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I used a Das Keyboard for a little over a year, and I loved it. I have fond memories of it, and it's a very well built and super solid product. I've long been
by dljsjr 12y ago
I used a Das Keyboard for a little over a year, and I loved it. I have fond memories of it, and it's a very well built and super solid product. I've long been a fan of mechanical keyboards. I used to use an Apple Extended Keyboard II at home, and a Das Keyboard at work, and I thought I was in heaven.
But one day I had to do some maintenance on some random computer in a closet at work, and the only spare keyboard we had sitting around was one of the old Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000's, and using the split-wave layout was a revelation. I was officially intrigued by ergonomic keyboards. I've since tried typing on a Truly Ergonomic and an ErgoDox, looking for the sweet spot between mechanical and ergonomic, but it just wasn't the same. I have yet to try a Kinesis Advantage because I don't know anybody that owns one.
I now have two Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic keyboards, one at home and one at work. And I love them. I didn't even realize that normal keyboards were causing me pain until I had to switch back to my old Das temporarily for a day and the whole of both of my forearms were on fire at the end of it. But in spite of all that, I still really really miss the Cherry MX Blue switches from my old Das Keyboard.
My point is that my dream keyboard, ignoring whether or not it's possible/feasible, would be a split-wave Microsoft-style ergonomic form factor with Cherry switches. If somebody out there put up a kickstarter for a keyboard like that tomorrow, I would empty my wallet backing the project. Maybe the Das Keyboard folks are here reading this.
A boy can dream.
- dewarrn1 12y agoAgreed, the MS 4000's split design helped tremendously with my ulnar nerve irritation. Keeping my wrists aligned with my forearms is the key. I've also been keeping an eye out for a mechanical keyboard in a similar form factor without any luck. The few alternatives that I've seen are such an enormous price premium over the 4000 that I can't justify the expense. Maybe I'll be the second contributor to your putative Kickstarter campaign.
- subsection1h 12y ago> I have yet to try a Kinesis Advantage because I don't know anybody that owns one. [...] I would empty my wallet backing [...] You would empty your wallet backing a Kickstarter project but you won't spend a couple hundred dollars on a Kinesis Advantage? I don't understand. I have two Kinesis Advantages and I plan to buy another when the new version is released.
- dljsjr 12y agoThe Kinesis Advantage is an unknown form factor, I don't know if it would give me the relief that the split-wave form factor does. If I tried a Kinesis and liked it, then yes I would buy it in a heart beat.
- noir_lord 12y agoI recently swapped out two mechanical mx blue keyboards for the Ergo 4000, never going back the reduction in pain was amazing inside a few days.
- mr_olive 12y agoNobody has mentioned it yet, so I feel obliged to link keyboard.io: http://www.keyboard.io/ http://www.keyboard.io/ They are currently in prototyping phase and they expect to go to Kickstarter this summer. I'm not from their team, I only want a good keyboard and this one looks promising. I also own a Das Keyboard and I absolutely love the feel. But this "traditional" layout is just not good enough for today's typing-intensive professions. I have already experienced first RSI symptoms on both of my pinkies, so I'd like to try a true ergonomic keyboard.