Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse Serial Number
Pierpont Oldham
I love my MS 4000 keyboard. it's one of the best pieces of hardware developed by Redmond. It has some drawbacks, sure, no USB ports, weird function keys, no backlight - but the real problem with it is its heft. It's a chunky-monkey that's really only suitable for leaving in a fixed location. It's far to big and bulky for a laptop bag - and life's too short to type on a non-ergonomic keyboard.
The split and rise of the unit is a delight. Feels really easy on the wrists. They keys don't have a lot of travel - it's more like a laptop that a traditional keyboard - but it's responsive and light.
The layout is fairly traditional for the main part and should be easy enough to get used to. The numberpad had moved to its own, separate unit - so there's a weird cluster of positioning keys - home, end, arrows, etc.
As you can see above, the calculator key is present - which is useful. Of less use is the function switch. On most keyboards, the function keys do double-duty as media keys. By using a dedicated function key, you can switch their use. So F5 refreshes the screen, and Function+F5 launches a search window. With this keyboard, you have to flick a switch, hit the key, and then remember to flick it back. It's a little annoying.
Microsoft has never liked standards. Rather than going with Bluetooth - which would have been available on all modern computers - they've bundled their own proprietary wireless dongle. DO NOT LOSE THIS DONGLE! If the dongle is lost or damaged, you cannot get a replacement - your only option is to buy an entire new set! I spoke to MS about this and they say that's for "security". They will, however, send a replacement set if you're still within the warranty period of your purchase.
If it were my choice, this device would have a rechargable battery - with a standard USB connector for power. Microsoft have chosen to use 2 AAA batteries in the keyboard. The mouse takes 2 AA batteries. Both keyboard and mouse have nifty magnetic doors hiding the batteries. The numberpad has a battery compartment which can only be accessed by a screwdriver. The battery? A CR2430 coin cell!
The mouse is fairly weighty. There are two thumb buttons available - one is a "back" button, which can easily be remapped to something more useful. The other is a "Windows" key - to open your start menu.
It's not all sunshine and roses, however. The aforementioned Function Keys have a tendency to stick in their downwards position. Mine came with a stuck F2 key - which meant I couldn't type a capital C. I quickly jiggled the key loose and I could type normally again.
There are no "Favourites" keys - other than the calculator. I usually have a row of keys dedicated to launching frequently used apps or websites. Unlike the MS 4000, there are no dedicated zoom or back/forward shortcut keys.
Man I am big fan of Sculpt myself. I have 2 of them, one for home and one for office. Funnily enough I was struck by the "function keys problem" (especially F6 and F7 near the curvature), but usually keeping an eye on those keys and pressing them carefully does the trick (luckily those are not keys i use too frequently). It has another small manufacturing issue, when you use it for longer time, the nice "rubbery fabric" which the wrist is resting starts coming out from couture (point the suture?). But that's very minor thing. Also this keyboard is for people with big hands mostly.
Just thought you would like to know that your keyboard "flap" thing is a broken part of the keyboard case. It is the reason for the loose escape key. You should get it replaced (or glue it back where it belongs).
In my humble opinion this is BY FAR the best keyboard ever created. It is most certainly not the sturdiest, as I seem to chew through my Sculpts fairly regularly. I don't care, because when it comes to the typing and ergo experience, the Sculpt is leagues ahead of everything else out there. If I ever hear these are discontinued I'm gonna stock up with about 50 of them!
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People started to stockpile rapidly dwindling stock, with even one person in Japan purchasing 10 of the Sculpt keyboards to ensure that he'd have a steady supply until the apocalypse. I for one, was very disappointed, given I've used and been very happy with Microsoft's split ergonomic keyboards since 2007.
It also begged the question: what next? The only other major manufacturers who build ergonomic keyboards are Logitech and Lenovo, and both have number pads which get in the way when reaching for the mouse.
Luckily, accessory company Incase is stepping up to the game and licensing a large swathe of Microsoft's accessory line. They will continue to use Microsoft's designs and manufacturing line to build the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard, among other devices, meaning those of us reliant on it as our daily driver will be able to buy a replacement when it finally conks off to keyboard heaven, hopefully for years to come. The only difference is that it will now sport Incase's logo, with the tagline "Incase, designed by Microsoft". I'm okay with that.
