Looking for something that may be hard to find. Not sure.

[rikai]

Alright guys,

I'm a long time lurker, so i know you folks are probably my best shot at finding something if it exists.

I'm trying to help a friend out finding a keyboard thats a good fit for her. She really wants a mechanical keyboard as the feel of them is far preferrable to a rubber dome. Currently she's using a Logitech Wave as it's what she finds comfortable. Straight keyboards are a no-go for her because she has RSI issues.

She's not a fan of the split keyboards at all, so split boards like the uTron, Kinesis Contoured, Northgate Omnikey Revolution, etc are out of the question.

So, in short, i'm looking for a curved(?) but non-split, mechanical keyboard, preferrably something similar to logitech wave with a standard-ish key layout. Does this magical combination exist? I haven't been able to find it.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[WhiteFireDragon]

Is she cute?

+1

it all depends of she's cute or not. meaning i've never heard of a keyboard with all the combinations you've described

[rikai]

Is she cute?

Cute and a geeky programmer with a hardware fetish. Bonus points!

[Findecanor]

No, unfortunately there is no keyboard that is close.

The Logitech Wave is curved in two ways. First of all, it is "curved" in the desk's plane (like the Microsoft Comfort Curve) and then it is also curved in the key caps having different heights and angling towards the middle.
I would say that Microsoft's "curved" keyboards are actually split on the desk's plane, but split at a small fixed angle with the key caps in the middle enlarged to close the gap between halves.

Many members have expressed a wish for an ordinary mechanical keyboard that is just split into two parts, but there is no such keyboard. If there had been, then you could have laid it out on the desk in the same layout as a "curved" keyboard with only a small gap in-between halves.

[HoboBob]

You could always show her the TrulyErgonomic. http://www.trulyergonomic.com/index.html
It is flat, but she might like it.

Unboxing and discussion here: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?24894-Truly-Ergonomic-Unboxing

[Henry Allen Venture]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I saw someone here trying to make himself a keyboard along these lines?
I'll have a look through the mods section to see if I can recognise it. At any rate, it'll probably be way more effort than the OP has in mind.

[NorrisB]

of she's cute!

[Henry Allen Venture]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I saw someone here trying to make himself a keyboard along these lines?
I'll have a look through the mods section to see if I can recognise it. At any rate, it'll probably be way more effort than the OP has in mind.

Found it! So, to answer your first question, it seems like the keyboard you're talking about doesn't exist, but will as soon as Lanx is finished.

[rikai]

No, unfortunately there is no keyboard that is close.

The Logitech Wave is curved in two ways. First of all, it is "curved" in the desk's plane (like the Microsoft Comfort Curve) and then it is also curved in the key caps having different heights and angling towards the middle.
I would say that Microsoft's "curved" keyboards are actually split on the desk's plane, but split at a small fixed angle with the key caps in the middle enlarged to close the gap between halves.

Many members have expressed a wish for an ordinary mechanical keyboard that is just split into two parts, but there is no such keyboard. If there had been, then you could have laid it out on the desk in the same layout as a "curved" keyboard with only a small gap in-between halves.

The 'curve' i was referring to was the former, the microsoft curve-style, with the fact that it is actually slightly split hidden by the key caps (assuming that is in fact how they do it), rather than the latter, not that it would be a bad thing, just trying to stay in the realm of realism considering how niche this seems to be already.

You could always show her the TrulyErgonomic. http://www.trulyergonomic.com/index.html
It is flat, but she might like it.

Unboxing and discussion here: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?24894-Truly-Ergonomic-Unboxing

Flat isn't really the main issue, straight is. See above to understand what i mean. Unfortunately the TrulyErgonmic is both split (sort-of) AND a non-standard layout. It was actually one of the first keyboards i showed her. It's in the general realm, but not what we're after.

Found it! So, to answer your first question, it seems like the keyboard you're talking about doesn't exist, but will as soon as Lanx is finished.

Yeah, it's pretty close, but still not quite there as it's based on the Microsoft Natural Ergo 4000, a split keyboard.
Looking for something closer to say... the microsoft comfort curve 2000. Maybe that'll help explain what i mean when i say 'curved but non-split'.

Findecanor pretty much nailed what i'm after. A 'gapless' split keyboard. The TrulyErgonomic is the closest i've seen to that, but definitely has a nonstandard layout.

[Henry Allen Venture]

Yeah, it's pretty close, but still not quite there as it's based on the Microsoft Natural Ergo 4000, a split keyboard.
Looking for something closer to say... the microsoft comfort curve 2000. Maybe that'll help explain what i mean when i say 'curved but non-split'.

I must've missed that bit, sorry.
I guess the same idea Lanx is using can be applied to a 'non-split' keyboard, although it will be more difficult to mount the keys, as you won't be able to use two split plates.

By the way, one of the guys at my office uses a Logitech Wave, and out of interest I had a bit of a type on it today. Put it this way, I can definitely see why you're looking to replace it. It was awful.

[hybridsoul5]

Microsoft has a number of curved offerings that aren't split design. You're not going to find mechanical switches, but from my experiences, I find switch type less important than layout in terms of ergonomics. Check it out here:

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/keyboards

[hoggy]

Maybe she could reconsider her position on split keyboards.  

I've had great success after switching to a Kinesis advantage - and quite a few others have too.

Change itself helps.  3 different keyboards could be beneficial.