Microsoft keyboard users are so devastated after discontinuation of accessories | Hacker News Reader

Microsoft keyboard users are so devastated after discontinuation of accessories

cnbc.com

39 pointsFoe24 comments

I'm gutted; I absolutely love the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard, especially with the optional slightly inverted slope, it's even more comfortable than previous ergonomic keyboard models. And I've been exclusively using Microsoft ergonomic keyboards for over 20 years, started in my late teens. Tempted to buy a second Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard as a backup for when this keyboard eventually dies, hopefully not for a long, long time!

Similar situation here. I have on occasions seen all sorts of crazy looking split keyboards around the internet. They've looked interesting, but pricey, I can't touch them, and the MS ergo keyboards have served me well so I've not taken it any further. This will be what makes me take it further, maybe some interesting keycaps (maybe black!)

Logitech discontinuing their ergonomic keyboards is what drove me to build a mechanical split keyboard.

I love the sculpt keyboard, however the function keys are tiny and frustrating (I use them quite a bit for maya) when some of the keys stopped working on it, I upgraded to the surface ergonomic keyboard which has a similar shape and built in numpad and took the riser that goes under the initial ergonimic keyboard and with the help of some velcro tape...

it's bigger on my desk which I dont love but I DO use the numpad and the F keys are much more usable, (I did create a cover for the FN key and the power off button to avoid hitting them by accident though)

It is kind of ironic that their best, most well received product is hardware. Microsoft Accessories was actually the only Microsoft product / sector I like. Sad to see it go.

Definitely a classic keyboard and fantastic in its own right, but there are so many more options these days, especially from Kinesis (originally said Logitech, but they don't make ergo keyboards anymore). Not surprised to see it go.

Those options are too expensive except for keyboard mania. Cheap option is also important.

Yeah, I was going to put in a plug for Kinesis. I used to love the Microsoft keyboards and now use a Kinesis split mechanical keyboard. It's $200 which is not the cheapest keyboard but if you type a lot it's worth spending money on something you find comfortable.

I had a Freesyle Mechanical and my wife has the Freestyle Bluetooth. Both were amazing keyboards. Definitely better than the Microsoft ergo keyboards that influenced them.

As corporations "consolidate" choice disappears. More are more products are bound to be removed and only the most successful ones will remain. Only when there are medium sized companies consumers have choice.

The end goal of capitalism is to have a monopoly. Same as a state run monopoly.

It’s upto governments to ensure that neither happens.

There are more choices from more manufacturers than there has ever been in the history of humanity.

You can buy keyboards from wish.com e-waste to standard "good" to enthusiast vessels for artistic expression to hyper-expensive ergonomic solutions that take weeks to learn how to use.

There is a near-infinite selection to choose from at near-infinite price points.

You can build custom keyboards with open source hardware AND software designs.

"Back in thuh day" you could only choose between what was in stock at CompUSA, Circuit City, and Best Buy. Now there are so many options it is overwhelming.

Are we in the golden age of consumer choice? Minus Microsoft, of course.

Is that a bad thing? Now it will free up the space to promote more competition between medium sized company.

So yeah it's sometimes a good thing - but in this situation, and at least in my neck of world woods,

most of the newer competing options to for my microsoft natural 4000 - not available to touch in person at my local best buy / office depot/max

So I look many times at amazon which has some similar at a good price, some with backlit keys and such - I've ordered a few - none of them feel the same.. one has a wierd feel that makes me cringe like touching neoprene (not everyone has that ick feel with that material) -

the keypresses are not the same either - so I am not using any of the new options but it looks like I will at some point.

I'd like to see more 'cases' for the non-msoft / non-logitech keyboards - (want to take full size ergo keys to different places) searching recently I've mainly seen just a couple of options for the two big known brands.

Of course this is keeping on the budget side of things. I've kicked the rabbit hole of ~200+ options and like what I see, but really want to touch and feel before such a buy.

tldr - the consolidation has sucked up choice at the retailers, and also the retailers themselves - and some competition has been good it seems, but not as great as if amazon had a mobile truck that would bring every no name ergo keyboard to touch and feel first before buying.

I bought the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard (the new one, no hole in the middle) and I must say it's the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used. It annoyingly has an Office and an Emoji key which I don't use and the Enter key is a bit small but I've gotten used to those quirks.

I don't even need another mouse, but I'm buying a Pro IntelliMouse simply to have one on the shelf in case my current one dies. I've been using them since the optical version that was released in 2000 and by now my hand isn't comfortable with anything else.

Microsoft has made good peripherals.

Microsoft intellimouse was my all time favorite mouse.

https://www.newegg.com/microsoft-d58-00015-intellimouse/p/N8...

That thing brings back memories!

Hey; it's even certified for Windows Vista!

The Sculpt Ergo keyboard is great, but that big, orange-sized mouse is the best I've ever used. I'll have to see if my employer will buy another before Amazon runs out of them.

There will be a thriving market on eBay (and AliExpress and Amazon) for Microsoft mouse and keyboard products and parts for at least the next 20 years.

Quality has fallen tremendously since the 1990s with MS mice. It seems like this may have been inevitable.

I wonder if they’re popular enough that you’ll see some Unicomp phenomenon of sorts in the future.

The Unicomp phenomenon was that IBM literally spun off their keyboards along with the printer stuff to Lexmark. Lexmark, in turn, begat Unicomp because they'd rather sell fiddly terrible $19 inkjet printers.

It does seem like it's getting harder to find a "tasteful" mouse at retail. I bought the new Intellimouse Pro for my work space a few years ago, but now the office supply chain basically only has Logitech products, and if you don't want them, you can go to Best Buy and spend $80 on something gamery that looks like Optimus Prime's RGB marital aid.

I could probably find something online, but peripherals are very much a comfort and feel angle where in-person experience helps.

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