Microsoft's keyboards and mice will live on under a unique new partnership

> Incase, designed by Microsoft. Incase will be using the same manufacturing components and supply chain as Microsoft, and is licensing the designs for a variety of products.

>It’s important to note that Incase isn’t getting licenses for all of Microsoft’s PC accessories.

>So it’s not a license in the sense where we’re just getting the name to use, we’re continuing the exact same products.”

>Around the time of Microsoft’s announcement, the company began having conversations with its designed by Surface partners to let them know it was now more focused on third-party companies manufacturing PC accessories. “On that phone call we mentioned we would be interested in stepping into the shoes of those products,” says Tebele. “Conversations evolved pretty quickly.”

I think this is a very good direction and outcome. But it worries me this was not the initial planned route. As much as PR likes to state it is not a reaction to the market response. They did only wanted the surface brand with very selective Surface accessories. Considering out of all the department at Microsoft, Hardware was the only department I consider high quality and one of the best in the market.

Hmm too bad.

Their peripherals were really high quality. In fact they're probably the only high quality products to ever come out of Microsoft.

I love this, it's a good solution to the "big company scraps beloved product because it's only a millions of dollars idea" when the line to run an already established 10-50mil business would be out the door.

After trying everything under the sun, I’ve found the Sculpt to be one of the most comfortable ergonomic keyboards out there, and its priced really well too. The issue is that stupid dongle, I keep loosing it, and the dongle needs a dongle to adapt it to usb-c… I have been waiting for years and hoping they release a bluetooth version without the dongle

I'm wondering if they're licensing BlueTrack as well, it works well on all the surfaces I tried. I would love to have a refreshed model of the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse that could be paired to more than one device with a toggle.

I think they have missed that a significant portion may be purchased due to existing customer part # locked into purchasing system. Dropping the “00001” keyboard will spurr re-evaluation of part vendor.

This is good news - love my MS ergo keyboard. Hoping they update the models to support usb-c.

Awesome that Sculpt is back. Now I dont have to buy all of them in advance.

but where's the Trackball Explorer? that was the best mouse ever made.