Each keystroke has great depth and resistance, as though the key kind-of-sort-of wants to be pressed, provides a little resistance, then quickly returns to its home position after being fired. Regardless, each key has considerable key travel when compared to any Apple keyboard and has an inviting feel.
(Microsoft claims the Surface Ergonomics switches can last 10 million actuations, which is only a third of the life of a mechanical switch.) Microsoft doesn’t comment on what type of switches are used, but it certainly isn’t butterfly and it certainly isn’t mechanical. I chalk this up directly to the minute tolerances of that butterfly switch - there is no forgiveness in any part of any key, resulting in a keystroke no matter the amount of pressure applied. My major complaints (and I have been doing a lot of complaining recently) with any of Apple’s recent keyboards is the resounding lack of feel. I have no experience with the first generation Sculpt, so I speak from a third-person perspective: I’m happy with the aesthetic trade-offs between the two ergonomic keyboard generations and I greatly appreciate a built-in number pad. This may be the one area where Microsoft cast aside comfort and ergonomics in favor of pleasing aesthetics and minute tolerances. It may appear a tad wonky when explained in words, but I’ve been reassured this is quite the comfortable typing method. For ergonomists out there, this is the ultimate form of typing - hands and wrists curved to the middle of the keyboard and positioned down and away from your chest. The Sculpt keyboard, on the other hand, had optional accessories for raising the bottom of the keyboard, thereby positioning your hands down and away from your body as you typed.
![microsoft ergonomic keyboard support attachment microsoft ergonomic keyboard support attachment](https://lfgss.microco.sm/api/v1/files/880209af9f80054823ced855fbc15c97f3f95921.jpg)
It also has a particular fashion to it that only Microsoft can pull off these days. This material is soft to the touch, but dense enough to provide proper support when typing. The Surface Ergonomic includes a wrist base made of its now ubiquitous Alcantara material. Where the Sculpt generation got things right was in the wrist riser (if that’s what you want to call it). Some folks preferred the cut out and standalone number pad in the Sculpt generation, but I think the larger, bulkier Surface Ergonomic is better suited for most people’s needs. The Sculpt generation included a standalone number pad, whereas the Surface Ergonomic includes a built-in number pad. Where the Sculpt cut out the section between the “T, G, B” and “Y, H, N” sections of the keyboard, the Surface Ergonomic fills it in with aluminum-colored plastic material used throughout the rest of the keyboard. The Surface Ergonomic keyboard is the successor to the original Microsoft Sculpt keyboard. A dash of aesthetics are thrown in, but comfort and ergonomics rise to the forefront. This keyboard is built for comfort, ergonomics, and speed. The Surface Ergonomic keyboard pins neither of these goals to the top of the list. What do those two purposes sum up to? The result is a keyboard that looks great in setup photographs but gums up the moment it leaves the studio. From my chair, every keyboard coming out of Cupertino is designed with two purposes in mind: I say this partially in jest: A keyboard should be inviting and comfortable to use.
![microsoft ergonomic keyboard support attachment microsoft ergonomic keyboard support attachment](https://cdn.cnetcontent.com/syndication/mediaserver/inlinecontent/all/b61/283/b612838bee8ed1d45032a299257e4578/original.jpg)
I came across this image on Twitter about five or six months ago and my heart basically skipped a beat.