Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

I'm going to be graduating from a twenty year affair with Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000s to a Keyboardio Model 100. I'm bookmarking all these interesting ideas for then! Currently I just have capslock remapped to ctrl, which is awesome. However I also have a FS3-P USB Triple Foot Switch which is surprisingly handy. Cannot map a pedal as CTRL, as it is a separate keyboard device, but esc for Vim use, and ctrl-w have been useful common keys for me to be able to stomp on. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keyboardio/model-100 https://duckduckgo.com/?kp=-1&kl=au-en&q=FS3-P+USB+Triple+Fo...

- I've been using the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for however long its been since it replaced the 3000 or whatever predecessors. Probably close to 20 years now. I use this same keyboard at work and at home. - I keep a small stack of napkins(between 10 napkins to about 3/4" of napkin) under my left elbow. For some reason the elbow hitting the hard desk hurts, and having a stack of napkings is both useful to use napkins from (and occasionally replace to re-up the stack). It helps a lot on the left elbow. - I use a Razer Deathadder mouse both at home and at work. - I use a foot rest both at home and at work (they are quite a bit different, due to different desks/chairs). - I use monitor arms at home and at work. Also I keep my monitor up higher than most people do. Most people keep them WAYYY to low(at minimum, enough for my keyboard and typing to be able to go under them). It really makes a big difference when you can look straight on most of the time. - I primarily only use 2 monitors. I've had up to 3 and 4 at one point, but noticed slight neck strain. But 2 does well enough for me. I use 2x 27" 1440 resolution 144hz monitors at home. And 2x 27" 4k monitors at work. - I am super picky about chairs. When I last replaced my home one, I sat in probably 150 different chairs in 10 different stores. Ended up ordered some high end chair($1000) and it didn't feel quite right. So I returned it and ordered another a different make/model(About $600) that works for m

I've been using Microsoft Natural keyboards for 20 years now. I used to suffer terribly with RSI from years of typing on crappy keyboards, with bad posture and not enough breaks. The Microsoft Natural keyboard has been good to me - I haven't had RSI twinges for 10 years or so now! I'm typing this on a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro which Wikipedia says was introduced in June 1999 - round about the time I got it. I wish it wasn't white as it really shows the dirt, but the media buttons are the best! I've got two and I switched to the backup recently as my main one got really dirty and I haven't had time to clean it. The MS Natural 4000 is very good too - I had one of those at work for over 10 years. I did wear the legends off but hey - who needs to see what key you are pressing anyway! Just don't press F-lock by accident as you'll be wondering for ages why your function keys aren't working. I like the front stand of the 4000 to put the keyboard up a bit at the front. It is very good for encouraging good posture. (The other thing I did to help with RSI is switch hands with the mouse. It took quite a long time to get used to using the mouse with the left hand but it really made a difference as my right wrist was worse than my left wrist. I'm now ambidextrous with the mouse - the only thing I can't do is draw with the mouse with my left hand!)

I've never been able to use a non-split keyboard comfortably for long periods of time. I used a Kinesis Ergo for awhile and generally liked it except that I still have to be able to use other people's keyboards from time to time and it was just too different. The Microsoft Natural 4000 has been my favorite for around 8 years but I wish I could get one with mechanical switches. It has a slight curve - the "flat but split" form factor of some others feels a little off to me.

I use the 4000 and have for the last 8-9 years. They break or otherwise fail to wear or spillage but I've had 4 of them and my hands and wrists don't hurt. If Microsoft ever stops making them I fear for my wrists. Every time I get a new job I bring in my own keyboard or have them get me a 4000 for work and leave mine at home. Best keyboard I've used.

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is just an awesome keyboard. I bought my first copy of this keyboard when my wrists started hurting about 5 years ago. It was the only keyboard in the store where my wrists didn't hurt just looking at the thing. (I solved my wrist problem by going to the physical therapist - they recommended stretches for my particular injury. I also took the arms off my office chair, as my particular injury was caused by resting my elbows too long on the armrest. AND I switched to the MS 4000 AND I switched to Dvorak.) I _thought_ the trick to many ergo keyboards was the split keyboard, so you can keep your wrists parallel to your forearms instead of having to bend your wrists out to get your fingers parallel to each other. But not sure how much of that is fact and how much of it is folklore.

I have a Natural 4000 too. I had wrist pain for years and then it got drastically worse in a few months. My partner recommended the keyboard and within two weeks my wrist pain was completely removed with no other lifestyle changes. I've had it for two years and the pain has stayed away. Apart from RSI relief I find it has also increased my typing speed.

