14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is gearing up to launch a new ergonomic keyboard focused on delivering the user comfort of a split keyboard with a straight keyboard design.
It took the Redmond company’s three years to blend together the best out of the two worlds into a single peripheral which is right on track for commercial availability in just a month and a half.
The result has been labeled the Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000, and there should be customers already familiar with Microsoft’s Comfort Curve brand.
“Building on the original Comfort Curve, this new key layout is designed to be a better option for straight-keyboard users and has been improved in two fundamental ways,” explained Dan Odell, Certified Professional Ergonomist.
“First, the QWERTY keys are uniformly sized in a way that is more similar to a standard straight keyboard. That increases the familiarity. Second, the curve has been modified to be more organic – adding curvature in the third dimension. That increases the comfort.”
The Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 is scheduled to hit store shelves in August 2011. For the time being, customers can head over to online retailers such as Amazon, Office Depot, and the Microsoft Store and pre-order the keyboard.
Priced at just $19.95, the Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 is certainly worth every cent compared to comfort boost that users will get because the way that the peripheral enables a natural wrist position.
“I understand that split keyboards might not be for everyone. One of the challenges has been – how can I provide better comfort and posture for people who prefer working with a straight keyboard? The original Comfort Curve layout was the first step in this direction. The new layout on the Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 represents the next step,” Odell added.