Review on Kinesis Advantage2 Silver Ergonomic Keyboard (KB605) by Robert Johnson

I'm a programmer and spend all day with a keyboard and mouse. Years ago I experienced RSI symptoms that prompted me to take a closer look at keyboards. Most keyboards that come with computers are junk. After a few months, you can easily press the keys with a straight up and down motion, but if you try to press the key at an oblique angle, things can get very tight. The keys you press with your outer fingers are the worst, as you often press them at an angle. If you're not careful, you'll hit the keys with your little finger - hello, RSI. This keyboard really helped me get rid of RSI symptoms. The combination of specially designed keyholes (which reduce skewing and dragging) and lightweight, spring-loaded keys is wonderful. I've seen similar results with my colleagues who switched to a different one. This version 2 keyboard has updated internals. The previous problems with sometimes sticky modifier keys on Mac are completely gone. I initially had trouble remapping keys, but Kinesis phone support was helpful and fixed the issue (which affected some of the original batches of these keyboards). I like it. Tips: - Don't be afraid to remap keys. For example I moved Esc to Caps Lock and Command to End. Get creative and try to place useful buttons under strong fingers or thumbs - take a good look at your mouse too. If you have bad RSI, try switching your mouse or using a trackball. Avoid using mouse scroll wheels; it's hard on the middle finger. I installed a utility that scrolls when I move my mouse and hold down the ctrl key. - Try to study the Dvorak layout. It's probably not better or faster, but you'll type very slowly while learning and it will give your hands time to recover :) Seriously, it reduces key cravings as it puts regular letters under your strong middle fingers row. Price: If you're a working professional, there's no excuse for not having the best tools to work with. And if you have RSI symptoms that threaten your ability to act, you are a fool to let a hefty price tag hold you back.