Ever wondered how a vertical keyboard feels like?

[chx]

Ask away. I have a Kinesis Freestyle w/ Ascent for more than five years now. I travel with it et al.

[pnutster]

Thanks for opening this topic! A kinesis advantage user myself, but are starting to think my tendon problem may need a true vertical instead of minor tenting.

The ascent kit itself. Is it metal or plastic?

[SonOfSonOfSpock]

Why did you choose it over something like the SafeType?

Do you have mirrors to look at the keys or are you super awesome and never look down?

What pointing device do you use?

[luisbg]

So.... how does it feel?
What was the most significant benefit you experienced? Which unexpected pro was the best? Which unexpected con was the worst?

I am assuming you really love it since you go through the trouble of bringing it with you when you travel.

What do you do when you use a laptop when outside/traveling? Do people give you weird looks or ask questions?

[davkol]

What angle do you actually use? I've tried to position a split keyboard vertically, but found it difficult to press either thumb keys, or the rest, because of the angle between the thumb and palm. Consequently, I opted for something like 70°, and quite liked it (except it made the keyboard sound hollow).

I second the question about pointing devices. How do you deal with too high desks and/or the difference in height between the keyboard and the pointing device?

[Sc0tTy]

I always thought you'd have to lift your hands a lot so I never got the ascent add-on because I thought my arms would be tired after a few minutes of use.
Is that the case? Maybe some video/pictures of usage would be cool

[islisis]

How does the subjective activation force vary from horizontal to vertical? Does gravity play any other notable role in usage changes?