Saw the TEK notes topic, so I lifted my comment out of there (I almost hit the "post" button)
- TE - dual symmetric arrow blocks! As close to the home position as possible. I use eight fingers to navigate - WITH THE PINKIES AVAILABLE FOR CRITICAL Option (Mac) and Control (Win) modifier with the arrows for word jumps. This is huge! On the Kinesis it's four fingers for one blocks, the other is two thumbs which share modifier duty.
I have this on my access. It does seem pretty useful that way. I sometimes wish more keyboards would have this.
- TE - dual symmetric modifier blocks! And a thumb Command/Control left spacebar. This is huge, there are so many times where I need a modifier in the other hand, or a combination of modifier keys (Command-Option, Command-Shift, Command-Shift-Option) which is difficult on the Kinesis. If it takes longer than a quarter second (say) then I won't make the key combination, and just use the mouse instead. I complained about this once to a Kinesis rep, he just came back at me and said why he thought it was the greatest keyboard on the planet. "But it only has ONE control key and ONE modifier key", didn't register with him. Anyhow, in OS X Terminal (where I do significant work) I need the emacs bindings for the bash shell and emacs (Git source control management) and need full access to the control key. When running VMWare I need full access to control and Alt, and need Command, Shift and Option full access when in Cocoa.
I am still getting used to the modifiers on a kinesis. I'm sort-of having a problem with my /? =+ and -_ keys, as they're in non-intuitive places for a dvorak user. (question mark is like at the bottom). Any idea where I should remap it to? I also have trouble hitting "alt" with the kinesis. I wish there were another key next to the backspace.
Ofcourse the kinesis I'm using has no winkey at all, and I really like having two control/alt.
- Kinesis Bowls - plus and a minus. On the plus side they provide easier hand centering, but that matters little I think. As a pianist I get very little guidance from the piano keyboard (other than the 3D black keys) and have to do huge hand shifts in a millisecond, and it goes fine. I've adjusted to that on the TE, though I had difficulty for a while. The negative with the bowls is that they encourage you to rest the palms while typing, which my ergo dept keeps warning about and for me causes pain. I can't stop from doing it either, actually considered putting sandpaper (upright) on the rests to remind me (this was an idea from the ergo dept., who have worked with a lot of kinesis users)
Aha! I don't have this issue, with my standing desk. I have two keyboard positions. In the upper one, I'd only rest the very edge of my palms on the kinesis. I'm trying the sower position now, and I only rest my fingers. It's awesome.
- Kinesis function keys. Little rubber erasers. Enough said.
I've still not got around to using them I don't think I could bear it. I just move my hand up to my unicomp for that purpose.
- TAB KEY. The tab key is all important, used in programming, used in program switching. On the TE it's in the center and usable by both hands and the thumb with a half inch or inch hand movement. On the Kinesis (as all other keyboards) it's relegated off to the side. One hand, only the pinky. The center keys on the TE are equivalent to dual symmetric - meaning they are usable by both hands but you don't need two blocks due to the placement.
I think if I ever got a kinesis of my own, I'd add some useful keys to the middle.
- Key switch availability, can get brown, red and blue on the TE, only brown on the Kinesis.
You forgot: kinesis comes in red as the "LF" version. Technically speaking, this isn't a problem with availability, as with some time (or pay a GH'er to do it) you can put any cherry switch on it pretty easily. I do think that's just an issue with the wording, as you certainly can buy a TE premade in one more switch: blue
- Keyboard cover - Kinesis does't have one, the TE does
Thank God, I hate those things.
- Wrist rest. Removable on the TE, not on the Kinesis without a dremil (which I considered)
Not a bother with my standing desk.
- Crud. I don't want to share what I've dug out of my Kinesis, and you'd be surprised what makes it into the main body of the keyboard after 10 years of banging away. Not possible with the tight seams and key well design of the TE.
I don't think this is as much a good argument as your other ones (which have been consistently good, I just don't agree with them for my purposes). My access's are pretty airtight, and I pulled a LOT of crud out from under the keycaps. It was stuck between the keycaps and plate. I think of keyboards getting dirty as a fact of life. If I have to pull it out of the bottom of the keyboard by opening it up or if I have to get it out from between the keycaps and plate, it's all the same. Your TE will get dirts too, in time. Still, I may be wrong. We both may be wrong. It's really to early to tell. For refrence, there's some fantastic pictures in the Access topic.
- Compatability, to this day I have trouble with the Kinesis and OS X. I have a lot of computers running around here, about six or 10 macs, and they nearly all have trouble with the Kinesis (but none with the TE so far). Wake from sleep, goofy this, goofy that. Kinesis blames Apple. Maybe so, but Kinesis is the smaller company and should get it to work with them IMO.
I don't know about this: Apple is about as workable with other stuff as SUN. I'm really surprised to find USB ports on the back of ours. While I agree that if there's some issue, Kinesis should find and fix it, but Apple seems to exist to make thing more difficult for everyone else. This is one of my many gripes with apple, and why I don't plan on buying from them.
That said, anyone want my mac pro?
- Double shift caps lock. This is an old, old, old standard. On the Kinesis if I hit both shifts accidentally the keyboard goes into caps lock. I forget what I found about this, maybe it's the operating system, but it's annoying. Doesn't happen on the TE, and frequently happens on the Kinesis to me frequently, indicating it's the keyboard. Maybe it can be turned off, not that I recall however.
When I heard about this (hitting both shifts to get into capslock) I thought it was the best idea ever. It made so much sense! Sadly, it doesn't work for me. Maybe they added it later? maybe it's linux? Maybe it's my adapter?
I guess the point is: some of these concerns are alleviated with a standing desk. Most of the others are preference. I don't think arguments about your desk or work area are really about the kinesis. It's possible to get desks that have larger keyboard trays that will fit everything you need. I see how the taller kinesis might not work with the one you have, but it is possible to get one that will.
Me, I wish I had another 6" on my desk (which is 5 feet long) so my headphone stand will fit on there better, but I don't think it's an issue with my headphone stand. I could move my "standing desk" (which takes up about 2 feet, as a pile of stuff propping up my laptop)somewhere else, but I don't hav the room in my apartment. That's not a problem with the standing desk.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is: some of your arguments aren't really issues with the kinesis, but with your application of it. This means that clearly it's not for everyone. To type this post (with a lot of arguments) I am using my unicomp, as I can type a lot faster with it, so I won't forget my train of thought. Thanks for the wirteup. There's a lot of things to consider here, and I think it will be really helpful for people wanting to know which keyboard is better for them.
