Set Up Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard Mac
- Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard White
- Set Up Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard Mac Free
- Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
- Ergonomic Apple Keyboard
By David Röthlisberger. Comments welcome at david@rothlis.net.
Nov 07, 2019 The Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard is a USB keyboard that has a split design with a naturally arched shape to help protect you from wrist strain, improve your typing form, and speed your typing. It has a cushioned palm rest for comfort and longer periods of productivity. Features ergonomic split design, wrist rest cushioning, tilt legs, integrated num pad, Bluetooth & Unifying connectivity, up to 2 years battery life & more Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Split Keyboard IE8/IE9/IE10 is no longer a supported browser. Feb 06, 2019 Designed with Mac users in mind, the Kinesis Freestyle2 ergonomic keyboard can split right down the middle. You can have up to 9 inches of space between the two halves, so you can tailor its layout to your exact liking. The accessory has built-in palm support, tactile key switches, and a duo of built-in USB ports.
Last updated 4 Oct 2011. This article is Creative Commons licensed.
The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 doesn’t feel very “Mac-like”, at least not out-of-the-box. Read on for helpful settings to improve the experience, and a brief review of the keyboard at the end.
If your kernel panics, upgrade the drivers
OS X kernel panic
Apr 04, 2017 I have been using the surface ergonomic keyboard with my Mac for a while now and love the keyboard, however the one issue I'm having is when I start up my mac - which is connected to a docking station with external monitors etc. the MacBook won't recognize the surface keyboard on the login screen so I have to either use a different keyboard. Mar 14, 2018 I have been using the surface ergonomic keyboard with my Mac for a while now and love the keyboard, however the one issue I'm having is when I start up my mac - which is connected to a docking station with external monitors etc. the MacBook won't recognize the surface keyboard on the login screen so I have to either use a different keyboard. The best keyboards for Mac 2020 You spend hours working on your keyboard every day, so it's important to find the keyboard that suits you best. Here we look at all the best keyboards for Mac.
On Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6), the IntelliType Pro 8.0 drivers caused me kernel panics at least once a day.
The recent 8.2 driversdon’t cause kernel panics on Lion (OS X 10.7). I haven’t tested them on Snow Leopard, but I assume it is the new drivers, rather than the new Operating System, that contain the fix. Readers have reported that the older 7.1 drivers work well with Snow Leopard (note that the 7.1 drivers say they are for the older Natural Keyboard Pro, but they also work for this newer keyboard). Let me know if you have tested other combinations of driver/OS versions.
Or don't use the Microsoft drivers at all
Ironically, the Microsoft drivers stop OS X from recognising the keyboard for what it is! Without the drivers, OS X reports “Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000”; with the IntelliType drivers, it’s a mere “Keyboard”.
With IntelliType drivers
As the last straw, if you remap your Caps Lock key to Control via Apple’s Keyboard preference pane, with the Microsoft drivers installed the remapping will be lost every time you restart.
The following table should help you decide whether you want the Microsoft drivers. More detailed explanations follow.
| With Microsoft IntelliType drivers | Without Microsoft drivers |
|---|---|
| Kernel panics with 8.0 drivers on Snow Leopard; fine with 8.2 drivers on Lion. | No kernel panics. |
| Modifier key mappings.. | |
| lost every time you restart. | aren't lost. |
| You can swap the Alt and Windows keys.. | |
| with the IntelliType software. | with KeyRemap4MacBook. |
| You can use the Application key as a Command or Option key.. | |
| with the IntelliType software. | with KeyRemap4MacBook. |
| Media keys all work correctly. | Only mute, volume and play/pause keys work. Web, search, mail, calculator, favourites 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, back and forward, and the zoom slider don’t work. |
How to uninstall the Microsoft drivers
The IntelliType UnInstaller is in the Utilities sub-folder of your Applications folder. (If you installed the IntelliPoint mouse drivers, which were bundled in the same installer, the corresponding UnInstaller is in the same location.)
If you don’t want to run the uninstallers, you can remove the following manually:
/System/Library/Extensions/MicrosoftKeyboard.kext
/System/Library/Extensions/MicrosoftMouse.kext (if you also installed the IntelliPoint drivers)
/Library/Keyboard Layouts/Microsoft Keyboards.bundle
and the Microsoft Keyboard preference pane (open System Preferences, and right-click the Microsoft Keyboard icon, or drag it off the window in a puff of smoke).
Swap the Alt and Windows keys
Microsoft Natural modifier keys
The Windows key is automatically treated as Command (⌘), but on Apple keyboards the Command key is next to the spacebar, with Option (Alt) the next key out. On the Microsoft keyboard this is reversed, and the IntelliType drivers helpfully have a setting to reverse these two keys; luckily OS X also has this functionality built in.
It’s under the Modifier Keys button of the Keyboard System Preferences pane.
Simply map Option to Command, and vice-versa. These settings are per-keyboard, so you won’t mess up your MacBook’s built-in keyboard.
While you’re here you can also map your Caps Lock to Control, if you so wish.
Use the Application key as a Command or Option key
Application key
To the right of the spacebar, this keyboard has an “Application” (or Context Menu) key instead of a Windows key. The IntelliType drivers include a setting to treat this key as Command, but OS X has no such setting.
