Incase brings Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard back from the brink

When Microsoft announced back in April 2023 that they would stop manufacturing most of their accessories, such as mice, webcams, and their w...

When Microsoft announced back in April 2023 that they would stop manufacturing most of their accessories, such as mice, webcams, and their well regarded split keyboards, many a computer enthusiast were howling at the loss. And in pain, in some cases, given Microsoft's Sculpt keyboard, which provides a comfortable, ergonomic design, was among the best built and most affordable split keyboards on the market.

People started to stockpile rapidly dwindling stock, with even one person in Japan purchasing 10 of the Sculpt keyboards to ensure that he'd have a steady supply until the apocalypse. I for one, was very disappointed, given I've used and been very happy with Microsoft's split ergonomic keyboards since 2007.

ディスコンになったMicrosoft Ergonomic Keyboardの英字配列が10セットアメリカAmazonから届いたので倉庫に保管。すでに手元にある予備機5台と共にトータル15セット🥸もう安心。 https://t.co/xfN35z2uqi pic.twitter.com/Bh9czN2u7V
— tairan (@june_taira) May 15, 2023

It also begged the question: what next? The only other major manufacturers who build ergonomic keyboards are Logitech and Lenovo, and both have number pads which get in the way when reaching for the mouse.

Luckily, accessory company Incase is stepping up to the game and licensing a large swathe of Microsoft's accessory line. They will continue to use Microsoft's designs and manufacturing line to build the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard, among other devices, meaning those of us reliant on it as our daily driver will be able to buy a replacement when it finally conks off to keyboard heaven, hopefully for years to come. The only difference is that it will now sport Incase's logo, with the tagline "Incase, designed by Microsoft". I'm okay with that.

Incase has also announced that they will eventually release a new split keyboard which Microsoft had designed, but had not yet released, so we can still look forward to a new iteration of ergonomic keyboards.

Devices that Incase will bring back include the following, listed on their website. It's rumoured we'll see them in Q2 2024, but pricing is unclear. Here's hoping they don't jack up the price just because they can.