4 ms·

Microsoft's keyboards and mice will live on under a unique new partnership

ranger_danger 3y ago
but where's the Trackball Explorer? that was the best mouse ever made.
TheJoeMan 3y ago
I think they have missed that a significant portion may be purchased due to existing customer part # locked into purchasing system. Dropping the “00001” keyboard will spurr re-evaluation of part vendor.
majkinetor 3y ago
Awesome that Sculpt is back. Now I dont have to buy all of them in advance.
- johnchristopher 3y ago
  I totally missed that they stopped making them. I post poned buying for too long.
  - twisteriffic 3y ago
    I have a lifetime supply of ergo 4000's stashed away since the day they announced they were discontinued.
    - genpfault 3y ago
      Down to 3 Natural Pros :(
      - twisteriffic 3y ago
        The failure point on every ergo 4000 I've owned has been the spacebar center post. First thing I'll do now is grease that up with some Teflon marine engine grease. Did that on the current one and I'm at around 6 years without a failure vs 2 or so before that.
ksec 3y ago
> Incase, designed by Microsoft. Incase will be using the same manufacturing components and supply chain as Microsoft, and is licensing the designs for a variety of products. >It’s important to note that Incase isn’t getting licenses for all of Microsoft’s PC accessories. >So it’s not a license in the sense where we’re just getting the name to use, we’re continuing the exact same products.” >Around the time of Microsoft’s announcement, the company began having conversations with its designed by Surface partners to let them know it was now more focused on third-party companies manufacturing PC accessories. “On that phone call we mentioned we would be interested in stepping into the shoes of those products,” says Tebele. “Conversations evolved pretty quickly.” I think this is a very good direction and outcome. But it worries me this was not the initial planned route. As much as PR likes to state it is not a reaction to the market response. They did only wanted the surface brand with very selective Surface accessories. Considering out of all the department at Microsoft, Hardware was the only department I consider high quality and one of the best in the market.
- MonaroVXR 3y ago
  Microsoft intelli mouse Pro or something like that, I have 2 of them and I can't use another mouse since I have big hands.
- layer8 3y ago
  I bought a couple of Microsoft keyboards in reserve when they were discontinued. It will be interesting to see how the new editions compare. They may skimp on quality (not that it was always great with MS), or maybe remove some of the more annoying features (like the Office key).
Spivak 3y ago
I love this, it's a good solution to the "big company scraps beloved product because it's only a millions of dollars idea" when the line to run an already established 10-50mil business would be out the door.
wkat4242 3y ago
Hmm too bad. Their peripherals were really high quality. In fact they're probably the only high quality products to ever come out of Microsoft.
jwnin 3y ago
This is good news - love my MS ergo keyboard. Hoping they update the models to support usb-c.
evbart 3y ago
After trying everything under the sun, I’ve found the Sculpt to be one of the most comfortable ergonomic keyboards out there, and its priced really well too. The issue is that stupid dongle, I keep loosing it, and the dongle needs a dongle to adapt it to usb-c… I have been waiting for years and hoping they release a bluetooth version without the dongle
m-p-3 3y ago
I'm wondering if they're licensing BlueTrack as well, it works well on all the surfaces I tried. I would love to have a refreshed model of the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse that could be paired to more than one device with a toggle.

but where's the Trackball Explorer? that was the best mouse ever made.

I think they have missed that a significant portion may be purchased due to existing customer part # locked into purchasing system. Dropping the “00001” keyboard will spurr re-evaluation of part vendor.

majkinetor 3y ago

Awesome that Sculpt is back. Now I dont have to buy all of them in advance.

johnchristopher 3y ago
I totally missed that they stopped making them. I post poned buying for too long.
- twisteriffic 3y ago
  I have a lifetime supply of ergo 4000's stashed away since the day they announced they were discontinued.
  - genpfault 3y ago
    Down to 3 Natural Pros :(
    - twisteriffic 3y ago
      The failure point on every ergo 4000 I've owned has been the spacebar center post. First thing I'll do now is grease that up with some Teflon marine engine grease. Did that on the current one and I'm at around 6 years without a failure vs 2 or so before that.

ksec 3y ago

> Incase, designed by Microsoft. Incase will be using the same manufacturing components and supply chain as Microsoft, and is licensing the designs for a variety of products. >It’s important to note that Incase isn’t getting licenses for all of Microsoft’s PC accessories. >So it’s not a license in the sense where we’re just getting the name to use, we’re continuing the exact same products.” >Around the time of Microsoft’s announcement, the company began having conversations with its designed by Surface partners to let them know it was now more focused on third-party companies manufacturing PC accessories. “On that phone call we mentioned we would be interested in stepping into the shoes of those products,” says Tebele. “Conversations evolved pretty quickly.” I think this is a very good direction and outcome. But it worries me this was not the initial planned route. As much as PR likes to state it is not a reaction to the market response. They did only wanted the surface brand with very selective Surface accessories. Considering out of all the department at Microsoft, Hardware was the only department I consider high quality and one of the best in the market.

MonaroVXR 3y ago
Microsoft intelli mouse Pro or something like that, I have 2 of them and I can't use another mouse since I have big hands.
layer8 3y ago
I bought a couple of Microsoft keyboards in reserve when they were discontinued. It will be interesting to see how the new editions compare. They may skimp on quality (not that it was always great with MS), or maybe remove some of the more annoying features (like the Office key).

Spivak 3y ago

I love this, it's a good solution to the "big company scraps beloved product because it's only a millions of dollars idea" when the line to run an already established 10-50mil business would be out the door.

wkat4242 3y ago

Hmm too bad. Their peripherals were really high quality. In fact they're probably the only high quality products to ever come out of Microsoft.

jwnin 3y ago

This is good news - love my MS ergo keyboard. Hoping they update the models to support usb-c.

evbart 3y ago

After trying everything under the sun, I’ve found the Sculpt to be one of the most comfortable ergonomic keyboards out there, and its priced really well too. The issue is that stupid dongle, I keep loosing it, and the dongle needs a dongle to adapt it to usb-c… I have been waiting for years and hoping they release a bluetooth version without the dongle

m-p-3 3y ago

I'm wondering if they're licensing BlueTrack as well, it works well on all the surfaces I tried. I would love to have a refreshed model of the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse that could be paired to more than one device with a toggle.