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Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Review - Hardware

RRP:$199.95

Introduction

When I first saw this product on the market, I thought "Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to sit up in bed with some sort of pad for the mouse, and play CS or BF1942." So when my birthday came around, I put this product on the wish list and to my revelation, it was my major present! Now at first of course, they got me a model which I didn't like which was the Wireless Optical Desktop Pro (RRP: $229.95). The only difference with the Pro is that it has the bent keyboard, which is useless if your typing is all over the place (like mine!) So after taking it back, and exchanging it for the cheaper model, I was jumping with joy.

We then walked around the store for about an hour looking for something else to get with the spare money, but I didn't find anything! So off we went in the car back home, with the nice red box sitting in the back acting all comfy and proud that it was bought by me. When I got home, of course my mother wanted to check it all out, and she said something along the lines of me being ungrateful. =P So then I took it into my room, and opened the darn thing!

The Goods

Inside the box, you'll find a wireless keyboard, A little plastic thing to attach to the bottom part of the keyboard (the bit near the spacebar) to stop it from sliding around, a wireless mouse, an installation CD, an installation manual, batteries for the keyboard and mouse, and a receiver. The receiver was a great idea, and I made sure it came with one because if your tower is situated behind a 32" speaker (like mine) and if the receiver is coming from behind there, you're not going to get much signal.

After unpacking everything, and clipping that plastic thing onto the keyboard, I then put the batteries in. Keyboard batteries went in fine, but the mouse batteries was quite the challenge! Opening the lid located underneath the mouse must have taken me 5 minutes, and then when I finally got it, it came off with great ease. It's a bit like those Nokia phones, just need a little wearing in. Then came the installation.

Installation

The installation disc is very user friendly, and you most likely don't need to read the manual (unless you don't know how to install the batteries into the mouse, although it didn't give much help anyway.) I suggest you install both the keyboard and mouse in 1 go, and install the keyboard first. Once running through the programs, shut down your computer, if it doesn't do that for you already. Once shutting it down, unplug your old keyboard and mouse, put them somewhere safe, and plug in the ... (continued next page)