Welcome to geekhack.
Hmm, I like the term "straight columns" (which someone else brought up here some time ago) for these sort of keyboards, which include both those with staggered columns such as the TE and Kinesis Advantage, as well as grid/matrix keyboards like the TypeMatrix. Either feel more comfortable to type on than regular keyboards with staggered rows.
I concur that the TE should be a good choice, definitely worth checking out. I gave it a try as well (you can find all about it in a recent thread in this subforum). It turns out I preferred the Advantage overall, mainly because of its thumb keys. The TE does have a few benefits too, such as the central tab key, and proper F# keys with real switches.
BTW when I type on my advantage I rest my hands on the included pads (not officially recommended), and my fingers are only excessively curled when using the bottom row, so not very often.