opinionated3's Full Review: Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 with USB Port (Black)...
We needed a cheap keyboard the other day to replace a keyboard that I dumped a glass of soda in. I checked at a few stores around and I just could not find anything that fit the bill; simple and cheap. I decided to go online and check at Newegg.com and see if they had what I was looking for. To my surprise, I found exactly what I was looking for and it was a plain Jane Microsoft keyboard.
The model I found was the Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 and for the price I doubt I would find anything cheaper.
Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 To say it is a plain Jane is an understatement, if it wasn’t for three media control buttons on the top edge of the keyboard it would be as simple as you can get. The list of features is about as short as you can get: Spill Proof Design, Media Control Keys, Calculator Hotkey, Quiet Touch Keys and USB only connector (no P/S2). According to Microsoft it is Xbox 360 compatible, but since I don’t own one, I cannot comment on that claim.
My final thoughts
The things that I love the most about this keyboard are the things it doesn’t have; a bunch of function keys that I never use. I don’t need buttons to launch my email client or to open my Internet browser, but I guess some people like to pay extra for those gadgets. If you are like me and don’t want to pay for all those frills, then this $14 keyboard is exactly what you need.
It is sleek in design and doesn’t take up a lot of desktop space and light enough to take with you if you want to use it with your laptop. The quiet touch keys are great and I love the feel of them as I am typing. I could have done without the three media control keys and the calculator hot keys, but I guess Microsoft thought they needed to some frills. I think the coolest feature of the whole keyboard is the spill proof design that channels liquid away from getting inside the keyboard. Had I had a keyboard like this when I spilled the glass of soda in my last keyboard I wouldn’t have needed to buy another keyboard.
Microsoft included a CD that includes the driver to support the media and calculator keys, but since I don’t plan to use those features I didn’t install the software.
I would highly recommend this keyboard if all you need is a simply keyboard without all the bells and whistles.
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