I think its smart, MS and Apple compete with each other but at the same time MS has products that are on the Mac OS platform and Apple has stuff thats on Windows platform. But MS is smarter because you Apple people have to pay for office and the keyboard and mouse...oh and don't forget about XP so they can duel boot :) I hope like Office the MS keyboard and mouse hit it big on the Apple platform. Some people may not like Microsoft for one reason or another, but they do know how to market themselves. If by chance another OS gets higher marketshare than windows, I bet MS will find away to get money out of it.

I am suprised they didn't make it the apple/windows key for the people who have XP and Mac OS on their system.

Hey, maybe in 3 to 5 years microsoft will be selling entire Apple computers. And the only thing you need to buy from Apple will be MAC OS XII. But knowing Bill Gates he'll probably preinstall Vista. LOL

I'd buy one if my Apple keyboard were as lacking in buttons as my Apple mouse, but fortunately, it isn't.

Windows key removed? That's going to be a pretty useless keyboard, considering the windows key internally is identical to the Apple key, which is used on a Mac like the Ctrl key is used in windows.

They must have just repainted the logo on the key. :)

how about an "ANY" key?

You'd think they'd replace it with the Mac 'Option' key.

Haha!...I don't use a mac, but funny to see someone that knows the actual name. :D

its called the COMMAND key, not the option key
the OPTION key is the ALT key as in windows computers

Well, there ya go. :)

Straight from the horses mouth.

It makes me wonder why Microsoft continues to exist in this market as the margin are toooo low for company like Microsoft,may be it is their long term strategy to control input hardware that way they can control how masses use their computer.

What low margins? This product is $99.95 and probably costs around $10 to manufacture and package in quantity. Granted, Microsoft's wholesale price is probably around $70 to allow for distributor and retailer to both get their markups, and Microsoft probably spends another $10 on SG&A per unit (everything from defect replacements and tech support to advertising overhead and allowance for the inevitable frivolous lawsuits over carpal tunnel or whatever).

But this would still leave something like $50 worth of margin per unit. This is way more than the margin at the low end. For example, I recently bought a wireless keyboard+mouse at Fry's for $11 (total, including batteries). THAT'S low margin. Microsoft's price is not.

shows how much you know about business. NO Margin is "too low" for a company.

If its only .01 cents, selling a million units a day is still $10,000. Multiple that for a month, and that's still a lot of money.

You wouldn't walk over a nickel in the street, so why pass up an opportunity to make ANY amount of money..

Think outside the box.. think large numbers. A low demonination is HUGE when multiplied by millions of people.

You poor kid.

This is my reply to post below,
let us start with what is had said earlier
"margin are toooo low FOR COMPANY LIKE MICROSOFT"
i am amazed that you guys were not able to understand that.
Microsoft is a software IT company, and much of their revenues come from software sales , can anybody contradict that margin there is mouth watering ?
So just compare the margin in software with the margin in hardware sales.
All i tried to say that for a company like Microsoft profits from hardware sales are like peanuts when compared to the revenue this company generates by selling software and it services and licences.

so if thing are going so smoothly in computer accessories industry then tell me how is logitech and creative doing.
No margin are toooo low, when did that happen .
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF TEXTILES INDUSTRY WENT INTO TROUBLE ?
SO IF THING WERE LUCRATIVE IN THIS INDUSTRY THEN WHAT IS STOPPING REST OF THEM (IT giants).
If Microsoft or any other company really had to diversify then there are many many sectors with much better margins like bio-tech and medical instruments these days.
In my opinion what may have been the reason to be in this sector is to control usage behaviour of masses, for example let us say Microsoft develops a patented technology which is very productive and they also allow their competitors to have licence to that technology too and this feature can only be used in windows.

now am i still thinking small / inside the box ?

I agree with you. Look at the ads on web pages, the companies get what 5 cents per click, thats not bad if you think about it. Look at the way it looks like MMORPG'S are going. Free to play but if you want some helpful extras it will cost. Many people buy the extras and they get more players for their game. This way an unknown company can bring out a game and word of mouth that its free people play, then they see this cool thing for the game and they buy it. They may not make as much money as Everquest or WOW, but they'll still be in the black in the end...if the game is good.

