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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: knightjp on Mon, 21 April 2025, 09:50:50

Title: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: knightjp on Mon, 21 April 2025, 09:50:50

Pretty much my fav keyboard or at least Ergo keyboards are the contoured ones from Kinesis.
I can't afford a brand new one and just checked on ebay for used options.
Can anyone tell me what is the difference in between the Essential vs Advantage Pro and Advantage 2?

Title: Re: Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 21 April 2025, 10:04:57

Essential: Really old model. No programming/remapping. PS/2 or ADB interface.

The Advantage was the base model from 2002 to 2016 when it was replaced by the Advantage 2.
The Advantage Pro had a controller with more memory than the Advantage.

Advantage 2: Mechanical function keys (Cherry ML). New more programmable controller.

Title: Re: Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: knightjp on Tue, 22 April 2025, 01:29:02

Quote from: Findecanor on Mon, 21 April 2025, 10:04:57

Essential: Really old model. No programming/remapping. PS/2 or ADB interface.

The Advantage was the base model from 2002 to 2016 when it was replaced by the Advantage 2.
The Advantage Pro had a controller with more memory than the Advantage.

Advantage 2: Mechanical function keys (Cherry ML). New more programmable controller.

Thanks for the reply.
So if someone just wants to use it as a ergo keyboard, no layers, no programming functions, etc., it sounds like the Kinesis Essential would suffice.
However I'm thinking that just for a little bit more in terms of cost, opting for the Advantage Pro, is the better choice.

Title: Re: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: zegonix on Tue, 22 April 2025, 02:41:04

make sure not to miss the

Quote

Essential: ... PS/2 or ADB interface.

Title: Re: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: knightjp on Tue, 22 April 2025, 04:42:48

Quote from: zegonix on Tue, 22 April 2025, 02:41:04

make sure not to miss the

Quote

Essential: ... PS/2 or ADB interface.

Oh no.. haven't forgotten that part. I do have a PS/2 and ADB on my system.

Title: Re: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: Findecanor on Tue, 22 April 2025, 13:48:24

I have a Kinesis Advantage. .. I have not used it much but when I did I don't think I could have l lived without being able to remap a few keys around. Such as, for instance, getting more sensible positions for Alt Gr (used in Swedish layout a lot) and navigation keys. And of course: putting Ctrl to the left of A.

Title: Re: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: zegonix on Wed, 23 April 2025, 01:51:27

homerow modifiers (with tap&hold) is the most important remap, fight me

Title: Re: Kinesis Essential vs Advantage Pro vs Advantage 2
Post by: knightjp on Thu, 24 April 2025, 05:11:15

Thanks for the replies and advice. I managed to get a good Kinesis Advantage KB500 MPC