Apple’s customizable XML keylayouts only allow mapping key codes to output characters, but not changing or adding modifier keys. Graphical interfaces built on top of this mechanism, such as Ukelele, have the same limitations. You’ll need the open-source KeyRemap4MacBook.
In spite of its name, KeyRemap4MacBook works on any Mac (with OS X 10.4 or later). It doesn’t allow arbitrary key mappings, but, in the best open-source tradition, it does have zillions of settings. The one you want is under “For PC Users” » “Change PC Application Key” » “Application Key to Option_L” (i.e. left-option, not option+“L”). What you set here doesn’t seem to be affected by OS X’s own modifier keys remapping.
Media keys
The keyboard’s mute, volume and play/pause keys all work out of the box, no IntelliType required. There are no keys for previous/next song.
(Without the Microsoft drivers) None of the remaining media keys work (web/home, search, mail, calculator, “favorites” 1 through 5, back and forward, and the zoom slider).
Click on it. Below this instruction, you will see another information to create an account if you do not have one. Then click this link at. Microsoft para mac. Next, you will be directed to sign in with Email, Phone, or Skype. You will see a green button labelled.
Function keys
The Function keys (F1, etc) behave as such (as opposed to brightness, volume, etc), regardless of what you set in the Keyboard preference pane. If you press “F Lock” the F keys simply do nothing. Luckily the F Lock remembers its setting across reboots.
There is no Fn modifier key as on the Mac keyboards.
KeyRemap4MacBook allows you to map the F keys to the usual brightness, volume, etc. but then you’d lose the normal F keys.
Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down
On the Mac OS there is no such thing as an Insert/Overwrite toggle (even on Apple’s extended keyboard there is no Insert key). So unsurprisingly, the Insert key does nothing.
Delete works. Page-Up and -Down work. Home and End scroll to the top and bottom of the window instead of moving the cursor to the beginning or end of the line (but this is consistent with the behaviour of Apple keyboards) except in Microsoft Office, where Home and End behave as on the PC.
Numeric keypad
Num Lock doesn’t work, but fortunately it is stuck in the numeric mode.
Final thoughts
I initially liked this keyboard: The split and tenting angles provide a comfortable resting position, it has Command, Option and Control keys for both hands, and the price is quite reasonable.
But after several months, I have stopped using this keyboard. It’s just too large! Keys like Return, Backspace, and Escape are quite far away from the home position. I don’t really need a numeric keypad (it forces the mouse that much further away). The keys are loud (especially the clunky spacebar) and the key travel distance (and the force required to press them) is more than I’d like.
These are of course quite personal opinions, and this keyboard could be just perfect for someone else. As a computer programmer I do a lot of typing, so I try to optimise for ergonomics.
Kinesis Freestyle for Mac:
No right-hand Control key
I really like having all three modifiers (Command, Option and Control) available to my left and right hands, though this may not be so important for non-programmers. I don’t think I’d buy an ergonomic keyboard without this feature. The Kinesis keyboards, and Apple’s own keyboards (except the Apple external keyboard with numeric keypad), lack the right-hand Control.
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard White
Apple Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, and Magic Trackpad 2 work wirelessly with your Mac via Bluetooth when they're paired and turned on.
If your devices came with a new iMac, they're already paired with the computer. Just turn them on when you first turn on your Mac. To make sure that your device is turned on, check its power switch. If green is visible, the device is on.
If you bought your devices separately — or if they've become unpaired from your Mac — follow the steps below to pair them.
How to set up current Apple wireless devices
Follow these steps to set up your Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, or Magic Trackpad 2:
- Connect a Lightning to USB Cable1 or a USB-C to Lightning Cable to the Lightning port on the device2 and connect the other end of the cable to your Mac.
- Make sure that the device's power switch is in the ON position. (Green is visible under the switch when the device is on.)
- Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth to open the Bluetooth preferences window. When the device pairs with your Mac, it appears in the list of devices.
- Check the Bluetooth preferences window to see your device's charge level. When the device is charged, unplug it for wireless use.
1. If your Bluetooth device came with an iMac, a Lightning to USB cable was also included in the box.
2. Magic Mouse 2 can't be used while connected to the cable.
How to set up earlier Apple wireless devices
If you're not sure which device you have, you can learn how to identify your Apple wireless mouse, keyboard, or trackpad.
Then use a wired mouse or trackpad — or the built-in trackpad if you're using a Mac notebook — and follow these steps to set up your earlier Apple wireless devices (such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad):
Set Up Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard Mac Free
- Turn on your device.
- Wait until your device's LED starts blinking, which means that it's in Discoverable Mode. (If the LED is on but not blinking, your device is already paired with another host. To unpair it, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth. Hover the pointer over the device you want to remove, then click the button that appears next to the device's name. Turn the device off, then start again at step 1.)
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth.
- Wait while your Mac searches for your device. When your device appears in Bluetooth preferences, click Pair1.
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
1. Apple Wireless Keyboard requires the passcode that appears on your Mac. Enter the 8-digit passcode on the keyboard, then press Return. Earlier models of Apple Wireless Mouse or Apple Magic Trackpad will connect automatically or show a dialog. If you see a dialog, click Pair or press Return.