Fast, Responsive, Accurate... Brilliant (Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2)

Member Name: Great_reviewer07

Product:	Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2
Date:	21/10/09 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very responsive, easy to install/use

Disadvantages: Expensive in some places

When you think of computer shopping you always assume the hardest part is going to be choosing the computer itself then of course when you've chosen your computer all the extras begin to pile up and you end up spending possibly hundreds of pounds more on computer equipment ranging from webcams, speakers, headphones, usb cables, memory sticks... the list is endless but of course after the computer the most essential things to buy are the mouse and keyboard.

One would think that choosing a keyboard would be simple, almost like a one size fits all but of course that isn't the case and you'll probably find yourself extensively surfing the net to find one that perfectly suits your needs. A mouse is just as important you need to find one which is going to comfortable to use and of course you need to consider what hand you're going to use to operate the mouse as left handed people are going to find it more difficult.

One thing that I have found to be a Godsend over the years are packs that you can buy which include both a keyboard and a mouse together; this manages to save time and hassle and also means that you're going to have a matching set which always look better for visitors! That one thing that could possibly go wrong with buying a mouse/keyboard combo is that you may decide that you like one but not the other which could mean you wasting quite a bit of money; luckily I seem to have struck gold.

I bought the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 for my home computer about 18 months ago and haven't looked back since. At the time it cost me around £60 but it seemed to be worth the price so I took a gamble that certainly paid off.

*** Keyboard ***

I spend a lot of time typing on the computer as I prefer computer keyboards to laptop keyboards therefore I wanted something which was going to be comfortable to use for extended periods of time and this keyboard certainly ticks all the boxes for me.

The keyboard, as you can see from the picture is black and silver; all the keys are black with clear white lettering and all the edges are silver. This gives the keyboard a modern and professional feel to it. The keyboard is a curved shaped which means that all the keys slightly curve off centre, this may take a bit of time getting used to but once you have I think it makes everything much easier to access.

The keys are very responsive and easily pressed and fortunately they don't make that irritating clicking sound which you hear non stop in offices and the like. I've read some not so favourable reviews on the keyboard online, some people have said that the keyboard misses out certain letters however I've not experienced this at all and I think if the keyboard is missing letters then it's the users fault not the keyboards. I type at a relatively quick pace and the keyboard is brilliant at keeping up with everything I type which is a major plus and is the main reason that I decided to buy a new keyboard because my old Logitech board had trouble keeping up.

I really like the feel of the keys, they don't feel like cheap plastic much like you'll find on keyboards in offices and other work places. Another great thing about the keys themselves is that the letters printed on them don't fade like on some keyboards which is incredibly annoying because if you're not the worlds best typist you're sure to get stuck occasionally even if most of the time you can type without the need to look at the keys when you're typing.

The keyboard comes with an attached wrist support at the bottom, this is an invaluable item as I've used keyboards without them and after around 30-45 minutes my wrists really began to ache and I found myself taking regular breaks however I can type for hours without breaks using this keyboard. Obviously it's advised that you take a 15 minute break every hour when typing but even after typing for more than an hour my wrists don't feel sore in the slightest.

Unlike some keyboards, this Microsoft keyboard has other functions situated around the perimeters of the keyboard which other devices may not have. On the left hand side you'll find a gadgets tab where you can zoom in and out easily and just above that you'll find a home, email, phone, music, photos and files tabs. I however don't tend to make use of these because if you've been using computers for a while like I have, finding the programmes using the mouse is second nature to me. Above the usual F keys you'll find the entertainment keys which consist of volume changes, play/pause, fast forward and rewind. Again these aren't keys that I personally make use of as I prefer to do it the old fashioned way but they are equally as responsive as the generic way so for someone looking to save a few valuable seconds these buttons could be a real asset for you.

My only bugbear would be something that I touched on before concerning the layout of the keys, they are not drastically different to generic keyboards but the keys are slightly off centre meaning that if you're familiar with a normal keyboard it may take you some time to get used to the places of all the keys on this keyboard. The left Shift key in particular is very small and I often find myself pressing the Caps Lock key without realising it.

I'm not a big fan of computer games but whilst playing one a while ago I found the keyboard to be extremely accurate and responsive even with prolonged pressing of the same key which I was very impressed with. This just goes to show that Microsoft have thought of absolutely everything.