I've had a Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard for a couple of years, now. Apart from the (relative) comfort, it's a well-built, sturdy (i.e. heavy) peripheral, which in itself improves the typing experience, I think. If you are thinking of switching to one, then be prepared to spend some time adapting to it. I'm a ~100wpm touch typist, and while at university had used the 4000's predecessor, but it still took me nearly three months to get back up to speed after switching to the 4000. But, having made the switch, I don't find my ability to type on non-ergonomic keyboards affected in the least; I routinely switch back and forth between my desktop and Macbook.

+1 for the 4000. Replaced my old stock keyboard at work about 6 months ago, and I will never go back.

Long time MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 user. My search continues for an 80% split keyboard, where the important programming keys haven't been repositioned or worse, moved to a secondary layer (like braces/parenthesis, pipe/backslash, question mark/slash). I do like the idea of thumb keys, but would probably need them as duplicates to the more traditional positions. I got a Keyboardio 100 which is absolutely beautiful, but 60% with layers for those above important keys just was too freaking hard.

Wow, thank you for all these. I didn't knew Incase picked up the Microsoft keyboard but that's a good news (too bad they haven't restarted the "Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000", this one was my absolute favorite! One thing that makes me hesitant to buy one of these, is that I'm hoping that with one such as the Moonlander or the Glove80, I can replace the used part easily, which should cost less in the long run (but maybe I'm wrong here).

learning to touch type on the ergodox-ez was a barrier for me. I went from 70wpm to like 20. I'm sure it would have came back up after some time, but I just went with a Cloud9 Split Mechanical because it is _just_ like using the microsoft ergo 4000. I had no drop in typing speed adopting it; if anything, my speed immediately improved.

I've got a Keyboardio Model 100 on order which I'm hoping will arrive in January. I'll be graduating from a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000, the model I've loved and used for donkey's ages. I'll admit I'm a bit anxious about choosing the switches. Every time I read about mechanical keyboards it seems to be "a big deal™". I'll be choosing between Kailh Silent BOX Brown (tactile), BOX red (linear), BOX white (clicky) switches, plus a fourth yet to be decided. Noise is a bit issue - quieter the better - so the whites are off the menu. Have to dig into the pros and cons at some point.

I still swear by the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000[1]. Very comfortable keyboard. I think I’ve gone through about three of them, one of which lasted so long that the little knobs on the J and F keys wore away and I had to score them with an old soldering iron. The split, ergonomic layout is what I love most about it - elbows out and shoulders relaxed. On straight keyboards I feel very hunched up. A version without the numeric keypad would be nice. I’ve tried the Sculpt keyboard, and just not as good for me. I’ve got one in the drawer as a backup, but I just don’t like the feel of it - especially the spongy escape key (Vim user). The X-Bows Knight[2] looks interesting to me. The largely standard layout but with the extra thumb buttons appeals. The lack of tenting does not. Tempted to try it out. Want to reduce pinky usage and more thumb keys seems like the way to go. [1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/natural-ergonomic-keyboard... [2] https://x-bows.com/products/x-bows-knight-ergonomic-mechanic...

This looks really interesting! Thinking this could replace my Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (which I still love, but quite like no numeric keypad so closer mouse).

I tried to get the 507 but it's no longer available. They messed up the arrow key layout on the 512 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GZVD4T I just want to buy an MS Natural 4000 but they stopped making them and now you can only find them for outrageous prices! Good thing I still have one at home and one at the office.

Microsoft ergonomic keyboard 4000 is what I use. Usually around $20-50.

1) If you can't already ten figure touch type, then learn that. (Plenty of resources already recommended in other comments.) 2) Use an ergonomic split keyboard of some sort so your posture is much more relaxed and you're not hunched up trying to type on a straight keyboard. Those two things will get you a long way. You can worry about other productivity improvements after that, but honestly I think they will be incremental once you've done the above. Other fast gimme. Remap the capslock key to something useful but usually more awkward to reach. I've remapped it to ctrl, but considering switching to esc as I'm a vim user. Mind you, I've also got a FS3-P USB Triple Foot Switch Pedal under the desk with one of them mapped to esc, so not so urgent there. I wouldn't go remapping too much else otherwise it'll trip you up too much whenever you're at someone else's keyboard. I learnt to touch-type in 1986 on a mechanical typewriter in school. I knew I was going to work with computers and so knew touch typing would be a valuable skill. I was the only male in the class as everyone else perceived it as a class for women looking to go into secretarial work. I am absolutely amazed that touch typing is no longer taught in school in this age of ubiquitous computing. As far as split keyboards, I love my MS Natural Ergonomics 4000. If I could get one with the number pad cut off (less reach for the mouse) it would be perfect. They do tend to last and last which is good as they're getting harde