To the extreme left of the keyboard is a scroll wheel, identical to the one on the mouse (though it does not have a middle mouse button function), and a pair of web navigation buttons. This is probably the extra feature of the keyboard that I use least, but occasionally it does justify its existence by allowing you to scroll without taking your hands off the keyboard while typing. The keyboard wheel shares its settings with the mouse counterpart, so any changes will affect both wheels.
Above the wheel are the major new additions to the keyboard, the five “my favorites” buttons. Unlike the rest of the buttons which can be assigned to a few specific pre-defined functions or to open programs, the favorites buttons allow you to instantly access any webpage or document you want. All you have to do is hold the button down for a few seconds and it assigns itself to whatever page you have open, sort of like setting a preset on a radio. These are easily the best feature on the board, I find myself using them constantly.
The media control buttons are the same as the ones found on the previous MS multimedia keyboard, though the layout has been redone and looks much more attractive. The larger size of the buttons also makes them much easier to use.
I wouldn’t normally have much use for the folder and web control keys, and fortunately they can be easily re-assigned. My Documents now opens Word, My Pictures opens Photoshop, and My Music opens Sonique. The level of available customization is excellent.
