I can control my computer from the bathroom! This is easily one of the best things I've gotten from playing games online, right up there with the Canon PowerShot SD1000 I got when MicroSoft Shopping had it's own game thing going on!

I ordered the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 set from Club Bing on November 3rd, and received it yesterday via UPS. And, oh, did it feel like Christmas! First, I'd ordered it for a measly 5000 tickets, which is well below what this set is worth. Second, it came in a big, red, shiny box. Third, so many programmable buttons = plenty of playtime. And, most importantly, this set makes my life easier.
Included in the box were the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Keyboard 7000, the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000, four AA Energizer batteries for the keyboard, one rechargeable AA Energizer battery for the mouse, a charging station (with cord), one Bluetooth transceiver, software, and instructions. Installation wasn't completely painless -- I had to download an update from Microsoft, and then restart my PC -- but it went smoother than I expected. In the end, using the set would've been worth a much longer, much more intimidating installation process than what I actually had to deal with.
The mouse included in this set is OK. That may sound like an insult, given how much I like this set, as a whole; but it isn't. I tend to like simple mice that just work. This mouse does that. All five buttons are programmable, yada, yada, yada. My hand isn't on it enough to judge its comfort level. My only complaint is that the scroll wheel button is hard to press.
That button is preset, by the way, for something called "Instant Viewer". I'm not certain, to be honest, if my computer had this functionality before installing this keyboard and mouse or not. It's not exactly something that I thought I'd need. All it does is take whatever windows you have open, make them small, and lay them out neatly on the screen, so that you can easily find what you're looking for. It's far more useful than I had expected it would be:

But the main reason I'm not talking much about the mouse is that the keyboard is fan-freaking-tastic! It has built-in media player buttons (pause, play, forward, back, mute, and something that certainly looks like a record button), channel up and down buttons, volume buttons, and a "call" button (which I've rerouted from Live Call to Google Voice). The "F" keys aren't keys, at all, but touch-sensitive ridges -- and they're seriously sensitive, too -- most of which are programmable when used in conjunction with the "Fn" key. (This may actually help to lessen my dependence on Launchy.) The first four of these ridges are preset for opening My Photos, My Music, one of Microsoft's messenger programs, and your default browser's "home" page, respectively. The next five come without presets, and are considered "favorites" buttons. The next one has a little star above it, and is programmed to open a list of the favorites you have programmed for the previous five. All of these buttons are programmable.
Before I go further about the keyboard's functions, let me just say that it's quite pretty. It has an aerodynamic look to it, reminding me a bit of a rear spoiler, and some part of me is curious to see just how it might pan out as a thrown weapon:

But back to actual, useful features: This keyboard allows me to work completely mouse-free, if need be. On the left-hand edge are two buttons that serve as left- and right-click buttons, respectively. On the right-hand edge is a navigation pad, which allows the cursor to be positioned through simple drags of a finger tip. I've never owned anything with a navigation pad -- I've never even touched a laptop -- so this is all new and fascinating stuff for me. Other buttons include a screen magnifier, a Start menu button, and a browser back button. There's more, too, but since this keyboard was designed for Vista, a couple of them are a bit useless to me, in XP.
One of the best things about this set, and the keyboard in particular, is that I now have freedom of movement. I can type with my legs curled up in my chair and the keyboard resting on my lap, which is frankly, how I prefer to not only type, but write and draw, too. In that sense, it's made working at the computer a more natural thing for me. I've played with controlling iTunes from several spots in the house -- including the sofa, my bed, and, yes, the bathroom -- and have found this system to be utterly and completely responsive.
One of the reasons that this freedom of movement is so important to me is that my workspace is small. The "shelf" upon which my keyboard and mouse rest (which is also sometimes shared by pens, scratch paper, or whatever I happen to be drawing at the moment) is a simple TV tray. Add a tangle of wires to that, simultaneously restricting movement, and it becomes very cramped, indeed. Now, with freedom restored and the tangle removed, it's actually an OK -- if still not spacious -- workspace:

Oh, and piece d' resistance: I'm a typo queen. I'm constantly accidentally hitting one key or another, with Caps Lock earning the title of "Favorite Unintended Target". With this new system installed, I spend much less time making corrections because of one simple feature: When the Caps Lock key is hit, it's indicated on the lower, right-hand corner of the screen:

That feature, alone, should be enough for any of you out there interacting with shouty people online to consider buying this set as a gift for your typo-prone friends.
For more information on the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000, see the product page from Microsoft.
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