Kinesis Advantage2 Contoured USB Keyboard for PC and Mac

I bought this keyboard hoping that it would help resolve the chronic tendonitis in my arm/wrist. The low force switches/keys as well as the ergonomic design have been very effective in doing so. I highly recommend this product... I am very thankful to Kinesis for this product. It admittedly looks very different but don't let that distract you from purchasing this well designed/built product.

I bought a Kinesis contour keyboard many many years ago. When it gave me trouble I sent it back for a rebuild. When my newer computers did not have a PS/2 port, I used an adapter. The Kinesis kept going. Now I work in two locations, so I bought a second Kinesis keyboard so I don't have to carry one with me. The new one has a better feel than the old one, which I thought was perfect.

I use my computer about 15-16 hours a day - for work, personal business, social life and entertainment. My hands and wrists 10 years ago were inflamed and painful. They improved noticeably within two weeks after I started using the Kinesis. Now my hands and wrists are in good shape, thanks to the Kinesis keyboard.

Other keyboards make you move your hand a lot, stretch your fingers into awkward positions, and twist your wrists. Even other so-called ergonomic keyboards are simply not ergonomic! The Kinesis is really shaped to fit the hand, and the special keys are placed where you can reach them with the least amount of stress on the fingers and hands. The thumb works harder than the pinky - which is good - because it is a much stronger muscle. All in all, Kinesis designed this to be as ergonomic as a keyboard can be.

It took me less than a week to be typing at normal speed, but then, as I said, I was working 15 hours a day. Also, I knew the minute I put my hands on it, that the effort to get used to it would pay off.

If there is one thing I wish for, it would be a good (Apple-quality) touchpad in the center of the keyboard. I bought an ergonomic mouse which sits to the right of the keyboard. it's still less arm travel than with any other keyboard to move my hand from the keyboard to the mouse, but if it could be in the center, between my hands, it would be even better.

I haven't tried foot pedals and I don't need programable keys - I just like a keyboard that minimizes the stress on my hands for typing.

This was an upgrade for me from an older model Kinesis that has a PS/2 connector and won't work on the new work laptop. It's a great keyboard. I got the single foot switch also, but have not found as much use for it as I had hoped. Another strange thing, the new kb only works on 1 of the 5 USB ports on the laptop; I'm have not tried very hard to figure out why that happens. The Human Solution was easy to work with and I'd be happy to get another Kinesis from them when USB plugs go obsolete.

Took me ~3 weeks to become accustomed to the keyboard. Would like to see an integrated touchpad in the middle - as this is wasted space in my opinion. I use it to hold my phone on a rubberized mat, but would prefer a touch pad to reduce hand travel to the trackball. Aside from that, I really like this keyboard. Just give yourself a few weeks to retrain your natural tendency to move the hands left and right while typing.

Almost magic... I have always been a slow touch typist... with this keyboard within 3 days I was typing faster and more accurately than I ever have. My arms, fingers, and wrists never tire or have pain now. My posture sitting in front of the keyboard was immediately better. A lot of folks say it takes a lot of time to adjust to... for me it was almost instantly... the keyboard seemed like an old friend. Only complaint is that the 2 USB port are too close together and angled is such a way as to make the use of both at the same time not practical. Neal Kellner CM TRAVEL 4FUN

I'm very pleased with my keyboard and would be using it for years to come, but it won't work with the new Mac I bought. I called Kinesis and they suggested all kinds of adapters for the keyboard (since it had a p2 plug). But although it has worked on my old PC, I can't get it to work with a Mac. Upon calling Apple, I've learned that the new upgrade in the operating system is incompatible with certain keyboards. :( .. So I'm at a loss to find an ergonomic keyboard that will with my new system.

I've had a couple of months to adjust to this keyboard now. After a couple of weeks, I was very close to sending it back, just because I didn't like adjusting to the layout. It was all of those reviews from other people that caused me to hang in there and I'm glad that I did. Sure, I was able to adjust somewhat in a few days, but it really did take two to three weeks to get back up to full speed and get where I actually enjoyed the keyboard. Just a warning: Be prepared for some aggravation in the beginning. I can't tell you how many times I typed a 'q' instead of an 'a' at first. And the space key vs the back space key was awful for awhile.
I only have a couple of minor gripes about the keyboard. The key click sound is too noisy. It reminds me of the old IBM keyboards with the curly cords. You really hear the clicks when typing on this keyboard. I have a MS Natural keyboard, that is much better in that regard. I have "finally" gotten used to the placement of the cntl key...that's just ok. I still don't like where the arrow keys are. The biggest issue I have is the price. I believe the company would move a heck of a lot more units if they got it more around the $150 range.
All in all, after the adjustment period, the keyboard is very comfortable, but I can't give it a full recommendation because of what I feel is an inflated price.

It would be better if the function keys use also Cherry MX.

This keyboard was a good buy. It took no time to set up; I plugged it into my Windows computer and it worked. The shape of the keyboard feels very comfortable. Switching between Dvorak and QWERTY is easy.

It takes some time to adjust to it, but that's expected. The only real drawback is that it moves a few of the keys to places that are inconvenient for software developers who use dvorak; however, the keyboard allows you to remap the keys and fix this problem.