geekhack Community > Ergonomics
Suggestions for Advantage keyboard
TotalChaos:
--- Quote from: TotalChaos on Fri, 11 January 2013, 22:13:22 ---
--- Quote from: natas206 on Thu, 04 October 2012, 15:23:05 ---Please share any thoughts and ideas of what you would like to see for the next version of Contoured keyboard.
--- End quote ---
I want a keyboard more or less like the Kinesis Advantage except flat with Cherry Red switches and works on PS/2.
You could add some extra keys to the middle too if u wanted.
You could add some extra keys to the thumb area too if u wanted.
It does not hurt to have some spare extra keys on the keyboard that the user can define as desired.
If you would have allowed me to buy a flat Kinesis Advantage with Cherry Red switches that works on PS/2 I would have already bought 3 of them a few months ago.
Instead I am being forced to spend thousands of $$$ on all sorts of different keyboards.
I have no problem with the pricing of your current Kinesis Advantage.
And your return policy is super duper nice.
But I honestly just don't think that crazy keywell shape is for me. I have severe horrifically bad handpain problems but I have never ever craved or wanted a keyboard shaped like that.
I especially do not want to be tempted to lay my wrist on that high point of the keyboard. That is incredibly unhealthy and directly causes RSI, Tendonitis, CTS and other horrible problems. I like my normal flat cherry red keyboards. There is no temptation to lay my wrist on anything.
Also I don't think my soft crashpads would work in the crazy shaped kinesis advantage. I need a flat keyboard for that.
I need a keyboard that lets me SHIFT with my thumbs.
I would not mind SHIFTing with my feet from time to time.
If I bought a Kinesis I am sure I would buy the super deluxe version with everything.
I could have bought a Kinesis Advantage "for the hell of it". "Just to give it a try." And to show my support of your company because it seems like u r at least trying. (which is a lot more than I can say for most keyboard companies) But I really really really do not think it will work out for me.
For the time being I am being forced to buy WASD keyboards or Filcos because they let me buy a flat keyboard compatible with crashpads, compatible with PS/2 with Red switches.
I am researching different substances to glue on top of my keycaps to have a healthier, softer, less violent, less painful keyboard experience. But I don't have much useful to report on that other than 10A rubber is way too hard.
I do not require Red switches. I would rather have a switch more intelligently designed than Red. Its not so hard to do if you have money. But among these simplistic, primitive antiergonomic switch choices presented by Cherry, Alps and Matias, Cherry Red wins. But a better switch could be 100x better.
Whatever new keyboard you come out with, if it is rigged to not work on PS/2 then I won't buy it.
--- End quote ---
And real Cherry Red Function keys. Doesn't matter too much where the keys are as long as they really exist without having to press Fn key and don't hurt my fingers to press them.
And preferably all-keycaps-same-profile. None of this nonsense OEM screwball profile keycaps. You are a real keyboard company so act like it.
And try not to waste a ton of deskspace. The keyboard should be exactly as big as it needs to be and no bigger.
I don't care if the keyboard is split or not. I will buy it either way as long as it works on PS/2.
natas206:
Thanks for the input TotalChaos. I would say you should try a Contoured keyboard before making some of those conclusions. Lots of research has gone into our design and it's stood the test of time (20 years), so although it looks crazy it's very effective.
If you're looking for something similar but flat keep your eye on the "Ergo Dox" (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=22780.0).
TotalChaos:
--- Quote from: natas206 on Mon, 14 January 2013, 13:11:02 ---Thanks for the input TotalChaos. I would say you should try a Contoured keyboard before making some of those conclusions. Lots of research has gone into our design and it's stood the test of time (20 years), so although it looks crazy it's very effective.
--- End quote ---
I think about buying one and trying it all the time.
But I can't visualize crashpads working right on those vertical keys unless I glue them into the top of each keycap. So to try out the Kinesis Advantage requires a big committment.
Also as the pads age I assume they use their squishiness. Since the pads would now be glued into place I can no longer replace them by themselves, I would have to throw away the whole keycap. Unless you have some clever solution?
Does Kinesis Advantage use special keycaps? If so how much does it cost for me to buy replacements?
Also I just noticed you said "Contoured" in your message. Maybe we are each talking about a different keyboard?
dorkvader:
natas206 is, of course, the expert here, but I believe the kinesis contoured refers to the advantage (with keywells). The kinesis does use special keycaps, to more naturally fit the hand, but people have experimented with replacing them with "normal" ones from a kit (like from WASDkeyboards) with some success.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=23446.msg477340#msg477340
vivalarevolución:
--- Quote from: dorkvader on Tue, 15 January 2013, 09:23:30 ---natas206 is, of course, the expert here, but I believe the kinesis contoured refers to the advantage (with keywells). The kinesis does use special keycaps, to more naturally fit the hand, but people have experimented with replacing them with "normal" ones from a kit (like from WASDkeyboards) with some success.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=23446.msg477340#msg477340
--- End quote ---
I'm currently using uniform spherical PBT keycaps on my Kinesis Advantage. I like them better than the OEM keycaps. They have more space between each key and the heights are uniform. But that's only my experience.
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