Setting up the keyboard is very simple and requires you to place the batteries in the compartment (2xAA) and when they have been inserted correctly a yellow light will illuminate on the far right of the keyboard beside the calculator and lock tabs. From the name of the keyboard I'm sure you've all figured out that it is wireless therefore you need something to connect the keyboard to the computer if there is no traditional cable. This comes in the form of a little receiver which plugs into the USB slot situated at the back of the computer, this is easily done and will take no longer than 2 minutes. A red light will illuminate and remain illuminated whilst the computer is switched on and this will mean you're able to use the keyboard and the mouse. The receiver can be placed anywhere around the computer however the wire is very short which limits where you can place it. I place it on the computer desk just above where the tower is and this allows me to effectively use the keyboard to it's full potential. The user manual couldn't be easier to use and takes you through each process is step by step motions. You're told by the manual not to place the receiver further than a metre away from the keyboard and mouse which is practically impossible anyway given the length of the cable but I've found that even with the keyboard on my lap as I sometimes use it, it is still perfectly responsive and I am extremely impressed with every aspect of it.

All in all though I would say this is a fantastic keyboard; quick responsive, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and very easy to use therefore I think it's well worth the money I paid for it.

*** Mouse ***

The keyboard would be effectively useless with no mouse so thankfully Microsoft have provided it's user with a fully functional and very competent mouse which will enable you to carry out every task which you could possibly need it for. Given that I spend a lot of time typing on the computer that inevitably means that I spend a lot of time using the mouse to manoeuvre my way through internet pages, pictures, music and Word documents meaning that I need a mouse that's going to be equally as responsive as it's keyboard counterpart.

The mouse succeeds on all levels, much like the keyboard it is silver and grey but this time it's silver in the middle and black on the outside giving you a very stylish mouse to rival the keyboard. Of course style isn't everything but fortunately Microsoft has made an extremely comfortable mouse, I believe this mouse was created with comfort in mind as it has an indent on the left hand side of the mouse where your thumb rests comfortably. Overall my hand rests perfectly on the mouse and everyone else that has used the mouse, including my Dad who inevitably has bigger hands than me has too found that the mouse is effortless to use and incredibly comfortable on your hands.

This mouse was designed with right hand people in mind so I would suggest that if you're left handed then it may be better to consider purchasing another mouse which will be superior in meeting your requirements as a left handed user.

Unlike some mice this mouse only has two buttons where your index and middle finger will rest perfectly, I'm sure everyone knows which button is for what purpose so I wont go into that but both buttons are extremely responsive and don't stick like some tend to. As the left button is inevitably going to be used a lot more often it's good to know that it's effortlessly pressed and you're greeted with an uplifting click when pressing down both buttons unlike some mice that don't make any noise at all you know straight away when you've clicked on something.

In place of the middle button you get a scroll wheel instead, I've always loved these and refuse to buy a mouse which doesn't have one as I find it extremely irritating having to click and hold the right hand bar on the screen in order to scroll down on a page. Problems have arisen with the scroll wheel unfortunately though, if used too vigorously it can sometimes stick and be a little difficult to use but after a while this problem seems to fix itself and go back to normal.

The mouse is also equipped with two side buttons, situated on the left of the mouse. One enables you to go back a page if you're surfing the internet and one allows you to magnify specific areas on the screen; if your eyesight isn't too good then this could be an invaluable aspect.

The mouse is extremely responsive, so responsive infact that when I use my laptop there's such a huge difference is responsiveness that I find myself clicking on the wrong things because I haven't scrolled far enough up or down on my laptop. The mouse doesn't require a mouse pad, infact I've always hated them and found them to actually slow down productivity of the mouse, I have a wooden computer desk and the mouse slides around brilliantly on the surface without being scratched.

The mouse will take a bit of getting used to because it is so responsive but when you've mastered it (which wont take long) you'll never look back and you'll instantly see the vast difference using this mouse compared to other mice.

The mouse is equally as easy to set up as the keyboard, there is only one receiver for both mouse and keyboard so once it's been activated then you wont have to do it twice. Like the keyboard the mouse requires two AA batteries. One thing I've noticed when using both the mouse and the keyboard is how long the batteries last, since having this mouse and keyboard I believe I have only changed the batteries once and considering how much typing and use I get out of the computer I feel that that's a brilliant feature.

To set up both the mouse and the keyboard you'll be required to enter the CD-ROM which comes in the box, this takes only 5 minutes and you will only need to do it once. You're told in the manual NOT to connect the mouse of the keyboard before inserting the CD-ROM so make sure you don't get too ahead of yourself because you may end up causing an error.

*** Overall ***

To summarise I think this package is absolutely superb, the keyboard is comfortable, slick, responsive and effortlessly easy to use and the mouse is extremely responsive and comfortable. There are two problems I've come across when using them both (key layout and scroll wheel) however these are very minor problems; once you've got used to the layout it wont be an issue and as long as you use the scroll wheel gently you wont be faced with a problem.

When I first bought this mouse/keyboard combo it set me back around £60 these days it can be purchased on Amazon for an impressive £36.99. If you're in the market for a new mouse and keyboard you must at least take a look at this, you'd be mad not to!

Summary: A brilliant buy, highly recommended.

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