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Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 7000  (Source: Microsoft)
Microsoft announces Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 with see through accents to mimic the Aero interface

Microsoft announced the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 today with a design Microsoft says is intended to complement the Windows Vista Aero interface. The desktop set includes a new ultrathin comfort Curve keyboard and a rechargeable mouse.

The hallmark of the keyboard is a translucent Aero-inspired design along with floating hot keys and one touch instant access to Windows Flip 3D. The comfort curve keyboard has a smoked translucent border to mimic the look and feel of the translucent Aero borders on screens.

Other keyboard features include what Microsoft calls floating My Favorite Keys that allow users to simply press and hold one of the hot keys, like setting favorites on a car stereo, to bind websites to the keys.

Carla Foster, group marketing manager at Microsoft said in a statement, “This keyboard is a perfect example of Microsoft's focus on connecting its hardware with Windows Vista, bringing the elegance of Windows Aero to the keyboard. The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 truly brings the best of both worlds together -- a beautiful design and a full suite of productivity features -- making it the best option for customers desiring a sophisticated accessory for their computer."

The keyboard included with the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 uses Microsoft’s familiar Comfort Curve design with six degrees of curve. The mouse included with the desktop is the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000. The mouse is rechargeable and includes a horizontal charging station. LEDs on the mouse tell users when the mouse needs to be charged. The desktop uses 2.4GHz wireless technology for connectivity. Wide availability for the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 will begin in April at $129.95.


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The MS PC
By CU on 3/11/2008 3:58:37 PM , Rating: 3
I think MS should design a case and contract Dell or someone to pick the internals and build it and sale it as a MS PC. They could compete against Apple more in the looks/style department that way.

Beside MS's hardware has always been good in my opinion.




RE: The MS PC
By joemoedee on 3/11/2008 4:19:53 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
I think MS should design a case and contract Dell or someone to pick the internals and build it and sale it as a MS PC.


This is highly doubtful. MS makes tons of money selling Windows to OEMs. (It's the most profitable software well, ever)

To compete with their cash cow (OEM software sales) would be very dumb, and would involve unnecessary expense on their part for less profit margin. (Profit margins in hardware are minuscule in comparison to software)

quote:
Beside MS's hardware has always been good in my opinion.


Can I introduce you to the Xbox 360? ;p


RE: The MS PC
By CU on 3/11/2008 4:38:45 PM , Rating: 2
You don't have to compete with your cash cow. Just get Dell or someone to sell it. MS would only design the case and maybe the monitor, so that everything would match. It would be an MS line like Dell has the XPS line. What is the point of making an Aero keyboard and mice if the rest of the system doesn't match it. It would be a good to have something to link MS with style.

Yeah the first 360's had some problems, but that is all fixed now isn't it. Beside everyone can make a mistake.


RE: The MS PC
By TomZ on 3/11/2008 5:49:27 PM , Rating: 2
Just because a business "can" invest in a particular product, it doesn't mean they "should." Any company has limited investment opportunities, and the trick is to find the opportunities that bring the greatest financial return for a given amount of investment. And I don't think that selling PC's would bring them higher returns compared with other things they are doing, e.g., developing software.


RE: The MS PC
By Anonymous Freak on 3/11/2008 10:00:41 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
You don't have to compete with your cash cow. Just get Dell or someone to sell it. MS would only design the case and maybe the monitor, so that everything would match.


Uh, that's all Dell does. You do realize that Dell doesn't actually own any manufacturing factories any more, don't you? ("Integration" plants, yes. But the physical parts aren't made by Dell any more than the MacBook Pro is manufactured by Apple.) They could do a co-branded one, like they do with the (Product)RED Dells, but if they were going to go whole-hog and brand it Microsoft, they might as well just go with the same manufacturing OEMs every other white-box maker uses, rather than adding yet another middle-man.


