I'll buy it!
But only if they produce a second version that has no dongle, but connects via bluetooth.

"Or better yet, how do you input numbers speedily on your laptop?"

I hold the Fn button down and use the keypad..

/teh jokes

This is a good start.

For year's I've been begging ergo keyboard manufacturers (MS and Logitech) make ergo keyboards without the number pad as their standard board. Ergo boards are big enough to begin with, without adding that blasted number pad.

You spend your life reaching an extra six inches to get to the mouse (assuming you are right handed), which can't be good for the old rotator cuff. It seems more natural if the mouse were closer to the body, which requires the keyboard drop the extra keypad if its not required.

Let the consumer decide what to plug into their keyboard in place of the num pad. Have a USB port using some kind of standardized connector to "dock" whatever you want on the side of the keyboard.

If you'd rather plug in a number pad, great, you buy one and plug it in there. But if you prefer a track-ball roller-ball goes there instead, then you can swap out the number pad (or never buy it in the first place) and plug in the snap-in track-ball. Or if you are an avid gamer, then plug in your custom Borg-finger-pad that specially shaped to rapid-fire those macros used in CS.

Lego-like swap-ables for your keyboard.

I don't input numbers speedily on my laptop.

But the the good part is that I don't need to, so I won't be dropping $40 on another thing to stuff in my already over filled bag.

And I'll have to wonder (just like mangochutney pointed out) why they didn't make it bluetooth instead? It's made for laptops (must be) and most modern laptops have bluetooth. Very strange.

1946735 that took me about 1.5sec. Just use the num lock on my PowerBook. The fn key works well too, in fact I like it better since there is no worry about forgetting to turn off the num lock.

It makes me want to try one of the cheap and available wired ones.

Hey if you have to plug something in anyway, why not just use a wired one?
You still plug in a dongle, and now you've got number pad batteries to manage!

If I needed one of these, I think I'd rather just deal with the cord.

Screw laptops. I'm still waiting for a desktop keyboard that will simply sit squarely in front of me without the keypad and arrows shoving my mouse even further over to the right. The closest that I've seen are cramped mini-keyboards. Would it kill manufacturers to actually use USB and/or Bluetooth to make a modular keyboard that doesn't suck?

My company's CFO has had a cordless numpad for a few years. Although this one is a bit prettier, it's nothing new.

I'm definitely interested in one of these. For a very specific reason: The Notation program I use almost daily (Sibelius) has a speedy note-input system using the numeric keypad. An extra keypad would make notating much easier. No more Fn for me!

Why won't they make Bluetooth versions of these and their wireless mice? The whole point of me wanting a wireless mouse is so that I don't have to plug into my USB port when I come home.

$40!?!
I remember seeing a corded version for around $5 at walmart.

Targus makes a wireless keypad that sells for under $30, I've had one for about 2 years now. They have a bundled wireless mouse and keypad combo for under $40.

Oh Come on ! 40$ ?? this is insane.I speak numbers to my laptop , this is a fastest input way ever created ..use speech engine ..it comes free with every OS today ..

I'm tired of this wireless crap where it comes with some stupid dongle. It should be bluetooth. The whole point is to avoid dongles at all cost, unless the customer buying it does not have a bluetooth adapter inside his/her pc. The same goes for MSFTs wireless mice. What happened to bluetooth input devices? oh wait. dumb.

@wesrubix

Uh, my mouse and keyboard connect via BT. My Treo has BT. My laptop has BT. I come home, push the HotSync button on my Treo, lay it on my desk, and go about my business while it syncs. BT breaks down because manufacturers' BT stacks are often incompatible.

mmmmm... FN button, duh!

3 logitech posts in a row hmmm sounds like either advertising or slow news to me