The Natural Keyboard is an affordable ergonomic keyboard for home and business use. Natural operates like other keyboards. No special adjustments or training are required. To operate, just open the box and plug it in.

Our design integrates complex ergonomic research into a simple, useful solution. There are no detachable wrist pads. There are no user-variable adjustments to complicate use or compromise the value of the product. Natural combines beauty and function with plug and play simplicity.

Natural is a pathway to affordable and reliable ergonomics. By minimizing the number of moving parts and simplifying keyboard mechanics, we reduced manufacturing costs. The design balances science and humanity. Natural has a familiar, staggered key layout. Research clearly demonstrates people perform better on a staggered key layout than on a columnar layout. Our design is based on a simple principle: an ergonomic keyboard is useless unless people use it.

Natural is flexible. It invites a variety of posture and typing styles. To improve typing comfort, a tilt rail is located at the bottom of the keyboard. The palm pad at the base of the keyboard improves shoulder and back comfort by providing a natural resting place during breaks.

The primary benefits of the Natural Keyboard are comfort and efficiency. These benefits are achieved through simplicity. The design improves user comfort by reducing wrist deviation and forearm pronation. Key spacing and split angles were carefully controlled to conform to ANSI anthropometric ranges. To enhance comfort, the surface of the keyboard is gently peaked (gable slope) at the center. Natural is the first ergonomic keyboard to incorporate gable slope.

Natural makes comfortable computing efficient. It has Windows specific keys to simplify Windows use. Frequently used keys including the space bar and Alt. keys are enlarged and thoughtfully located. Num Lock, Key Caps and Scroll Lock indicators are located in the center of the keyboard where they are most visible.

Natural makes safe computing affordable. By designing for manufacture, we minimized part count, reduced manufacturing costs and improved reliability. Combining science and volume manufacturing methods, Natural delivers a fully ergonomic keyboard at the price of a conventional keyboard.

The base of Natural is made of high impact polystyrene to ensure durability and rigidity. The keys and tilt rail are made of ABS plastic. ABS was selected for its durability, design flexibility and volume/cost characteristics. ABS also offers impact resistance and exceptional color matching and color retention properties. All parts are coded for recycling. Tempo printing was used for the key notes. It was selected for its extreme durability and its ability to print on curved surfaces. Tempo printing also allows for easy modification. Key note language can be easily modified for international markets and technology changes.

The bottom line impact of the Natural Keyboard has exceeded all expectations. The design has moved Microsoft from no market presence to market dominance. Natural's distinctive combination of ergonomics and approachability struck a responsive chord in the marketplace. Prior to the Natural Keyboard design, no ergonomic keyboard had sold more than 250,000 units in any year. Microsoft's initial plan called for shipment of 500,000 units annually. By December, 1994, actual shipments exceeded 600,000 units per month!