notebook mice

My friend used this keyboard and mouse for approximately 6 months and did not like it. He gave it to me and I have been using it for the past month and a half.

Pro's:
1. If the only thing to consider was aesthetics, then this set would take the cake. It's sleek, and has a modern look to it. I never knew that a mouse and keyboard could look so impressive.
2. Microsoft name which means that it is not a hokey $2.00 product.
3. Highly efficient battery usage. I am still using the original batteries that came with the set when my friend originally purchased the keyboard/mouse combo. This is very unlike the first generation wireless products where you had to swap out the batteries every week or so.
4. A large number of "hotkeys" where you can hit one button to load up your favorite webpage or function. Easy to program and change.
5. No messy cords in the way.

Cons:
1. Non-intuitive design: a) the delete key is in an awkward location. Microsoft has decided to place the "insert, delete, home, end, page up, and page dn" keys in a vertical fashion. b) still cant get used to the shape of the mouse. it's designed so that the user has to palm the entire mouse - (maybe to prevent injuries? but still awkward) c) there is no caps lock light on the keyboard itself, you have to look at the receiver to find out if the "caps Lock" button has been hit.
2. Susceptible to "act out". Sometimes, out of the blue, while I am viewing a webpage or document, it scrolls up and down erratically. My friend complained of non-registering keystrokes and then a ton of letters finally showing up at once. i am guessing his workstation was susceptible to wireless interference, as is mine. But in this age of cordless phones and other gadgets, it is pretty hard to eliminate all interference. Just letting you know that there may be glitches here and there.

Conclusion: Would I recommend this set to a friend? Hard to say, my suggestion is to go out to a physical store and try the product out. Hold the mouse and see if you like the feel of it. Don't be wooed by the looks of the set alone, as comfort should be your first priority.

I recently replaced my old, out dated wireless setup with this new sweet piece of equipment from microsoft. First the mouse handles like an abosoulte dream. I play many games, so accuracy is a big factor in how I rate a mouse. The main reason I purchased this new wireless desktop was because my old wireless ball mouse was terrible at tracking. This new microsoft mouse works like a dream. No skipping and no problems what so ever. It is the perfect size for 95% of people and the smooth scroll wheel and the back and forward buttons work beautifully. The Keyboard is equally impressive. Five customizeble hot buttons are easy as pie to program, a set of media keys, file hot buttons and internet hot keys all work as expected. The keys don't get scratched up, so the keyboard always looks brandnew and the complementary keyboard scrollwhell with back and foward buttons cannot have enough nice things said about them. The keyboard and mouse DO only work within 6 feet of the reciever as advertised by microsoft which is fine for me and most people. If you do want your desktop to work futher away go for the bluetooth setup, but its not fair to complain about the elite because it performs as detailed by the company. I haven't found any problems with the software, and again, for the vast majority of people it is more than adequate. Overall this system has worked as I expected and I would highly recommend it.

"Home" "End" "Delete" "Pg Up" and "Pg Down" keys are in the wrong place. Until getting this keyboard, I never realized how much I used these 5 keys, particularly "Delete". Although I am getting use to the new placement, I must unlearn the placement ever time I use a different computer with a normal keyboard, such as at work. I really don't care which placement is better from an engineering standpoint. With keyboards, consistency is really important. Finally, I am finding I have to hit keys twice sometimes to get the keyboard to type. I have moved the receiver around with no improvement. I did not have this problem with my last cordless keyboard (logitech). Maybe that is a result of bum batteries (they come with the keyboard).