Ergo 4000, by Microsoft – World’s Best Keyboard Ever

This page contains general information about this particular keyboard. See /is/macos/keyboards/ for more including configuration of keyboard shortcuts.

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 – the world’s best keyboard ever (J&P).

Discontinued since many years (when extended this topic in April 2022) but can still be found at Amazon, Though not cheap – supply and demand … the wired Ergo 4000 variant at some US$ 390 and the wireless Ergo 7000 package at US$ 769 (Apr 2022).

 

 

 

Category of Keys Count Comments
Standard keys 47 Alphabetical, numeric, special characters (!@#…)
Above -“-; Func keys, F1..F12+ F Lock 13 F-keys ON: F1, F2, … F12
F-keys OFF: Help, Undo, …Print
Right of -“-: PrtScn, ScrLk, Pause/Break 3
Left side: Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Win, Alt 7 modifier keys
Right side: Backspace, Enter, Shift, Alt, Menu, Ctrl 6 modifier keys
Center: Insert, Home, Page Up, Delete, End, Page Down 6 Insert or type-over; navigation keys
Nav keys: Up, Down, Left, Right 4 More navigation keys
Numeric kbd section 17 for faster numeric entries, calculations, calculator app use
Above -“- (=, (, ), arrow) 4 -“-
At top of kbd:
3 app keys: Web/Home, Search, Mail,
5+1 Fav: 5 Fav Keys + My Favorites key,
3 Sound: Sound On/Off, Sound Decrease, Sound Increase,
1 Media: Play/Stop
1 Calculator key
14 See /is/macos/keyboards/for configuration of keyboard shortcuts.
Bottom of kb: Backward, Forward 2 See /is/macos/keyboards/for configuration of keyboard shortcuts.
Sum, total no of keys 123
PLUS, one Zoom slider, up, own

 

Special Key Handler

‘Top 1’ – Top left

  1. ‘Web/Home’
  2. ‘Search’
  3. ‘Mail’

‘Top 2’ – The 5 Favorites keys plus My Favorites ‘admin’ key

  1. ‘Favorite 1’
  2. ‘Favorite 2’
  3. ‘Favorite 3’
  4. ‘Favorite 4’
  5. ‘Favorite 5’
  6. ‘My Favorites’

‘Top 3’ – Media

  1. Mute
  2. Volume Down
  3. Volume Up
  4. Play/Pause

‘Top 4’

  1. ‘Calculator’

Second Row, Group 1

  1. Esc

Second Row, Group 2, Function keys

  1. ‘Help’
  2. ‘Undo’
  3. ‘Redo’
  4. ‘New’
  5. ‘Open’
  6. ‘Close’
  7. ‘Reply’
  8. ‘Fwd’
  9. ‘Send’
  10. ‘Spell’
  11. ‘Save’
  12. ‘Print’
  13. ‘F Lock’

Second Row, Group 3,###

  1. ‘PrtScr’, ‘SysRq’
  2. ‘ScrLk’
  3. ‘Pause’, ‘Break’

 

Bottom of keyboard, below space, a bit forgotten

  1. ‘Backward’
  2. ‘Forward’