For the fourth time this month, Sally happily sits down at a desk, ready for another volunteer session. Her arm is comfortably connected to several electrodes that monitor her every move. Watching carefully, the researcher records the usable data for precise mathematical analyses. While it may sound like a scene from a science-fiction movie, it is a typical day at Microsoft Hardware's ergonomics research lab. Known primarily for software innovations, Microsoft's ranks also include a team of 200 engineers, industrial designers, ergonomists, technologists and business professionals -- practically a "company within a company" -- working to create high-performance, comfortable and stylish hardware. Starting two decades ago with a gray, box-shaped mouse, Microsoft Hardware has evolved into makers of best-selling keyboards and mice, with a common goal of making people's computing experience more productive.
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