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Microsoft ergonomic keyboards - Quiz
Contributed by: Freeman
  • 1. When was the Natural Keyboard Elite announced?
A) February 1998
B) June 22, 1999
C) October 1999
D) November 17, 1997
  • 2. When was the Natural Keyboard Elite released?
A) November 1997
B) February 1998
C) June 1999
D) October 1999
  • 3. What was the initial retail price of the Natural Keyboard Elite?
A) US$74.95
B) US$45.00
C) US$128.00
D) US$64.95
  • 4. Who manufactured the Natural Keyboard Elite?
A) IBM
B) Logitech
C) Key Tronic
D) Microsoft
  • 5. By what percentage was the footprint of the Natural Keyboard Elite reduced compared to the original?
A) 50%
B) 10%
C) 18%
D) 25%
  • 6. What protocol did the Natural Keyboard Elite's upgraded microchip natively support?
A) USB
B) Bluetooth
C) Parallel
D) Serial
  • 7. What layout did the Elite use for the arrow keys instead of the inverted-T?
A) Cross-like layout
B) Linear layout
C) Square layout
D) Circular layout
  • 8. Where were the adjustable feet located on the Natural Keyboard Elite?
A) In the front
B) On the sides
C) In the center
D) In the back
  • 9. Where were the adjustable feet located on the original Microsoft Natural Keyboard?
A) In the back
B) It had no feet
C) On the sides
D) In the front
  • 10. How many different color schemes was the Natural Keyboard Elite manufactured in?
A) Five
B) Four
C) Only one
D) At least two
  • 11. What color combination was used for one of the Elite's color schemes?
A) Silver with black lettering
B) Grey with red lettering
C) White with blue lettering
D) White with black lettering
  • 12. What color combination was used for another of the Elite's color schemes?
A) Dark grey with yellow lettering
B) Blue with white lettering
C) Black with green lettering
D) Black with white lettering
  • 13. What was the reduced MSRP of the Elite after the Natural Keyboard Pro was introduced?
A) About US$45
B) US$30
C) US$64.95
D) US$74.95
  • 14. Which model was the third iteration in the Microsoft ergonomic keyboard series?
A) Original Natural Keyboard
B) Natural Keyboard Pro
C) Natural Ergonomic 4000
D) Natural Keyboard Elite
  • 15. When was the Natural Keyboard Pro introduced?
A) October 2000
B) February 1998
C) June 22, 1999
D) November 17, 1997
  • 16. When was the Natural Keyboard Pro released?
A) December 2000
B) October 1999
C) February 1998
D) June 1999
  • 17. What was the initial retail price of the Natural Keyboard Pro?
A) US$64.95
B) US$128.00
C) US$74.95
D) US$45.00
  • 18. What cursor key layout did the Natural Keyboard Pro restore?
A) Standard inverted-T layout
B) Cross-like layout
C) Linear layout
D) Diamond layout
  • 19. What terminals did the Natural Keyboard Pro's cord feature?
A) Serial and parallel terminals
B) Both USB and PS/2 terminals
C) Only PS/2 terminals
D) Only USB terminals
  • 20. What was added along the top edge of the Natural Keyboard Pro?
A) Extra function keys up to F24
B) A built-in calculator
C) An added row of program shortcut keys
D) An LCD screen
  • 21. Where were the program shortcut keys located on the Natural Keyboard Pro?
A) On the left side
B) Below the spacebar
C) To the right of the cursor keys
D) Above F1 — F12 and the numeric keypad
  • 22. What feature was included on the side of the Natural Keyboard Pro?
A) A memory card reader
B) An internal two-port USB hub
C) A floppy disk drive
D) A headphone jack
  • 23. Which operating systems can customize shortcut key behavior without additional software using the 'internet keyboard' layout?
A) Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS
B) Windows XP only
C) Vista and Windows 7
D) Windows 95 and Windows 98
  • 24. Which modern operating systems have configuration options comparable to Vista for shortcut keys?
A) Android and iOS
B) FreeBSD and most Linux distributions
C) macOS and Solaris
D) ChromeOS only
  • 25. On what date was the Microsoft Natural Keyboard officially introduced?
A) September 6, 1995
B) September 6, 1994
C) December 31, 1994
D) October 1, 1994
  • 26. Which company designed the Natural Keyboard for Microsoft?
A) Microsoft Hardware Division
B) Ziba Design
C) Honeywell
D) Key Tronic
  • 27. Which division of Honeywell was acquired by Key Tronic in early 1994?
A) Keyboard Solutions division
B) Microswitch division
C) Input Devices division
D) Ergonomics division
  • 28. What key arrangement design did the Natural Keyboard use?
A) Ortholinear design
B) Modular design
C) Fixed-split design
D) Monolithic design
  • 29. What medical condition was the Natural Keyboard ergonomically designed to prevent?
