The Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard 1.0A, or MMK1 as it will be referred to as throughout this review, is a sturdy contraption that rivals the canines' title of "Man's Best Friend". Sporting a rugged exterior and a presumably equally matched interior of wires, circuits and other keyboard related brik-a-brak, the MMK1 also comes equipped with a removeable palm-rest which can be permanently removed after a few games of Battlefield 2. It's worth mentioning that a healthy dose of Trackmania can also be used to achieve this effect.

Although its multimedia buttons do not work with every media playing application, they perform quite well when used in conjunction with Windows Media Player by giving the user the ability to play and pause, stop, skip track or change the volume with the touch of a button. The 20th century is now! A host of other fantastic shortcut buttons also line the top of the keyboard, ranging from preset shortcuts to Windows-specific folders, to preset shortcuts to Windows-specific programs. The F-Lock is also a most admirable addition to the MMK1's already impressive line-up: with this button the user is able to switch between far more common F-key functionality such as saving and loading a game in Half-Life, to a series of program-related commands.

All in all, the MMK1 is an outstanding piece of technology that will remain on our desks and in our hearts for many years to come.