Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600, UK Layout – Black
Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600, UK Layout – Black
| Weight: | 398 g |
| Dimensions: | 45.5 x 3 x 16 cm; 398.99 Grams |
| Brand: | Microsoft |
| Model: | ANB-00006 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Microsoft |
| Dimensions: | 45.5 x 3 x 16 cm; 398.99 Grams |
A pretty good keyboard for the price, although after a couple months of daily use the spacebar has started to squeak which is slightly annoying. Overall though, I’d probably buy again as it’s what I’ve gotten used to now
I bought the same keyboard to replace my existing, which had served me well. This is great, simple but very effective with the little uplift legs on the back so it can be angled. Great keys to work with as I work from home so spend a lot of time on it. Really good price. Would highly recommend.
Bought to replace aging keyboard in the office, had these due to the calculator shortcut button being a nice feature. Key feel is all good, fairly quiet in operation which is nice as now I no longer have to listen to constant clattering keys.
It does what it says on the tin, I purchased this on the off occasion I need to work from home without the need of bringing my office home with me.
For a cheap keyboard- this is great! Doesn’t look cheap to me and using it is fine – no problem with it- very good for anyone starting out and wants to keep the purse strings tigh
Inexpensive and does what it’s supposed to!
Only reason it doesn’t get five stars is because the spacebar has a habit of squeaking. Not a major issue but it can sometimes grate.
I just bought it for x box series x . I wanted a no frills quailty keyboard . Not interested the the kiddie style keyboards with flashing lights . It does what it’s meant to at a good price . It’s quiet as well , which is a bonus
Previously, I have only ever ‘enjoyed’ the keyboard supplied by the manufacturer when buying a new PC – and they did the job well enough. Or so I thought. But I didn’t know any better then; I do now.
The Microsoft 600 keyboard has been a revelation: the shallower keys and the overall curve/dish (meaning that the midle row of keys is slightly further away than those in the rows above and below) looked a little odd at first but conspire to create an ergonomic delight even to someone who is far from an accomplished typist.
I was fortunate enough to buy at one of the lowest prices of the year for the item, but I would now gladly pay a premium when next I require a new keyboard – in fact, I will probably buy another to store away (just in case).
Easy to use, all the keys work fantastically (I did have a Logitech keyboard with all the bells and whistles on and both had random keys just stop working and for 50 you don’t expect it) This one, works a treat.
I had one issue, my spacebar and backspace key developed a squeak which was driving me up the wall
Popped the keys out easily put a few drops of oil on the metal “tension” spring and it just popped straight back in easily. (I always panic with the spacebar because in the past they have been fiddly)
No more squeak when I’m typing like a maniac.
And for 10 you cant go wrong really at all. Cheaper than a set of replacement keys for a mechanical.
I’ve used a lot of keyboards in my time, some expensive brands, and it feels funny to say it, but this 10-15 quid keyboard is as good as any of them. Although it has no frills, it has a good feel and weight, the key presses are fairly soft and quiet, although not so much as a laptop keyboard, and just feels generally very pleasant to use.
I’d recommend for anyone looking for just a standard, quality keyboard.
Edit: Updated after a few months of having bought a few of these for my family. Dropped a star because 2 of the keyboards have a squeaky space bar.
Buying this keyboard is a mistake, I failed to realise it was a Microsoft Keyboard and I am working on a Mac. But I thought I would give it a try as the last Mac Keyboard I purchased was like working with a tin toy. Mac computers have the facility to change what the keys will type to that of a Mac Keyboard. So when I press capital 2, I type @ not “. It sits higher than a Mac keyboard and feels more solid more chunky than a Mac keyboard. I cannot give you chapter and verse why I should like it, but I do.
I’ve given this 4 stars instead of 5 as some minor manufacturing issues let it down. Nothing major but the M key would stick when pressed and the space bar squeaked. Both issues fixed by prising off the keys ,squirting a little silicon spray lubricant (WD40 would no doubt be fine too) and placing the keys back.
However, usability is great! Very very quiet – no louder than a laptop keyboard – perhaps quieter than most. I wanted a full-sized keyboard that had well spaced comfortable keys with reasonable travel. Laptop style keyboards with ‘scissor’ style buttons to me are less enjoyable to use. My other keyboards were far too clacky.
