4 ms·

I've used the €50 keyboard; it's certainly better than the €5 keyboard (at retail) that ships with most desktops, but it's still not anywhere near as good as a

I've used the €50 keyboard; it's certainly better than the €5 keyboard (at retail) that ships with most desktops, but it's still not anywhere near as good as a Kinesis or Maltron, the cost of either is less than 1‰ (so a rounding error of a rounding error) of the cost of employing me for a year, and they'll last longer than the five-year depreciation period for office equipment.

clarry 7y ago
Yep. I've used a Kinesis Advantage Pro for some 10-15 years. I used Microsoft Natural Ergonomic for a year or two but it's not comparable. One can easily spend more in coffee over a few months than it costs to buy one of these somewhat better keyboards.
- rumanator 7y ago
  The kinesis keyboard costs more than some low-end laptops. It's hard to sell the idea that it's ok for a keyboard to cost more than a regular everyday work computer, even if it's price is expressed in coffee cups.
  - clarry 7y ago
    On the other hand, it will outlast many mass-produced low-end laptops made of the cheapest of components. Mine is still going strong after more than a decade. Also, these 300 eur laptops are not something I'd consider for everyday work. Way underspecced for a lot of stuff, and generally miserable to work with or carry around.
  - Symbiote 7y ago
    One of my colleagues (a PA, not a developer) has a "Rollermouse Red" which costs $400. It's an easy sell when the doctor says "you need this to avoid time off work" or similar. More developers should take a preventative approach and invest in ergonomic hardware. (I'm pretty sure my desk is about $500, and the chair probably similar.)
    - MrMorden 7y ago
      $500 is a low-end, made-in-China sit/stand desk. For one made in the US with a hardwood top, it could be $2000 or more, not including monitor arms and other useful accessories. My chair at home actually only cost $500 because it was the store's house brand, but it happened to be the most comfortable. If it weren't for that, I'd have bought an Aeron. A name-brand office chair lists for $1000-$1500, but avoiding a sick day or three due to back pain makes one very +EV, very quickly.

clarry 7y ago

Yep. I've used a Kinesis Advantage Pro for some 10-15 years. I used Microsoft Natural Ergonomic for a year or two but it's not comparable. One can easily spend more in coffee over a few months than it costs to buy one of these somewhat better keyboards.

rumanator 7y ago
The kinesis keyboard costs more than some low-end laptops. It's hard to sell the idea that it's ok for a keyboard to cost more than a regular everyday work computer, even if it's price is expressed in coffee cups.
- clarry 7y ago
  On the other hand, it will outlast many mass-produced low-end laptops made of the cheapest of components. Mine is still going strong after more than a decade. Also, these 300 eur laptops are not something I'd consider for everyday work. Way underspecced for a lot of stuff, and generally miserable to work with or carry around.
- Symbiote 7y ago
  One of my colleagues (a PA, not a developer) has a "Rollermouse Red" which costs $400. It's an easy sell when the doctor says "you need this to avoid time off work" or similar. More developers should take a preventative approach and invest in ergonomic hardware. (I'm pretty sure my desk is about $500, and the chair probably similar.)
  - MrMorden 7y ago
    $500 is a low-end, made-in-China sit/stand desk. For one made in the US with a hardwood top, it could be $2000 or more, not including monitor arms and other useful accessories. My chair at home actually only cost $500 because it was the store's house brand, but it happened to be the most comfortable. If it weren't for that, I'd have bought an Aeron. A name-brand office chair lists for $1000-$1500, but avoiding a sick day or three due to back pain makes one very +EV, very quickly.