??????????,
this thread deals with computer accessories

Ok let me put it this way. Microsoft makes the Xbox, and they're loosing money off each one they make because they're betting they'll make it up on the software. Now Sony is doing the same thing with the PS3.

Microsoft makes mice and keyboards because they know that even though they make most of their money off software, they still make millions off hardware. Now with the Xbox 360 people are going to buy keyboards and mice for that as well because they're going to make MMOs and other games that will utilize them. SO they may make billions in software and only millons in hardware but still its a nice profit that Mr. Gates gets to put in his pocket.

I don't think there is anyone that posts on here that wouldn't want to make in profit what MS makes in hardware alone.

Who could have seen this coming?

Its not so tough, when you consider MS has had a dedicated group of programmers designing MAC software for about 10 years now.

MS doesn't detest Apple, Apple users think MS is stealing their beloved software.. which couldn't be further from the truth. MS and Apple have been very close in working for 20 years. The people have been pitting the 2 against each other, but in reality, MS and Apple have very similar directions and ideas.

Don't know if it is still the case but didn't MS have a vested stock interest in Apple back in the day before they brought Jobs back? Seems like I remember something to that effect.

It is funny to think of MS at an Apple convention...I wonder if the Apple and MS employees battle it out behind the scenes West Side Story-style :) hahaha....

Also funny to think of Apple at an Microsoft convention.

Microsoft doesn't steals Apple's software at all..In the MacBU lab various testings are done for Microsoft's Mac software. Every day a few thousand automatic tests are released on the four daily builds of Mac Office on different hardware- and OS-configurations. Where did you even read' that Microsoft "steals" Apple's software, or should i rather ask where you did not, as everyone keeps blaming Microsoft..

Microsoft has had a profitable and generally very well-received Mac software division for many years, so this is hardly an enormous departure for them.

Don't buy it..

Why does that comment have any relevance? Don't buy what.. a MAC? MS hardware? Just what are you implying?

It is not so hard to figure out what he is talking about, and he has got right to hold his own individual opinion.

Well who needs a teacher when we have rijp.

Well "don't buy it" isn't an opinion, its an edict.

I don't like people giving me orders, an opinion would be "I don't think you should buy it". That would have been much clearer, and made more sense.

And I didn't dissuage their advice, I was simply asking "What" we shouldn't buy, and to make his comment more apparent, because I didn't see a point.

I am not going to read between the lines, he can put a little more effort than 3 words.

Are you talking to yourself? You replied to your post.

Yah, that was funny.

I wouldn't recommend buying any wireless keyboard or mouse that operates in the 27 MHz band. I bought the Microsoft Wireless Desktop Comfort Edition ergonomic keyboard and mouse for my Windows PC. The wireless receiver at best picked up every other key press on the keyboard and the mouse pointer stuttered across the screen. Replacing the batteries didn't help.

I now have a Logitech G7 wireless mouse that operates in the 2.4 GHz band and have no problems whatsoever. As for the keyboard, I ended up going back to my wired MS Natural Pro keyboard.

In his opinion one should not buy Microsoft keyboard and mouse, he does not need to have permission from anyone to have an opinion.
He was not giving YOU an order, you are not the only person posting here in betanews, even if he would have posted that as an order then that would be very stupid to think or believe that as he cannot enforce that (order).
Why are you asking / giving an order to write few more words or in other words put a little more effort ? if you are asking him to put little more effort then put a little more effort to read the headline or content of the article , that would have helped you understand what he was talking about.

Hell has frozen over!

what next intel chips in macs?

"what next intel chips in macs?"

Nope thats not next thats before lol.

It hasn't frozen over, you are believing the hype. MS and Apple have had a good partnership for over 20 years.

Its only news, because YOU haven't been paying attention.

From now on everybody will have to read books like history of computer and intermediary english language skills before posting here in betanews.

...you don't read betanews regularly do you? :-)

Hahaha.. I couldn't tell if he was just joking, or if he really meant it..

So I left it alone.. : ) I am glad to see I wasn't the only one..

--delete my post--

Yah, that was quite a while ago.

Not yet, I haven't bought another Microsoft keyboard yet.

i wouldn't admit to something like that.

what next amd in dell ?