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Microsoft ZHA-00001 Wireless Media Desktop 1000 (Black) Mouse
- Input Interface Type: Mouse
- Motion Device Type: Optical
- Connectivity: Wireless
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Affordable Basic Wireless Keyboard and Mouse for Home Office
Pros
Reasonably priced <br>Fits neatly into most older under-desk keyboard trays<br>Accurate keyboard<br>Good battery life
Cons
Short-range wireless transmitter<br>Few advanced features
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Recommended (within its limitations), especially to increase usability of home office desktop or PC
After purchasing a new HP notebook PC to replace my old Dell desktop in my home office, I ran into a dilemma - the new notebook didn’t like my old desk. The old desk had a high writing surface sized to my tall torso; when I had the desktop, I used a keyboard mounted underneath the table. The new PC’s keyboard was uncomfortably high when placed atop the desk, and its sensitive keypad could not be operated without numerous errors in such a position. I bought the Microsoft Media 1000 Wireless Desktop (Transmitter, Keyboard and Optical Mouse) to solve this problem. I have owned this product now for six months (Aug '09).
Wireless Keyboard
The new Microsoft keyboard is small and narrow enough to fit neatly on the under-desk tray that held the old desktop keypad. The keys are slightly concave and adequately large for my fat fingers. Key touch is a bit stiffer and springier, with a ‘low’ or less-sensitive touch than on the new notebook, and a bit mushier – I actually like this as it resembles the action of my old Dell desktop keypad, and requires less ‘re-learning’ to resume touch-typing. Most importantly, the 1000‘s keyboard is accurate - you type a keystroke, it enters the correct keystroke.
The keyboard has a few other features which may be of interest to some users, including a standard separate numeric keypad, a Windows Start button, a 'Flip 3D' option (you press this key to display a 3D overlay of all open windows and cycle through them), 'hot' keys giving one-touch access to your Windows Media® Player, e-mail, documents, photos, or instant messaging, and several keys that may be custom-set to favorite files or folders. After six months of daily use I am still using the original alkaline batteries in the keyboard.
Wireless Optical Mouse
The Microsoft 1000 Optical Mouse supplied with the desktop set has a good heavy feel to it, and, with the brief exception of a strange page scrolling issue (noted below), has worked reliably. Battery life (2 AA cells) is good but not great - I had to replace the mouse batteries at five months due to a low battery warning instead of the advertised six months' duration. The hard composite body has a slightly tactile surface, and is well-shaped. It has a scroll wheel function that many Microsoft mice now use. I only use the mouse for general office/Word production and the internet, but it seems precise enough for general PC use.
Wireless Operation and Use
With the keyboard mounted directly beneath the PC, obviously wireless range should not be an issue for me with either the keyboard or the optical mouse. However, I would note that the wireless transmitter must be placed to either side of the opened notebook screen or desktop monitor (never directly behind it) in order to prevent interference and obtain reliable reception.
Within an hour I had quickly adapted to the new wireless keyboard and mouse, touch- typing a report without errors, always the sign of a good computer accessory to my way of thinking. By sunset I had lingered overlong on a report without turning on the room light, and realized I had not been hunting for symbols on the keys for some time.
The wireless transmitter takes up one USB port on my notebook, while providing operation to two components (keyboard and mouse). With another port attached to a printer, I still have one USB port available for other connections. Neither the keyboard nor the mouse show any visible wear, worn-off lettering, sticking keys, or other signs of heavy use.
In the last two months I have twice noticed instances of uncontrolled scrolling (page moves up or down despite user attempts to stabilize or control page position) while in one or more open windows with vertical scrolling bars. I am relatively certain this phenomenon is due to the wireless mouse and/or its transmitter, as switching to a wired mouse solved the problem. Later, I went back to the Microsoft wireless mouse, and the problem has not reoccurred. I do not think it is tied to low battery level. I have noticed a few similar complaints from other wireless mouse users of different brands.
Conclusion
With a maximum range of only about six feet, this wireless desktop set is not well suited to portable use outside or around a large room. For use with a desktop or desk-mounted notebook, however, it works just fine, and it doesn't cost very much, either. For anyone with a home office needing a more comfortable or portable keyboard for an existing desktop or desk-mounted notebook PC, the Microsoft Wireless Media Desktop 1000 is a good choice.
Wireless Keyboard
The new Microsoft keyboard is small and narrow enough to fit neatly on the under-desk tray that held the old desktop keypad. The keys are slightly concave and adequately large for my fat fingers. Key touch is a bit stiffer and springier, with a ‘low’ or less-sensitive touch than on the new notebook, and a bit mushier – I actually like this as it resembles the action of my old Dell desktop keypad, and requires less ‘re-learning’ to resume touch-typing. Most importantly, the 1000‘s keyboard is accurate - you type a keystroke, it enters the correct keystroke.
The keyboard has a few other features which may be of interest to some users, including a standard separate numeric keypad, a Windows Start button, a 'Flip 3D' option (you press this key to display a 3D overlay of all open windows and cycle through them), 'hot' keys giving one-touch access to your Windows Media® Player, e-mail, documents, photos, or instant messaging, and several keys that may be custom-set to favorite files or folders. After six months of daily use I am still using the original alkaline batteries in the keyboard.
Wireless Optical Mouse
The Microsoft 1000 Optical Mouse supplied with the desktop set has a good heavy feel to it, and, with the brief exception of a strange page scrolling issue (noted below), has worked reliably. Battery life (2 AA cells) is good but not great - I had to replace the mouse batteries at five months due to a low battery warning instead of the advertised six months' duration. The hard composite body has a slightly tactile surface, and is well-shaped. It has a scroll wheel function that many Microsoft mice now use. I only use the mouse for general office/Word production and the internet, but it seems precise enough for general PC use.
Wireless Operation and Use
With the keyboard mounted directly beneath the PC, obviously wireless range should not be an issue for me with either the keyboard or the optical mouse. However, I would note that the wireless transmitter must be placed to either side of the opened notebook screen or desktop monitor (never directly behind it) in order to prevent interference and obtain reliable reception.
Within an hour I had quickly adapted to the new wireless keyboard and mouse, touch- typing a report without errors, always the sign of a good computer accessory to my way of thinking. By sunset I had lingered overlong on a report without turning on the room light, and realized I had not been hunting for symbols on the keys for some time.
The wireless transmitter takes up one USB port on my notebook, while providing operation to two components (keyboard and mouse). With another port attached to a printer, I still have one USB port available for other connections. Neither the keyboard nor the mouse show any visible wear, worn-off lettering, sticking keys, or other signs of heavy use.
In the last two months I have twice noticed instances of uncontrolled scrolling (page moves up or down despite user attempts to stabilize or control page position) while in one or more open windows with vertical scrolling bars. I am relatively certain this phenomenon is due to the wireless mouse and/or its transmitter, as switching to a wired mouse solved the problem. Later, I went back to the Microsoft wireless mouse, and the problem has not reoccurred. I do not think it is tied to low battery level. I have noticed a few similar complaints from other wireless mouse users of different brands.
Conclusion
With a maximum range of only about six feet, this wireless desktop set is not well suited to portable use outside or around a large room. For use with a desktop or desk-mounted notebook, however, it works just fine, and it doesn't cost very much, either. For anyone with a home office needing a more comfortable or portable keyboard for an existing desktop or desk-mounted notebook PC, the Microsoft Wireless Media Desktop 1000 is a good choice.