A) Arthritis
B) Tendonitis of the shoulder
C) Carpal tunnel syndrome
D) Tennis elbow
  • 30. What feature helped ensure correct posture and further reduced strain on the neck, arms, and wrists?
A) Palm rest extension
B) Detachable arm rests
C) Integrated wrist pad
D) Adjustable keyboard feet
  • 31. Which network operating system was the Natural Keyboard certified to work with alongside Windows 95?
A) Banyan VINES
B) LAN Manager
C) Windows NT Server
D) Novell NetWare
  • 32. What was the name of the software bundled with the Natural Keyboard by Microsoft?
A) Natural Manager
B) IntelliType
C) Windows Keyboard Utility
D) IntelliPoint
  • 33. For Windows 3.1 and NT 3.51 users, what was the Windows logo key mapped to open?
A) File Manager
B) Task List
C) Start Menu
D) Control Panel
  • 34. The Windows logo key shortcut served as an easier alternative to which existing key combination?
A) Alt + Tab
B) Ctrl + Alt + Delete
C) Ctrl + Esc
D) Ctrl + End
  • 35. What distinction did the Natural Keyboard hold regarding its price among ergonomic keyboards?
A) First keyboard under $50
B) First free ergonomic keyboard
C) First luxury keyboard priced over $200
D) First widely available sub-$100 offering
  • 36. What was Microsoft's original sales forecast for the Natural Keyboard by the end of 1994?
A) 50,000 units
B) 100,000 units
C) 3 million units
D) 600,000 units
  • 37. What production rate did Microsoft ask Key Tronic to ramp up to in 1995?
A) 100,000 per month
B) 600,000 per month
C) 3 million per year
D) 10,000 per month
  • 38. At its peak, how many units of the Natural Keyboard were sold per month?
A) Over 100,000 per month
B) Over 50,000 per month
C) Over 600,000 per month
D) Over 3 million per month
  • 39. Roughly how many total units of the original Natural Keyboard were reported sold?
A) Over 100,000 units
B) Over 10 million units
C) Over 3 million units
D) Over 600,000 units
  • 40. What geometry typically distinguishes Microsoft ergonomic keyboards?
A) Flat-plane geometry
B) Circular geometry
C) Linear geometry
D) Gull-wing geometry
  • 41. Which company licensed the Microsoft keyboard product line starting in 2024?
A) Surface
B) Incase
C) Compaq
D) IntelliType
  • 42. What is the approximate slant angle for ergonomic keyboards?
A) 20 to 30 degrees
B) 10 to 12.5 degrees
C) -7.5 degrees
D) 45 degrees
  • 43. What is the slope angle of the keytop surfaces for ergonomic keyboards relative to a horizontal plane?
A) 0 degrees
B) 20 to 30 degrees
C) -7.5 degrees
D) 10 to 12.5 degrees
  • 44. What is the tent or gable angle of each half of an ergonomic keyboard?
A) -7.5 degrees
B) 20 to 30 degrees
C) 10 to 12.5 degrees
D) 90 degrees
  • 45. In what year did Microsoft begin planning an ergonomic keyboard?
A) 2023
B) 1994
C) 1993
D) 2024
  • 46. Which company announced safety warning stickers for their keyboards along with Microsoft in August 1994?
A) Surface
B) IntelliType
C) Incase
D) Compaq
  • 47. How many major revisions have Microsoft ergonomic keyboards gone through?
A) Ten
B) Two
C) Five
D) Eight
  • 48. When did Microsoft announce it would stop manufacturing its own-branded keyboards and mice?
A) 1993
B) 2026
C) 2023
D) 2024
  • 49. Where is Incase located?
A) Tustin, California
B) Austin, Texas
C) New York, New York
D) Redmond, Washington
  • 50. What new color style was used to modernize the aesthetic look of the Natural Multimedia Keyboard?
A) Ocean blue
B) Silver metallic
C) Midnight black
D) Astral blue
  • 51. Which controversial feature was notably included in the Natural Multimedia Keyboard after debuting in 2001?
A) Media Lock
B) Office Lock
C) Fn Toggle
D) F Lock
  • 52. Which key was expanded to double height on the Natural Multimedia Keyboard?
A) Enter
B) Del
C) Ins
D) Backspace
  • 53. Which mouse was bundled with the Wireless Natural MultiMedia Keyboard?
A) Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
B) Microsoft Ergonomic Mouse
C) Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer
D) Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 7000
  • 54. What radio frequency technology did the Wireless Natural MultiMedia Keyboard use?
A) 5 GHz high frequency (HF)
B) 270 MHz high frequency (HF)
C) 900 MHz radio frequency
D) 2.4 GHz super high frequency (SHF)
  • 55. Where were the indicator lights located on the Wireless Natural MultiMedia Keyboard?
A) On the receiver
B) Above the function keys
C) Below the space bar
D) In the middle gap
  • 56. What term did Microsoft use to describe the 14-degree gable design of the 4000?