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: 0
RE: The MS PC
By tastyratz on 3/11/2008 7:15:21 PM , Rating: 2
I personally hate apple's starbucks froofy vanity getting in the way of function. They get a big dollar for all their stuff but its not all snake oil for the specs.
For example, a lot of mac desktops had scsi cheetah hard drives in them. They tend to put a lot of server class hardware inside those pretty little boxes. The profit margin is pretty damn wide just not as wide as you think when you consider the true cost for the quality parts inside.
Again I am pretty anti mac in many ways but I give them credit for reliable sturdy parts in their hardware department - even if they only have 1 button :-p


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: 0
RE: The MS PC
By rudy on 3/11/2008 8:00:34 PM , Rating: 2
You are only talking about the last generation of max what about before that, the cheapo plastic was all over them and they were just as gaudy as any PC out there. People love macs because thats what they learned on, the same reason people love windows. Very few people ever make a real hard decision knowing both platforms well.


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: -1
RE: The MS PC
By onwisconsin on 3/11/2008 8:34:39 PM , Rating: 2
Clearly there a ton of Macs in the workplace (outside of graphic design), schools and servers.

(obvious sarcasm)


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: -1
RE: The MS PC
By oab on 3/11/2008 9:08:33 PM , Rating: 2
You insensitive clod, I drive my koenigsegg to work every day!


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: -1
RE: The MS PC
By steve1014 on 3/11/2008 9:15:20 PM , Rating: 3
To compare a Mac to the level of a Bugatti Veyron shows your lack of intelligence and general knowledge...just because they are both ridiculously expensive doesn't necessarily make them synonymous...The Bugatti has reached a level of car building that is unattainable by other manufacturers, the Mac is just another computer

Macs are taking off right now because of a massive marketing campaign that misrepresents tons of facts about the products they push...Let's also not misrepresent the fact that Apple preys on the ignorance of their consumers to swindle them out of lots of money ($400 for 4GB of RAM in a MacBook Pro).

Lets be clear about one thing, the PC has NEVER been forced to adapt to operate OS-X or leopard...Mac had to go to Intel so they could run windows because they were about to fall off the planet

I'M SO TIRED OF THE SUPERIORITY COMPLEX BEING HELD BY MAC USERS. YOU ARE STILL THE UNDISPUTED LOSER IN THE SALES WAR.


RE: The MS PC
By Pirks on 3/11/08, Rating: -1
RE: The MS PC
By steve1014 on 3/12/2008 12:56:07 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
You can't show a 17" notebook that has the same features and quality as MacBook Pro 17" and is as light and thin as this MacBook Pro.

a 17" MacBook Pro is $2799 in base price alone. I dont know where you do your shopping but you can buy a Windows based PC that can do everything and more for that kind of money. Probably even have a Blu-Ray player. I'll take the extra 1-2 lbs. of weight. (even though a 17" HP is only 0.9lbs heavier)

quote:
the whole ideology of Apple is what matters. I mean the unity between their software and hardware, and insane attention they pay to little details, like those backlit keyboards, magsafe connectors, large convenient multitouch trackpad, etc etc.

The whole ideology of what? gadgets? How important is that multi-touch trackpad to you, honestly? Because those of us who needed them have had them for years and you didn't have to buy a $3000 machine to have it. Unity of software and hardware? You can't be seriuos! Go read an article about the unity of software and hardware pertaining to the MacBook Air (which is actually a piece of trash compared to the Lenovo X300).

quote:
Yes, and Aston Martins are the permanent losers in the sales war as well. The chevys/ladas/corollas of the world won a long time ago.
'
Don't sound so ignorant. Aston Martins are actually made in a limited quantity so they will always lose that war, you are right about that. Macs on the other side are mass produced and still filling plenty of shelves.

You can argue all you want about Mac being the savior of the computer universe but really they're just another gadget company which is surviving right now mostly on purchases being made by college-age students spending their parents money.

The problem is the superiority complex that Apple has fed its users. I'm not saying there is no good use for a Mac but it will NEVER be able to survive in the business world and when it all comes down to it you can have all the backlit keyboards and magsafe connections you want but if you can't adapt to the corporate market you will have no success. Just accept your place in the world, editing media and .... (I don't know what else they are actually good at)