|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Microsoft
Announces New Line of Keyboards
New Keyboards Offer Consumers More Choices,
Internet Controls, USB Ports REDMOND, Wash. - June 22, 1999 -Responding
to growing consumer demand for more choice and functionality, today at
PC Expo Microsoft Corp. unveiled three new feature-filled keyboards,
including one split-key (commonly described as "ergonomic")
keyboard and two traditional straight models. The new keyboards offer
features such as Internet and multimedia hot keys and built-in USB
ports. They join the Natural® Keyboard Elite, currently
the top-selling ergonomic keyboard at retail, and mark Microsoft's
first offering of the traditional straight keyboard design.
The Natural Keyboard Pro, Internet Keyboard Pro and
Internet Keyboard offer new levels of control and flexibility to PC
users in addition to giving them a choice between an ergonomic
keyboard or a traditional straight keyboard. The new blue hot keys
give users easy, one-touch access to their Internet browser, e-mail or
favorite application. In addition, the Natural Keyboard Pro and
Internet Keyboard Pro offer the convenience of two USB ports placed
directly on the keyboards for immediate plug-and-play capability.
"Our goal is to make it easier for our
customers to get full benefit from the software they use every
day," said Scot Schulte, keyboard line product manager at
Microsoft. "These hot keys make it incredibly easy to get you
where you want to go, whether that's a Web site, an important document
or your favorite game. Instant accessibility is also the reason we've
incorporated USB ports on the keyboards. After all, who wants to climb
under their desk to plug in a digital still camera or game
device?"
A Wide Range of Options
The Internet Keyboard is Microsoft's
best value in a high-quality keyboard, incorporating one-touch
Internet browser navigation, easy e-mail access and a Sleep hot key
into a traditional straight keyboard design. The keyboard also
features two custom hot keys that can be programmed to link to a
favorite document, application or Web site.
The ergonomic Natural Keyboard Pro and the
traditional straight design Internet Keyboard Pro provide eight
additional multimedia hot keys and a pair of USB ports. The multimedia
hot keys give users the power to control music CDs and PC audio and
video directly from the keyboard.
System Requirements
To use with IntelliType software and the hot keys,
users need the following:
To use Natural Keyboard Pro and Internet Keyboard
Pro, users need the following:
To use Internet Keyboard, users need the following:
To use the Internet hot keys, users need the
following:
To use the multimedia hot keys on the Natural
Keyboard Pro and Internet Keyboard Pro, users need one of the
following:
To use the USB ports on the back of the Natural
Keyboard Pro and Internet Keyboard Pro, the keyboard must be connected
to a USB port on the PC, the PC must be running Windows 98 or later,
and the USB devices must be rated at 100mA or below.
Sleep hot key functionality depends on the operating
system and PC. With Windows 98 or later on a system with power
management capability, the Sleep hot key provides suspend and resume
functionality. With Windows 98 or later on a PC without power
management capability, or with Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation or
Server 4.0 (Service Pack 3 or later) on any PC, the Sleep hot key
provides screen saver, Windows log off and Windows shutdown
functionality, but not suspend and resume functionality.
Pricing and Availability
The Internet Keyboard and the Natural Keyboard Pro
are scheduled to be widely available in October 1999. The estimated
retail price is $29.95 for the Internet Keyboard and $74.95 for the
Natural Keyboard Pro. The Internet Keyboard Pro is scheduled to be
available in early 2000 at the estimated retail price of $54.95. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This site is not related to the Microsoft Corporation in any way. Windows and the Windows logo are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. ActiveWindows is an independent site. The information and sources here are obtained from series of hard work & research. |