Highly recommended for home office use and I can now get away with gently typing while on Teams calls and not get noticed that I’m multitasking 😉
I am someone who spends a lot of time on computers, typing a lot, both as profession as hobby. I have two desk in my study, and was so impressed with this keyboard both in its ergonomic design, thin keys and also ability to allow me to type continuously in comfort. Best of all this is a Microsoft branded keyboard thus quality and instant plug and go with Windows OS was massive factor for me to keep all my home study and my tasks running efficiently with minimal troubleshooting issues with tech. I would highly recommend this keyboard for its price if you are looking for decent branded, “know what you will get” working keyboard. I trust Microsoft as brand for quality over the cheaper or more expense keyboards of different not so known brands. This has yet to disappoint me 🙂
I like the feel of the keys and it’s been comfortable and easy to use. I wouldn’t say it’s silent, but it’s quieter than some other keyboard I’ve had. All the keys are in the positions I’d expect, aside from Fn being to the right of the spacebar, I’ve usually seen it on the left, but this doesn’t really affect me.
Minor gripes: The shorter keys along the top (function, esc, prtscn etc.) have a different feel to the others, they’re not as ‘springy’ and you have to press them more firmly, which is strange, I’ve gotten used to this though. The volume down key’s label looks a bit like a mute button, I keep accidentally getting it mixed up with the actual mute button.
On the whole I’d definitely recommend this.
I’ve never purchased a Microsoft product before (other than Windows).
So, as this was extremely competitively priced, I thought I’d take a punt.
I must say, I’m extremely impressed.
The build quality of the keyboard is second to none. The keys have a lovely positive action and everything just feels “right”.
The layout is fairly standard, but with some really useful extra keys. I really like the addition of the Play, volume and mute buttons along the top and having a dedicated calculator key above the number pad, is so useful to me. ( When you press it, it brings up the Windows calculator app, onto your screen.)
Unlike some of the other cheap keyboards, this has, in my opinion, the essential little legs underneath, which enable you to raise the rear of the keyboard up.
I find typing without them extremely uncomfortable.
Setting up was as simple as can be.
I plugged it into a USB port on my laptop, Windows detected it and installed it within a minute.
I can only assume that these keyboards are so reasonably priced because, either,
1) Microsoft subsidise the price, or
2) Them sell them in such large quantities that the unit price is rock bottom.
Either way, this is a wonderful keyboard for the money.
Strongly recommended.
I hope you found this review helpful.
I have no idea if this keyboard works or not, but I needed a replacement white keyboard for my pet parrot, since white keyboards are her favourite toy- and not very easy to get hold of these days. The keyboard rests on a stand and enables her to get a great view of everything going on outside and also is a fun surface to exercise her feet.
She regularly wrecks old keyboards donated by friends, but I had run out of them, so I had to get this new one.
Ergonomic design: 5 stars. Perfect for parrot feets and fun to stomp on keys.
User friendly: 5 stars. She quickly figured out that this was her new toy and how to use it.
Fit for purpose: 4 stars. The recesses between keys are not quite deep enough to effectively hide bird seed. I also had to strip out a load of uneccessary electrics and wiring to make it bird safe. You’d almost think it was designed for humans or something.
Customer service: 4 stars. Item arrived quickly and well packaged, however it was REALLY SCARY for the first two hours.
The only flaw in the keyboard so far is the raisers don’t have rubber grips, so while the keyboard grips decently to the desk, the raisers are a bit slidey.
This is not a mechanical keyboard, it is just a membrane one – so don’t expect the best typing experience ever known, but if you are used to membrane keyboards like I am, then this is just more of the same. Function keys are small, so that may take some getting used to. The media controls are a nice addition too. And the keyboard also has SCRL/CAPS/NUM lock LED indicators. The top right of the keyboard has a nice shiny Microsoft logo (I think painted/printed on – maybe it will wear down over time).
I got the “White” variant, and while the pictures show a more greyish tone; they are deceiving. The keyboard really is white. While I was hoping for it to be greyish, I’m actually happy with the white. Its really nice and clean looking and blends nicely into my white desk. The wire and USB plug are also white. The keyboard is just plug in and go. Windows instantly recognizes it and it’s working within a couple of seconds.