Incase has also announced that they will eventually release a new split keyboard which Microsoft had designed, but had not yet released, so we can still look forward to a new iteration of ergonomic keyboards.
Devices that Incase will bring back include the following, listed on their website. It's rumoured we'll see them in Q2 2024, but pricing is unclear. Here's hoping they don't jack up the price just because they can.
First, it's important to note that this mouse is for right-handed users only (sorry, lefties). The shape slopes upward and gently rises back toward your palm, so it's really comfortable to use for long stretches of time. The left side has a trim pad for your thumb to rest.
It actually reminds me a lot of the old Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer, in that it's lightweight and molded to cradle your hand. My only design complaint is the shiny plastic finish can get a little sticky if you're using it in hot environments.
All the buttons on the mouse are remappable once you download the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center software. You can choose to assign the Windows button to do things like open the Start Menu, launch Cortana, or access any of your applications or tasks -- it's really up to you to decide what works best for your day-to-day productivity.
Same goes for the thumb swipes, but I prefer to use them to move me back and forward in a web-browser window. Another sweet feature is the mouse provides haptic feedback (aka a little vibration) whenever you swipe it to let you know it's registered the action. You can also disable it if you want.
Tired of plugging and unplugging a wireless dongle into all your devices? The Sculpt eschews USB entirely and uses Bluetooth to connect to a PC or tablet. (The catch, of course, is that you need to make sure your PC has Bluetooth support; some older models don't.)
The bottom of the mouse has a power switch (turn it off to conserve the two AA batteries, which Microsoft says can boost the overall life up to 10 months) and a Bluetooth button that you use to pair it -- the process is simple, but some users online have complained about connection drops.
The workaround is just as easy: all you have to do is access the Intel hardware adapter under the device manager's Bluetooth settings and uncheck the box labeled "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
I tested it with success on a number of tabletops, carpets and other rough or reflective textures. While these surfaces present a problem for traditional mice, the Sculpt scrolls beautifully across all of them. Glass is the only exception.
A combination of convenient shortcut buttons, ergonomic design and a supremely precise laser sensor earn the Microsoft Sculpt Bluetooth mouse high marks and a no-brainer recommendation for Windows users. If, however, you're looking for a Bluetooth mouse to use exclusively with MacOS, Android or Chrome, consider the Logitech M535 for a few bucks more, or the far-more-expensive Logitech MX Anywhere 2 or flagship MX Master if you want to go luxe.
I recently purchased a Microsoft Sculpt keyboard for my Mac desktop. The mouse and the keyboard are working totally fine, but I was told that in order to get the full function of the product I needed to install the drivers for it. I have no idea what that is or how to go about getting that done. Any suggestions?
From the look of this page: -gb/products/keyboards/sculpt-ergonomic- desktop/l5v-00006 Microsoft have only produced Windows drivers for the hardware. That said, I'm not using a Mac to look at the page.
The Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB split keyboard allows you to arrange its two halves on your desk independently to create a wider stance and reduce shoulder or neck strain. Its mechanical key switches are larger, louder, and a bit tougher to press in comparison with the keys on our top pick from Logitech, but many people prefer the feel of a mechanical keyboard. With the recommended Lift Kit accessory, you can also tent the keyboard halves (raise their inner edges) to keep your wrists at a neutral angle. Typing on a fully split keyboard can take about two weeks to get really comfortable with, so we recommend the Freestyle Edge for people who are willing to accept a bit of a learning curve for a more comfortable typing experience.
Dave Gershgorn is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter who has reviewed tech since 2015, including peripherals such as mice and keyboards. To research this guide, he interviewed three ergonomic experts about how keyboards strain the body and what to look for in a good ergonomic keyboard. After initial testing, he also flew across the country to conduct a test panel with the top keyboards at our office in Long Island City, New York, where we paid testers for their time as they used the keyboards and gave their opinions.
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