When comparing Das Keyboard 4 Professional vs Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, the Slant community recommends Das Keyboard 4 Professional for most people. In the question“What are the best keyboards for programming?” Das Keyboard 4 Professional is ranked 11th while Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Das Keyboard 4 Professional is:
Das 4 Pro keyboards feature Cherry MX switches, know for their established reputation. They have excellent durability and outstanding performance. Users can choose between the Cherry MX Blue and Cherry MX Brown switches. The main difference is that the first ones are clicky and the second ones are quiet.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Reliable and long-lasting mechanical switches
Das 4 Pro keyboards feature Cherry MX switches, know for their established reputation. They have excellent durability and outstanding performance. Users can choose between the Cherry MX Blue and Cherry MX Brown switches. The main difference is that the first ones are clicky and the second ones are quiet.
Pro Conveniently located two-port USB 3.0 hub
The location of the hub, on the top right side, makes adding a mouse very convenient.
Pro Solid, durable construction
The Das uses the best materials available to create a stable, durable board. Some parts are made of aluminum which prevents any flexing and others of resistant textured plastic, making this a keyboard that withstands damage very well. And the switches are genuine Cherry MX switches, which are durable and reliable. The keycaps text is laser etched, meaning it withstands the test of time pretty well.
Pro Beautiful design
The Das 4 Pro keyboard has a beautiful nearly-minimalist design. The volume wheel and slight protrusion on the top right help it stand out from the crowd. The front is covered with a matte aluminium finish that resists fingerprints.
Pro Ultimate version looks very slick
The Ultimate version of the keyboard looks badass with its blank keycaps.
Pro Top panel resists fingerprints and provides rigidness
It has an aluminum top panel which not only feels great, but also resists fingerprints and prevents any flexing.
Pro Comes with dedicated media controls and an oversized volume knob
There are three rectangular media keys: previous, play/pause, and next. Just above the next key there's a circular mute button, and on the right of all the other media keys is a volume knob that can be spun to adjust the volume.
Pro Very thin
Das claims that this keyboard is the thinnest mechanical keyboard available on the market.
Pro Each key has the perfect stabilizer for its size
This keyboard uses an innovative mix of Cherry and Costar stabilizers. Costar stabilizers have many advantages, but they don't work very well on large keys, like spacebars. To get the best of both options, Das uses Costar stabilizers on all keys, except on the space bar, where it uses Cherry stabilizers.
Pro Ergonomic and comfortable
The 4000 keyboard is designed to be more comfortable to type on than regular rectangular keyboards. Its key rows curve to match the human hands’ angled resting position, eliminating the wrist strain that happens with regular keyboards. This is an important factor in reducing the risk of injury.
Pro Great value for money
With a retail price of $39.04, this keyboard is considerably more affordable than most ergonomic keyboards on the market. It doesn’t have the same caliber as more premium keyboards, but it’s a top option for those on a budget who are looking for a good ergonomic option.
Pro Can be used with a negative tilt
While the 4000 keyboard can be raised at the back like conventional keyboards, it also comes with a detachable platform that raises the front of the keyboard. This creates a negative tilt more natural to the arm-hand alignment.
Pro Ergonomic wrist support
Foam cushions support one’s wrists while typing, preventing “hanging hands,” which can cause fatigue over extended periods.
Pro Great for people with big hands
Due to its size, this keyboard is great for those who have big hands.
Pro Several additional, personalizable keys
This keyboard has hotkeys for things like media control, zoom or launching applications. The function keys also have secondary functions, activated by an F-lock key. Some of them are customizable via a companion app (for Windows and macOS) that ships with the keyboard.
Pro Key swapping for macOS
On macOS, users have the option of swapping the Windows and Alt keys, so they match the Option and Command key order found on standard Apple keyboards, even if no alternate keycaps or stickers are provided for use with this OS.
Pro Standard ancillary key layout
The number pad, the arrow keys, Insert, Home etc. are all in their standard positions which is not common on Ergonomic keyboards.
Cons
Con Has numeric keypad
If you are an accountant, a numeric keypad might be an advantage. But to those of us who want to use a mouse, it's a definite con. Moving the mouse further right opens the shoulder joint and is just bad ergonomically.
Con Not suitable for use in the dark
The Das 4 Pro keyboard doesn't have any backlighting. This means you will probably find it a bit hard to use on a dark environment.
Con Potentially uncomfortable to use, depending on your wrist placement
The edges of the keyboard are not rounded, so it can be painful if you rest your wrists on them.
Con No calculator button
There's no calculator shortcut button.
Con Not very portable
The Das 4 Pro keyboard has external dimensions of 18'' x 6.8'' x 0.8'' ( 457 x 173 x 20 mm ) and weight of 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg). Hence, it’s not an easy keyboard to carry around. This makes the fact that it’s the slimmest mechanical keyboard on the market loose value.
Con Expensive
This keyboard is quite expensive, especially if compared, in terms of extra features, to similarly priced keyboards made by other brands. It notably misses features like USB passthrough or RGB lighting, which is surprising for a keyboard with a retail price of $169.
Con The space bar is hard to press
While it's new, the space bar needs quite some force to be pressed down.
Con No mechanical switches
The 4000 keyboard uses the same traditional rubber dome switches found on common keyboards, unlike the mechanical switches found on many other good programming keyboards. Rubber dome switches are inconsistent and always need to be bottomed out with each key press. They are also not especially durable, lasting about a quarter of the time their mechanical counterparts last. It should be noted this switch option is one of the main reasons why this keyboard is so affordable.
Con Key printing gets erased after a short time
After 2 or 3 months of use, the most used keys loose their printed symbols.
Con Not very portable
With external dimensions of 19.8’’ x 10.3’’ x 3.26’’ (503 mm x 262 mm x 82.8 mm) and weighing 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg), this keyboard is not easy to carry around.
Con Noisy
Despite not using mechanical switches, the 4000 keyboard is quite noisy, so it’s not the best pick for those looking for a silent option.
Con Key layout is hard to reconfigure
It's hard to reconfigure the 4000's default key layout. Some users would like to have the option of moving a few keys around, which is very difficult with this keyboard.
Con No USB ports
Can't connect any external devices, since there aren't any USB ports.
Con Almost all the keys are hard to press
The keys can feel too rigid due to the force needed to press them down. This hinders the typing process, making it less fluid.
Con Most of the extra functionality keys are not supported on macOS
This keyboard has a lot of extra functionality keys useful for daily tasks, like media controls or back/forward keys. Unfortunately, most of them are not supported on macOS, even after driver installation.
Con Only solves some RSI problems
While this does help with many RSI problems, it still has the ergonomic disadvantages of a standard keyboard layout.
Con No right hand Windows key
There is no right hand Windows key.