Overall, this is a very affordable keyboard and is surprisingly high quality. I imagine this keyboard will be durable and hopefully it will last many many years. [I’ll update this review if it breaks.]
Overall a good keyboard and exceptional value for money, and apparently spills resistant . . . but I am not checking that out.
Just received this keyboard to use with my MacBook air as a desk top when working at home. I had reservations about compatibility but am pleased to say it’s working fine and was so easy to set up. Just plugged it in followed a couple of automatic prompts on screen and was good to go. The box says compatible with Mac OS X v10.4x-10.7 but I’m now using Yosemite and it’s also working fine. I’ve tested out all keys and there’s only a couple that are reversed. To type @ you need to use shift 2 and use shift ‘ to get speech marks. Also the hashtag key types a instead. Still, no where near as many problems as I anticipated. I plan to take a Sharpie and relabel the odd keys!
SO pleased to have a basic, traditional keyboard as I just don’t feel as comfortable typing on Apple ones, I find them too low set. Anyway any MacBook users wanting a cheap functional and basic keyboard to plug in and use your laptop as a desktop I think you’d go far to beat this. And a fantastic price. Oh, and from a vanity perspective it does look nicer having a white keyboard with a mac:)
To the right of the space bar you have the Alt Gr, Fn, Menu and Control keys.
The left s*** key is the same size as the key as any other letter key on the keyboard
To the right of the left shift key you have the , followed by z.
The enter key spans two rows, to the left of the enter key on the top row is the ]} key and below the ~# key.
Shift + 3 will give the symbol and shift + 4 will give you the $ symbol. Alt GR + 4 will give you the symbol.
The FN key can be used for some additional functionality on the F5, F6, F7 and F8 keys when used with Windows 10:
FN + F5 = Cortana
FN + F6 = Share
FN + F7 = Connect to a wireless display / audio device
FN + F8 = Opens the settings application (the new control panel)
See the photo I have attached to this review to see what the actual keyboard you will receive as of the 07/11/15 looks like.
Before this keyboard I had a Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000, they layout on this keyboard is essentially the same and is just missing some of the extra digital media buttons which I never used anyway. This keyboard has a dedicated button for the calculator and volume control, play / pause and a mute button. All the extra keys you will ever need. Certainly a great keyboard for around 10.
Great keyboard, there is a little curve in the keyboard so it works best with the stands on to prop the back up.
The only real negative is the function keys are small and different, they need to be the same as the other keys.
There are volume buttons and a calculator button which does come in handy for me anyways.
There is a window key on the left side of the keyboard but NOT on the right.
Now i use the right windows key + L to lock my screen now this isn’t possible with ONE hand anymore (not comfortable anyway).
Another negative is when typing there seems to be an interference that i can hear from my guitar amp when i’m playing gutiar (i.e amps on).
That might be random but if you’re a guitar player you now know, it’s not bad or anything you just here little noises with each button you press.
Although there maybe a lot of negatives, the keyboard is good at a cheap price.
First off I just want to say that I’ve been using mechanical keyboards a couple of years back – I own a Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard and used to have a Cherry MX Red one. I really like my mechanical keyboards, but sometimes I feel like the force you need to press down the keys and the noise made does take away from the experience.
I have been trying out rubber dome switches in recent times – I have tried dozens of them. My preference is towards low profile keys that require very little force to press down, making really fast typing and gaming possible, but it also needs to give a satisfying force on each press down and be comfortable to use for extended periods of times.
I first encountered this keyboard when I was working full-time as an office assistant, and I had one of these keyboards to use at my desk. I quickly fell in love with this keyboard and how easy it was to type on, as well as the extreme quietness of it.
I went and got one for myself for use as a gaming keyboard and I really like almost everything about this keyboard. The keypresses are very quiet if you type with normal force, even if you type furiously it is still much quieter than mechanical keyboards.
I can type really quickly on this keyboard, the keys go down very solidly and you know that you won’t miss a key because the actuation point is exactly when the key starts to move down.
