After having already introduced several new keyboards for use with the forthcoming Windows 8/RT tablets and Windows 8 desktops in July, Microsoft unveiled a new keyboard on Wednesday --- the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard for Windows 8.

Essentially a bigger counterpart of the Sculpt Mobile Keyboard, and packaged just like it in a thin cardboard and a red-white theme, the newly-announced Sculpt Comfort Keyboard boasts a number pad, a padded palm rest and wireless USB connectivity.

With a detachable wrist pad and a contoured shape, the Sculpt Comfort keyboard - which is notably bigger than its mobile sibling - features an ergonomic design which not only underscores a neutral position for the wrists of the users, but also makes the keys easier to reach.

One of the most amusing features of the new keyboard - which will run on two AA batteries - is its split space bar that is the upshot of Microsoft's findings that "90% of people use only their right thumb to hit the space bar," with the left side largely remaining untouched. As such, since users hardly use the left side of the space bar, Microsoft has turned it into a spare backspace key.

According to the Microsoft announcement, the $60-priced Sculpt Comfort Keyboard - likely to be released "soon" - will come with a set of Windows 8 hotkeys; and will be compatible with Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 7, and Windows Vista versions.