Microsoft’s Arc Keyboard ‚ it even looks good in the kitchen

With Apple’s announcement of the iPad, it’s i-this and i-that wherever you look. It only makes sense for rivals such as Microsoft to try and steal some of Apple’s thunder. However, you would have thought that Microsoft would have launched something a little more substantial than just a keyboard to take on i-anything.

The home office is changing: it’s no longer one room but is constantly evolving as people use their laptop computers all over the house. To fit this trend, Microsoft announced a redesign of the keyboard as we know it – the Arc Keyboard. Small enough to move easily around the home and so attractive it fits seamlessly with chic home accessories, this product looks at home wherever it’s used.

Microsoft’s Arc Mouse shares its design language with the Arc Keyboard for a beautifully curved profile, clean lines, light weight and portable shape. The Arc Keyboard is all about the home, and Microsoft Hardware’s industrial design team drew its inspiration from modern home accessories such as flatware, lighting fixtures and vases. The result is a keyboard that looks and feels like it belongs with other objects in the home: it is as much a part of the d√©cor as the chandelier in the dining room and the vase in the kitchen.

‚The design tenets that we looked to for the Arc Keyboard were simplicity and crisp softness, creating an aesthetic for this product that is casual and sophisticated at the same time,‚ said Monique Chatterjee, industrial designer for Microsoft Hardware. ‚We drew our design inspiration directly from the places where we envision this product will be used so it perfectly blends with existing home accessories.‚

Style that works

Weighing in at less than 500g , the Arc Keyboard is easy to move from room to room throughout the house, and its domed keyset comfortably rests on the lap so people can kick back on the couch or type away on the kitchen counter. It includes a snap-in Nano transceiver that is so small it can remain plugged in to the computer at all times, or can be magnetically snapped in the bottom of the keyboard for storage.

Pricing and Availability

The Arc Keyboard is available for the estimated retail price of R799.00 (R.S.A Only). The Arc Keyboard is backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty. More information about this and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

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