Sure it's expensive, but we're talking about your primary input device which you use for hours every day. If your job is in front of a computer, do yourself a h

Sure it's expensive, but we're talking about your primary input device which you use for hours every day. If your job is in front of a computer, do yourself a huge favor and get a decent keyboard, display, and chair. You also amortize that cost over a very long time--these keyboards last forever. My 20 year-old Kinesis (with a USB dongle) works just as good today as it did when I bought it. But to your point, it's a leap that most people have to take on faith, as they probably can't find one to demo. I had the good fortune of having a coworker with one so I could try it first; a couple minutes with the Kinesis was all it took to sell me. The same's happened in my current office; now 4-5 people use them. But to the average person who can't try before they buy, it's a leap, and I'm sure that's hindered adoption significantly. You're right on the current model's escape/function keys, looks like they're mechanical now--excellent! All of mine are older models.