The Kinesis Ergo had the same "vertical" key layout as the typematrix, and I didn't really like it. It makes sense for the keys used by the fore finger and middle finger, but for ring and pinky finger it didn't make too much sense to me. (How many touch typists use thier pinky for 'z', for example?
Ah, but if the keys were placed in a 'grid' pattern like the TypeMatrix, then it would become possible to redesign the board for the benefit of the ring fingers and pinkies; simply move the columns of keys used by those fingers towards the typist by a short distance (different for each finger). Then those fingers wouldn't need to stretch so far to match the reach of the forefinger/middle finger. You would be left with a home 'row' that curved to accommodate the position of each fingertip, kind of like this "Abkey" from Singapore...
(But aside from the curved home row, everything else about this keyboard is an abomination...)
As for the Kinesis Ergo, I've thought about getting one but I've heard that their reliability isn't so good. However, that's another thread...