Ergonomically, I really like the slight curve of the keys, it is subtle but you can really notice a difference to how you rest your hand on it. Makes long gaming/working sessions comfortable.
My only slight gripe with it is the function keys. The smaller size of the F-keys along the top makes sure you won’t press them by accident, and they are pretty satisfying to press, however there are a couple of games that use these keys (namely starcraft 2) and it does make it ever so slightly harder to press them. However it is still manageable as they are positioned well, you just need to get used to them having a different feel.
Best thing of all is that this is one of the cheapest keyboards you can get – so even if the buttons wear down slightly after months of use, you can buy 10 or more of these for the price of a mechanical keyboard, so that’s almost not an issue.
I already have 1 of those (and had previously bought one for a friend), now I bought two, because the price’s dropped a bit and my kids need decent keyboards.
Pros:
– quiet. My job is keyboard-based (lots of text to enter 😉 and I had tried quite a few keyboards for quite tapping away, at the same time I thought it silly to pay 50 – 100 quid for a “silent” keyboard. There’s nothing quieter I’ve come across, that this MS keyboard.
– really comfortable, both in terms of key layout and the size. Excellent, large enter key. Left shift could be larger though
– key characters don’t wear off. I previously fell for a claim by Microsoft (which turned out to be a lie), that another MS keyboard have laser-etched key symbols, which don’t wear off. They did, but on the one reviewed (and I’ve been using my old one for the last 2 years plus), they haven’t worn (yet). Given the amount of workout they get from me every day – not bad
– cheap. Can be had from GBP 7.50 to GBP 15
– surprisingly useful set of extra keys (sound on / off, volume control and even more suprisingly – calculator key, which I never expected to use so often
Drawbacks:
– cable could be slightly more flexible (not a serious issue)
– after that much use, my 2 year old, while still quiet, is louder than the new two we have just bought. Not loud, just louder
Comments: if only the MS could make a mouse that would much the keyboard, in terms of comfort of use. Unfortunately, the wireless MS mouse that came with the wireless MS keyboard, while comfortable to hold, was unusable due to wheel design (ratchet?), but I have found a cheap logitech job which works perfectly. Sorry about the off-topic 🙂
Jan 2016 update. While I still use the same keyboards (minus the one I cleaned the keys off, and it wouldn’t work 😉 – I must add, that after much banging on the keys, what used to be a near-silent keyboard, has become (say, 2 – 3 years on) a typical clickety-click keyboard. Same comfort, but not quiet any longer.
So far, this keyboard performed very well for my needs, gaming and instant messaging.It was very easy to set up, just plug and play, and the drivers get installed automatically, I have tried this on both Windows 7 and Windows 8. As a touch typist it wasn’t difficult to adjust to this keyboard (from laptop keyboards!). I have had no problems reaching any buttons or combination of buttons. The keys are quite soft and feels nice to press, it does make a quiet clacking when typing, but it’s not quite as loud as others I’ve used and I doubt it would bother anyone. One thing to note if that the top row of buttons (F1,F2,etc.) is set lower into the keyboard, I rarely use those buttons so I’m fine with it but I know it would annoy others. There are 4 media hotkeys on the top and a calculator button above the number pad which brings up the calculator. I use this keyboard for gaming which means Q,W,E,R,A,S,D,F and spacebar gets used a lot and none of them has given up on me yet (will update if this changes). There are ‘legs’ (I forgot what they were called) at the back on the bottom of the keyboard which can flip open or close. Although I can’t see them breaking under normal use, I can totally see them breaking if someone accidentally leant too hard on the keyboard, so beware of that. The wire for connecting it to your PC (or whatever device) should be long enough for most people.
All in all this is a very good, cheap, quality keyboard.
I was about to order a Zalman keyboard but due to supply issues, I decided to go with an old trusty number that was recommended by a friend.
Don’t kid yourself, this is a standard keyboard with a few useful multimedia keys dotted around the place.
Pros:
1) it’s at a decent price for an MS product
2) the keys are pretty quiet which was why i got this in the 1st place.
3) key profiles are low against the frame of the frame so its all nice and flat.
4) I like the Ergonomic curve through the middle section of the keyboard, it’s actually pretty flat when laid without the back rests popping out.
