Microsoft Modern Keyboard, Mouse Now Available
Microsoft's new PC accessories are now available, as the Modern Keyboard and Modern Mouse make their way to the Microsoft store. Taking design cues from the Surface keyboard, the peripherals add a few time-saving features in a sleek package.
Similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro keyboard, the Microsoft Modern Keyboard brings "chiclet" keys and one-touch Fingerprint ID to regular PCs, as the company released the new peripherals on Thursday, July 27.
The biometric security feature of the Modern Keyboard is placed in a fingerprint key nestled between the "Alt" and "Ctrl" keys, and it makes use of the Windows Hello feature available for Windows 10. The keyboard retails for $130 at the Microsoft Store, with education discounts available that brings the price down to $117.
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The Modern Keyboard comes in an aluminum frame, with gray, low-profile chiclet keys rated for 5 million hits per key. It connects via wired Universal Serial Bus (USB) or via Bluetooth, and it is powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts up to four months when charged to full.
In wireless mode, the Modern Keyboard has a range of 23 feet in typical office environments, or up to 50 feet in unobstructed, open spaces. It has multimedia buttons, arrow keys and a numeric keypad built in a standard layout — just 16.5 inches long and 0.7 inches thick, and 14.6 ounces in weight.
Microsoft has also released the Modern Mouse to go with their new keyboard, and this two-button peripheral matches the Modern Keyboard's aluminum finish perfectly. The Modern Mouse is only available as a wireless model as of this time, which connects via Bluetooth.
It is available for $50 at the Microsoft Store, with discounts offered which bring it down to $45.
It has a tracking resolution of 1,000 points per inch (PPI), putting it somewhere in the mid to lower ranges of typical gaming mice. It features a metal traditional scroll wheel to go with its two buttons, and it is powered by two triple-A batteries for as long as 12 months.
The video below introduces the Microsoft Modern Keyboard, with its fingerprint scanner built into a fingerprint key beside the "Alt" key.