A) Wave design
B) Butterfly arch
C) Split ergonomic
D) Gull wing
  • 57. What is the default setting of the F Lock key on the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000?
A) Disabled
B) Auto
C) Off
D) On
  • 58. Where are the indicator lights located on the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000?
A) On the right side of the numeric keypad
B) Below the space bar
C) Above the function keys
D) On the receiver
  • 59. What new addition was placed in the middle gap of the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000?
A) A fingerprint scanner
B) A zoom slider
C) An LCD display screen
D) A trackball
  • 60. In what year was the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 revised with cosmetic changes?
A) 2007
B) 2015
C) 2010
D) 2012
  • 61. Which key on the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 was reported by reviewers to be unusually noisy?
A) The space bar
B) The Backspace key
C) The F Lock key
D) The Enter key
  • 62. What type of indicator light resides on the palm rest under the spacebar of the 7000 keyboard?
A) F Lock indicator light
B) Num Lock indicator light
C) A single battery indicator light
D) Caps Lock indicator light
  • 63. When was the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard introduced?
A) August 13, 2013
B) July 20, 2012
C) August 13, 2015
D) September 5, 2014
  • 64. What codename was given to the Sculpt keyboard during development?
A) Blue Whale
B) Manta Ray
C) Nautilus
D) Stingray
  • 65. What does the Sculpt keyboard replace the solid wedge with?
A) A thick metal base
B) A thin, hollowed-out dome
C) A flexible rubber mat
D) A flat wooden panel
  • 66. What type of switch mechanism does the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard use?
A) Buckling-spring mechanism
B) Mechanical cherry-switch mechanism
C) Low-profile scissor-switch mechanism
D) Membrane dome mechanism
  • 67. How is the arrangement of the six-key nav/edit cluster described?
A) Reversed
B) Standard
C) Symmetrical
D) Nonstandard
  • 68. How do predecessors typically elevate the back of the keyboard?
A) Using feet
B) Using magnetic wedges
C) Using inflatable air bags
D) Using built-in springs
  • 69. What does the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard use instead of feet to elevate the back?
A) A folding metal kickstand
B) A reverse-tilt riser
C) A screw-in wooden block
D) A thicker rubber base
  • 70. What level of encryption is used between the receiver and keyboard?
A) 512-bit SSL encryption
B) 256-bit RSA encryption
C) 128-bit AES encryption
D) 64-bit DES encryption
  • 71. How are the receiver and keyboard paired at the factory?
A) Manually paired by the user
B) Permanently paired
C) Temporarily paired
D) Paired via software drivers
  • 72. What is a limitation regarding the dongle due to factory pairing?
A) The dongle drains the battery quickly
B) The dongle only works on Windows 10
C) The dongle requires external power
D) The dongle cannot be replaced
  • 73. What alternative connection method do critics suggest would free up a USB port?
A) Wi-Fi Direct
B) Bluetooth
C) Thunderbolt
D) NFC
  • 74. What optical device came bundled with the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard in 2013?
A) A numerical keypad mouse
B) A trackball peripheral
C) A laser presentation clicker
D) A namesake optical mouse
  • 75. How is the navigation block arranged on the Surface Ergonomic keyboard?
A) Two-row, three-column arrangement
B) Four-row arrangement
C) Single row arrangement
D) Three-row, two-column arrangement
  • 76. What material covers the wrist pad of the Surface Ergonomic keyboard?
A) Alcantara
B) Gloss black finish
C) Vinyl
D) Leather
  • 77. Who criticized the Surface Ergonomic keyboard for dropping the front riser and increasing width?
A) Jon Stokes
B) PCMag reviewers
C) Paul Thurrott
D) CNBC journalists
  • 78. What is the business version product code for the Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard?
A) LXM-00013
B) LXN-0004
C) ERG-8888
D) MSK-2019
  • 79. Who originally designed the Compact Ergonomic Keyboard before Incase inherited the blueprint?
A) Ars Technica
B) Microsoft
C) Apple
D) PCMag
  • 80. What caused the delay and prevented the release of the Compact Ergonomic Keyboard by Incase?
A) Manufacturing issues
B) Battery failure
C) Lack of demand
D) Legal copyright disputes
  • 81. Since what year has Microsoft continuously been the best-selling maker of ergonomic keyboards worldwide?
A) 1994
B) 2016
C) 2019
D) 2005
  • 82. Which publication described the Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 as being 'like the keyboard we've always been waiting for'?
A) CNBC
B) Ars Technica
C) PCMag
D) The Verge
  • 83. Who described the Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 as the 'Best. Keyboard. Ever.'?
A) Paul Thurrott
B) Jon Stokes
C) Bill Gates
D) Satya Nadella
  • 84. Which news outlet reported in 2023 that users expressed sadness over plans to discontinue Microsoft's ergonomic keyboards?
A) Ars Technica
B) PCMag
C) CNBC
D) Reuters
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