You might not think it, with Microsoft's focus on touch-screen controls with its Surface 2 tablet and Windows 8.1, and its love of voice and gesture controls in the Xbox One's Kinect 2 motion sensor, but the Redmond company still has a lot of time for traditional keyboard and mouse setups, and have long been the creators of some very decent desktop kits, of which the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop is the latest.
As well as having a fine pedigree in mice and keyboards – the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard and Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 being two highlights, Microsoft also has enviable experience in creating ergonomically designed devices, and its expertise is evident in the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop.
If the word 'Ergonomic' in the name wasn't enough of a clue as to Microsoft's ambitions with this keyboard and mouse set, then the distinctive design will probably clue you in. Named 'manta ray' by Microsoft, the keyboard is partially split just off the centre, with the keys curving towards the gap. The idea here is that the keys are positioned more naturally for where your fingers are, which means they don't have to stretch as much to hit the keys when typing – thereby lessening stress when using the keyboard for long periods of time. It could also – in time – make your typing faster. We say 'in time,' as when first using the keyboard the peculiar layout will probably slow your typing down, and temporarily increase errors if you're typing without looking at the keys.
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