Hello all.
I finally joined after lurking on the "Re-create the DataHand..." thread for several years. My interest in keyboards stems directly from my original job in medical transcription typing approximately 8 hours a day at a little over 100 wpm on average. Now, as a data analyst, I still do a lot of keying, but not nearly the volume to which I was once subjected. Over the years I have accumulated the following keyboards which are all currently in use on a rotating basis:
DataHand Pro II mounted on the arms of a Herman Miller Aeron, so technically, a DataChair as it was once called when the company was still viable.
Maltron Model 90 US QWERTY with integrated trackball and detachable USB (DQ11T1B-US)
Kinesis Essential (KB2132PC) / Kinesis Advantage Pro USB (KB510USB-met)
IBM Model M (Lexmark, Made in USA, 52G9658, manufactured 28-Aug-93, clicky keys, attached cable)
Not a keyboard but related: Several ITAC Evolution Mouse-Trak devices
The keyboards are listed in rank order from top to bottom, most ergonomic to not ergonomic. There is a HUGE gap in ergonomics between a properly adjusted DataHand Pro II and the Maltron. It is possible to type nearly continuously with very minimal breaks for several hours on a DataHand with no ill effects whatsoever, as I did regularly as a transcriptionist. Regular breaks are still needed with all the others listed. Mild discomfort can be felt within a few minutes of continuous typing on anything other than the DataHand. The Maltron and the Kinesis are very similar in ergonomics with the Maltron having a distinct advantage in terms of the vertically lower placement of the thumb keys and a slight difference in the geometry of the left and right key wells when compared to the Kinesis. The IBM Model M is not ergonomic at all but is very pleasing to type on, albeit in small doses before discomfort sets in, owing to the catastrophic buckling spring keys.
In case anyone wonders why I bother with any keyboard other than the DataHand, there are legitimate reasons. If I have tasks involving a lot of switching between keyboard and trackball, it is easier to do this from a more traditional keyboard. The DataHand is mounted on my chair requiring that I extricate my right hand from the pod, raise the arm up to the level of my desk, place the arm on an Ergo-Rest set for the height of the trackball, and then reverse this process once done with the trackball, not forgetting to move the Ergo-Rest out of the way so it doesn't bump into the chair-mounted DataHand. Time consuming and tedious. It is simpler just to keep both of my arms on their respective Ergo-Rests and type on whatever keyboard I have up on my desk. I use the DataHand when there is prolonged typing with minimal utilization of a pointing device. I don't bother with the built in mouse control via arrow keys on the DataHand as it is too slow to be of any practical value in a work environment. When away from my desk, I can't very well bring the Aeron/DataHand with me so Kinesis/ITAC or Maltron/ITAC are used for those situations. Maltron's built in trackball is passable, especially when compared to the DataHand mouse function, but slow compared to the ITAC.