Cons:
1) the keys maybe black but the frame isnt, compared to the ‘black’ accessories i have it’s more deep navy blue
2) kinda wished the keys were laser etched, these are standard printed.
3) wished the top row of keys (esc, all the way to, pause) were bigger esp the esc key.
It’s not ‘amaze-balls’ but it does the job for now until i actually find a better alternative and is WAYYY better than your standard keyboards bundled with pc’s from PC world – yuk!
Like the previous keyboard, it is white. Therefore the letters are more visible with lower light or poorer eyesight. I don’t think there was a light problem, but Mum did complain when using a black keyboard.
Colour alone puts it in a very limited category. It’s from Microsoft, who by all accounts make excellent hardware. And it’s cheap.
The “low profile” keys weren’t a problem either. I used to be a massive fan of these.
It’s not great for hardcore linux users, as the function keys are reduced-size and aren’t as nice to press (slightly wobbly?). The same applies to the Escape key, e.g. if you use that for vi. But it keeps the size down, which is the right compromise for the vast majority of uses.
Overall size is about the same, as Microsoft took the opportunity to squeeze in a play/pause key and volume + and – on the top. I don’t know whether they’ll see much use, but _I_ like having volume keys. (Mute is potentially a bit of a risk; perhaps it’s a convenience for people who hate Windows sounds and aren’t otherwise able to turn them off :-P).
As others have mentioned, they dropped the never-used “internet” and “email” buttons in favour of a single “calculator” button. It’s just above the number pad. A sensible idea, just the sort you’d hope for from Microsoft. I think Dad would use it if we bothered to set it up on Linux[*] – but he’s not really bother, so I’ve avoided fiddling with it.
[*] hell, it probably works already under the default Ubuntu desktop, but we use KDE instead.
I’ll be honest and admit I don’t usually buy ‘named’ keyboards. I usually find that cheap keyboards are just as good as their more expensive counterparts. However, I had a dilemma, I had spilt wine over my keyboard and it had stopped working; whilst I was able to ‘borrow’ a keyboard off another computer, it was an old and large one that took up a lot of space. I usually don’t buy keyboards online as I like to try them first, but as I was unable to get out for a while, I took the plunge.
As this was a Microsoft keyboard I thought it would be an acceptable risk to buy online and the price was not much more than I normally pay for my budget keyboards. I went for free delivery with Amazon.
I placed the order on Friday and received the keyboard on Monday (the usual great Amazon service) and I am most impressed by the keyboard; it is small enough so that it doesn’t take up too much room, yet the keys are larger than my old keyboard (a bit laptop in style). It has ancillary controls for audio that work well (although superfluous to me) and a handy button to bring up the Windows calculator, which may come in handy if I remember it’s there.
Overall, I am pleased and impressed, a named keyboard, with a quality feel and at a great price. Highly recommended.
it doesn’t require installation of separate software, just plug in and the drivers are installed automatically. the media keys are a nice touch, saving me having to flit between windows all the time, as is the inclusion of a numeric keypad (my laptop doesn’t have one, making it a pain if i need to use the calculator, another useful feature is the inclusion of a calculator button which opens up the windows calculator)
the only real negative aspect of this board is the clack the keys make, not a big problem in itself, but does lend a certain cheap feel to it, but if you take your time typing and use a firm touch it does go away, but who want’s to type slowly just to keep noise levels down?
i can’t really comment on the waterproofing of this product as i don’t tend to go around spilling fluids on electronics 😀 but its a nice idea and one that gives me the added security of knowing that if i do spill anything on it, it’ll survive without any damage.
it has a really handsome finish and although it is utilitarian in its style, it will compliment any computer that it will be paired with.
the delivery was pretty good, not brilliant, but that was Royal snails (sorry, Royal Mails) fault as they didn’t arrive at our house while 2:45pm, 3 days after the date upon which it was supposed to arrive, it came reasonably well packaged, not the best, but certainly not the worst (that award goes to certain sellers of hard drives)
if you want a decent quality keyboard for under 20 quid, you won’t go far wrong with this one. i highly recommend this to anyone looking for a low cost yet good quality keyboard.