Microsoft’s new standalone keyboard has one the best new features from Apple's MacBook Pro

pulse

June 16, 2017 3:28 PM

It'll make it much easier to unlock your Windows 10 computer.

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One of the best new features that Apple added to its 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro is a Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the keyboard. And now, Microsoft has also added a fingerprint scanner on its new Modern Keyboard to work with Windows 10 computers.

The fingerprint sensor on Microsoft new $129 Modern Keyboard, called Fingerprint ID, has its own button on the right of the right "Alt" key.

Microsoft already offers an easy keyboard-less way to unlock your computer called Windows Hello, which uses a webcam and facial recognition to unlock your computer. That's great for computers that have built-in webcams, which many laptops have. However, the monitor I use on my Windows 10 desktop doesn't have a built-in webcam, so I can't use Windows Hello. And because typing in a password every time I want to unlock my computer is a pain, I don't use a password, which is a terrible, insecure idea.

Microsoft's new Modern Keyboard with a fingerprint scanner is the solution.

Touch ID on the MacBook Pro, and now Microsoft's new Modern Keyboard, cuts out the need to type in your password to log in to your computer. If that doesn't seem like a big deal, look at your smartphone and imagine if you had to tap in your PIN number every time you wanted to unlock it instead of using its fingerprint scanner. Seems like a pain, doesn't it?

It might be true that you don't unlock your computer as often as you unlock your smartphone, but your computer password if likely longer than your smartphone PIN, which could include four to six numbers. With that in mind, the fingerprint scanner on Microsoft's new keyboard is a great shortcut to unlock your computer.

The Modern Keyboard costs $129 and will be .

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