Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo - Black | Split Design, Palm Rest | Comfortable for Office Work, Long Typing Sessions & Home Computing

Update #3 Oct 8_______________I've been using the replacement keyboard for a few weeks now and I've modified my rating (to 4...would give it a 4.8 but just not a 5). And yes, it's a keeper. All typos are now my own (although 40% of them are from when I've picked my hands up from the keyboard and don't look to see where I'm putting them back down again). I can type normally again. The space bar is fine. (And FWIW, for some reason I was stuck on saying it was LEFT but it was the RIGHT one that was so troublesome. I'm quite fond of the mouse. I'm not experiencing latency which I was getting occasionally with the previous keyboard. I'm no longer fumbling with a dependeny on the ENTER key taht was on the keypad. I love using the keypad when I need to use the calculator and having it aside when I don't. I have not thought much about the page up /down/etc positions of keys so they are not getting in my way.I'm not sure why I'm reluctant to give it a "perfect" 5. Perhaps someday I'll come back and change it.Update#2 Sept 20________________I've decided to give the keyboard another chance. I've ordered a replacement from Amazon to see if I can get one with a working spacebar, perhaps the other problems will go away? It's just unusable with the spacebar functioning so poorly.UPDATE #1, Sept 14___________________... 10 days....(captain's log?:) ) ... still no love from the left space bar. THere are things I like about this keyboard.Believe it or not, Ilike the numeric keypad being separate. It's like a fancy calculator. I like the ergo shape of the keyboard and the feel of the built in wrist wrest.I haven't gotten used to the FN switch. In fact, I tried muting the speaker and kept hitting the F2 key and never realized that it wasn't working because I had to change the FN switch.The space bar is a big problem for me but in addition, I feel that my typing has slowed down dramatically which is very bad.The position of the directional keys is also slowing me down, still.So now I am contemplating two options. An offer from a friend who upgraded from a fairly new MS Natural 7000 to the sculpt and *loves* the sculpt (I'm a bit envious...I really wanted this to work for me) has offered to send me the 7000. My other option is to set aside my desire to have an ergonomic keyboard and opt for a mechanical keyboard (either das keyboard ..favored by many programmers I know or the new CODE Keyboard).However, I think I will stick with ergonomic. Maybe I should look at logitech. I wish I lived somewhere that it was easy to try these out first hand.I will update again when I've made my decision.To be fair, I've talked with a number of friends who are also programmers who got this keyboard and absolutely love it. They are not having the issues that I'm having. While i think the spacebar is a defect of this keyboard, but the overall slowness for me is just too much and while a working spacebar will be a big improvement, I don't think that will be enough.ORIGINAL POSTING_____________________I'll start with the good:it's very cool looking and I love having it on my desk. It makes this geek feel sooooo stylish!I've come from many many years of using the *original* Microsoft Ergonomic Natural Keyboard (precursor to the 4000 which is precursor to the 7000). I loved this keyboard. But after a recent lightning strike that came so close to home, it has acted as though it were possessed by the devil. I ordered a 7000 to replace and one day later, saw the announcements of this one so was able to cancel the not-yet-shipped 7000 and pre-order this, site unseen and with extremely limited press reviews.I am not someone to glom on to new technology. The only other time I did that was after being stuck for 4 hours in Logan airport being brainwashed by the ad for the brand new IPodNano playing over and over again. I bought one within a week! Otherwise,well,let's just say I held on to my Blackberry for a long long time.But I wanted this one.I anticipated a learning curve as I got used to it. I'm still making a lot more typos than normal and it's annoying. I feel that it's slowing me down. BUt I also am confident that I'm still in learning curve mode.The one thing that is really bothersome is that the right spacebar sometimes ignores me. I have to pound on it. For some reason, I use my right thumb 100% of the time to hit the spacebar. I don't think I should have to retrain myself because of possibly faulty equipment. Oddly, I have read a similar complaint about the 7000 and was really surprised to find this happening in a much newer model.I'm a little concerned about the bizarre Function key switch. But I've hardly had to use it yet. Same goes for the fact that the FN keys and escape are so small. But none of it has caused me any grief thus far.As a software developer, I must confess that I am not a big key/combo user. I know a lot of developers prefer mechanical keyboards and drool over features like being able to map 18 key chords (okay, I exaggerate, that would take fingers & toes)while they are working. This is far from a mechanical keyboard. The keys are shallow. In fact, they are even shallower than the keys on my Thinkpad. I don't know if this is why I have so many typos (in addition to the space bar problem). My instinct is that i really would rather have ergonomic than mechanical. Now ergo, mechanical and backlit...there's the ticket! Oh, yes, I can't believe I acquiesced to yet another *black* keyboard that is not back-lit.The mouse was a bit of a shock at first. I had the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer 2.0 prior to this. I liked it a lot. While that is flatter and longer than the ergo mouse, I think that they provide the same feel to my hand and I'm guessing that the overall length is the same once you account for the difference in arc. With the ones, your fingers hang/curl more dramatically but it's just as comfy..maybe even more. Time will tell.I had already been using a mousepad with an elevated wrist wrest for years. I think it aligns even better with the new mouse than it did with the other.I also like that the mouse has a battery switch though I have to remember to use it. Oddly, my intellimouse raced through batteries while I never changed the keyboard battery for its entire lifetime.So for now (about 5-6 days in, with 3 being a holiday weekend where I did not do a lot of typing :) ), I'm a little frustrated with the keyboard and happy with the mouse. I will see if the space bar works itself out. If not I will try to see if Microsoft says it's just faulty and I should exchange it. The jury is still out on the FN key setup. I'd rather give this a 3.5 but I think a 4 would be misleading. I promise to update this review when I've spent more time with these devices.