Kinesis has been the leader in ergonomic keyboards since basically forever.
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@aburka Kinesis makes good kit. I use their Freestyle Edge product and have been very happy with it (even though I never use the gamer lights).
Freestyle Edge RGB Split Keyboard by Kinesis Gaming
Up to 20" of separation for ergonomic typing & one-handed play, Cherry MX mechanical switches, RGB backlighting, and cushioned palm supports. Windows & Mac.
Kinesis Gaming (gaming.kinesis-ergo.com)
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@aburka They make a more sober, RGB-less version of the same product now under the name Freestyle Pro. If I were buying today, that's probably what I would have gotten.
Kinesis Freestyle Pro
Cherry mechanical key switches, 9 programmable layouts & heavy-duty macros, adjustable 20" split, and available tenting for maximum comfort & productivity.
Kinesis (kinesis-ergo.com)
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Santiago Lema :amiga:replied to Jason Lefkowitz last edited by
@jalefkowit I never tried an ergonomic keyboard and the main reason is it looks different and I am too lazy to try…
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@jalefkowit Onward Brands bought the rights to make Microsoft Keyboards, and they do so under their Incase brand…worth seeing if you can get something you like from them
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@philmehew I gave up on Microsoft keyboards a few years before that happened, because the quality had dropped off so much. It got to the point where I was buying Natural 4000s two at a time, because if I needed one now I knew I would need another one in a few months.
Curious if Onward improved that any, or if they're just rolling with the state of the product as it was when Microsoft turned it over to them.
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Jason Lefkowitzreplied to Santiago Lema :amiga: last edited by [email protected]
@santiago The nice thing about the Microsoft Natural layout is that it is very familiar to anyone who has used a regular keyboard. Your hands just fall into a better position, you don't have to train yourself to use a whole new layout.
Compare it to the OG ergonomic keyboard, Kinesis' Advantage. The Advantage is ergonomically superior, but it requires you to learn a whole new way of typing.
So the Natural was sort of a "gateway drug" -- you could use it to ease into ergonomics, and then move up later to more complex products if you wanted/needed to.
Kinesis Advantage2 Ergonomic Keyboard
The Advantage2 Ergonomic keyboard has a split, contoured design that maximizes comfort and boosts productivity. Mechanical switches, onboard programmability and more.
Kinesis (kinesis-ergo.com)
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Punch Fascists Liberallyreplied to Jason Lefkowitz last edited by
@jalefkowit A missed opportunity to write a lipogram à la “La Disparition.”
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@jalefkowit they've had the lower price point freestyle keyboards for ages too, so to my mind I see this board more as a continuation of that niche in their gamut of products! Seeing your history with MS natural (and I too had that history) can also see why this one interests you
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Santiago Lema :amiga:replied to Jason Lefkowitz last edited by
@jalefkowit Now I feel like I should try this once. Thankfully there literally is no space left on my desk. Only a thin Apple keyboard fits at the moment since it is surrounded by a whole lot of other supposedly useful stuff.
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Jason Lefkowitzreplied to Punch Fascists Liberally last edited by
@20002ist As a broke college student, I sincerely considered copying an "M" from an older paper and pasting it in everywhere one was needed in the new one
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@freshstart One difference: the cheap Freestyle keyboards use membrane switches, while this is supposed to use Cherry mechanicals. So to me this represents them stepping up their game at the low end.
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@jalefkowit summer 2025 is too far away
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@schultzor The one and only thing about 2025 I am looking forward to
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J [email protected] shared this topic
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@jalefkowit I used that same keyboard while I was in college around the same time. My reason was RSI. I switched to MS Natural Keyboard (ANSI version, not ISO like yours) and a Microsoft IntelliMouse Trackball, and never looked back. The combination gave me instant relief by allowing me to stop flexing my wrists.
I picked up the Dvorak layout soon afterward and it improved things even more.
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@drahardja I did not realize how far down the road to RSI I'd already gotten until I picked up the Natural and noticed my hands and wrists stopped hurting. Definitely part of what sold me on them.
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@jalefkowit zap me back to 1998 why don’t you
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@exchgr You step out of the time machine. The Spice Girls are playing on a CD boombox. Your computer has a keyboard big enough to bodysurf on
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Jason Lefkowitzreplied to Santiago Lema :amiga: last edited by
@santiago There are nice things about Apple keyboards. But their ergonomics are not among them
