard, it is multimedia keyboard festooned with specialty buttons that will launch commonly used Windows programs such as My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music, Mail (Outlook), Internet Explorer, and Calculator. In addition, there is full range of buttons for controlling Microsoft Media Player, such as play, pause, stop, forward, reverse, and mute. All of these buttons are designed to make you life a little easier by providing the controls on the keyboard where mot of your attention is placed while typing merrily along, whistling to music. Truth be told I very rarely if ever use any of them on a continual basis; more often then not I forget they are there. Not to say that they are not useful, I am just conditioned after all of these years use the mouse.

List of Specialty Buttons:

• Calculator
• Log Off
• Mail: A Programmable button that will gain you access to the email service you use.
• My Documents
• My Pictures
• My Music
• Mute
• Media Player
• Messenger (Microsoft)
• Sleep: Used in conjunction with power management software.
• Web/Home

In addition to the above detailed specialty buttons, there are also a plethora of other one function buttons or keys if you will; they are: Help, New Folder, Open, Close, Save, Print Undo, Redo, Reply, Forward, Send, Spell Checker, Underline, Italics, Find, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All, and Bold. These keys share functionality with the traditional (F1 –F12) function keys, but on this keyboard the default functionality is the single purpose keys, vice F1-F12. The F1-F12 functionality—which quite frankly very few programs outside of system BIOS even utilize anymore—have to be activated via a special key called F-Lock on the far right of the keyboard. A yellow LED will illuminate whenever F-Lock is active.

Use

Over all I am happy with the look and feel of the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard. As I stated from the outset, the feel, responsiveness and sound of the keys is of most importance to me. In this regard the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard does not disappoint. The keys feel solid underneath my fingers and while the click of the keys is not exactly as I wish them to be, I can live with it. There is no mushiness to the keys; they depress solidly and never stick. Nor have the letter started to rub off, a malady very common to other keyboards given the tick-tock of time. In short the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard just works and works well.

The “one” function keys are quick and responsive, actually quite handy. In fact, now that I am more familiar with them I have started utilizing them more, especially the Save, and Print keys. Microsoft ships a small software utility called IntelliType Pro with all of its keyboards. This utility will afford you access to the specialty buttons and “one” function keys and allow you to assign different functions to them if you so desire.

All and all, I am very pleased with the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard. I have thought about replacing it with a wireless keyboard, but in the end I cannot justify the expense of doing so even to myself. This keyboard (Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard) serves me well, so I think I’ll keep it around as long as the keys don’t fade.