The Microsoft Wireless Desktop Suite 1000...! [cue ominous music]

Yes, I have sunk to employing a pair of Microsoft-branded peripherals, and I couldn't be happier with them. The end of the world is nigh.

For those of you who don't know (assuming there are ppl other than myself reading this thing - see previous post), after many, many long years of Windows abuse... er, use, rather... I have made the inevitable switch to Mac OS X. I claim "inevitable" b/c I always threatened my PCs with abandonment one day, when a suitable alternative to Windows came along. It is my belief that Mac OS X is that alternative, and so did I turn my back forever upon the world of Microsoft-run products.

Now, admittedly, there have been some caveats. I contemplated purchasing Office XP for Mac b/c AppleWorks simply lacks the "omph" of the world's largest and most-used productivity software. Go figure. I couldn't justify the $500 price tag, though, so I am still Office-less. Oh the tragedy. I did spring the $250 for Virtual PC for Mac OS X and a copy of XP Pro, which has served me well.

BTW, I hate single-platform developers. Unless there are video games involved. And Xbox 360 can kiss my @$$.

Have we noticed a theme here? Maybe a distaste for the ol' software juggernaut? A mote of bad flavoring left in the mouth? Well, imagine my surprise when I encountered this beauty in Office Depot, while casually browsing the peripherals. Why, it's a simple, straightforward multimedia wireless keyboard and optical mouse combo with Mac OS X compatibility printed right on the box! Eat your heart out Logitech!

Well, this undoubtedly intrigued me, so I purchased said item and returned once more to my domicile. After pointedly ignoring the extravagant use of instructional information indicating in no uncertain terms the absolute necessity of the included software, I popped in the batteries and plugged the receiver into ye ole Mac mini.

Mac OS X, for those of you who don't know, is one of the most compatible pieces of Operating System software yet built, I believe. I can't find much of anything with a USB connection that _won't_ work, at least partially, upon attaching it to my mini. Most stuff gets recognized immediately and passed off to the appropriate configuration, so I wasn't really worried.

Notably pleased with the operation of my new purchase in conjunction with my beloved microcomputer, I thought to myself, "Aw, what the heck!", and installed the included software, if for no other reason that to jeer the Microsoft driver proggers for their lack of insight. And I quickly shut my mouth... Or brain... Or something. You know.

The drivers installed no problem and appeared in the "Others" section of my System Preferences panel, permitting me to reconfigure every shortcut key and special function on the keyboard, override the default mouse behavior, and so forth, all in a Cocoa-enabled¹, user-friendly interface. Shock and awe.

So, even now, my fingers are tripping lightly upon the comfortable, rubberized surfaces of my brand new Microsoft Wireless Multimedia Keyboard (v1.1) and enjoying every minute. For once in a very long time, I can strongly recommend a Microsoft product, even though it is a pair of peripherals.

¹: Cocoa is the name of the native Graphical User Interface (GUI) libraries for Mac OS X, and it's generally pretty easy to build apps that take advantage of it, if you know what you're doing.