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Anyone know of an ergonomic keyboard as good as the 4000 without a keypad?
I have had two Microsoft Natural Keyboards (the 4000 and its predecessor). I chose to go with an ergonomic keyboard even though I dont have RSI(thankfully) and i have to say that an ergonomic keyboard is the one of the best things ever. The keyboard allowed me to naturally sit and use a keyboard properly. Furthermore I stopped having to worry about what to do about my elbows and just left them be. I have also found t…
Have have two of these. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109... One for home and one for work. I've been using them for years. I tried the 4000, but I didn't like the feel of the space bar which is the key you use the most by far.
After having MS Ergo keyboards for about 7 years, I finally switched to a Kinesis model (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage_pro.htm), and although more expensive, the pressure has stayed consistent for the 1+ years of owning it.
I have a MS Natural 4000 too and I always make sure every computer I spend a lot of time on has one. I do really wish they made a model without the numeric keypad. I find it ironic that an ergonomic keyboard forces my right hand to reach to far for the mouse. There is another MS arc style keyboard with a separate bluetooth keypad but the keyboard isn't quite as good as the 4000. Anyone know of an ergonomic keyboard a…
They also can enable you to type faster. This isn't very important for coding, but it may be important in a variety of other contexts depending on what you do. I've been trying to push over 90 awpm myself.
Here are the keyboards I've had and tried:
MS Natural Elite, classic, affordable, does everything right. I feel the same way about this keyboard as I do the classic MS intellimouse, which was superceded by (IMO) inferior products. The spacebar felt a bit loose and broke on me a couple of times.
MS 4000, never felt as smooth to me as the Natural Elite, but easier to obtain. I think they made the spacebar more stable, but not as easy to reach. I was in the habit of putting my natural elite in my lap and pounding away, the adjusted curvature of this model didn't allow this and otherwise annoyed me.
Kinesis Advantage, major price tag and major pain to use if you have to use a mouse periodically. Also more difficult to adjust to. That said, gives you a slight advantage w/ typing speed (+10 or so words per minute) and allows you to easily touch type the numbers, something that very few people can do. Also, very very comfortable.
Do you really need an ergonomic keyboard? Depends on what you do. I predominately use a laptop keyboard (on my 13" Air) these days and haven't had a major issue with strain for some years, largely because (I assume) I do other wrist intensive exercises (primarily yoga). That said, if I ever did something again where I really needed to push 100 wpm, esp. over an extended period of time, I would definitely crack out my ergo keyboards.
If you are thinking of switching to one, then be prepared to spend some time adapting to it. I'm a ~100wpm touch typist, and while at university had used the 4000's predecessor, but it still took me nearly three months to get back up to speed after switching to the 4000.
But, having made the switch, I don't find my ability to type on non-ergonomic keyboards affected in the least; I routinely switch back and forth between my desktop and Macbook.
That's the best typing experience you'll ever get.
So I moved on with my life. Gave up, did no longer insist on my genius. My problems are gone ever since. RSI isn't in the movement, it is the stress that motivates them.
I'm still a genius, but a much more deliberate and respected one.
So get a life? Accept that society is wrong about just about everything. But it exists nevertheless. It is an exploit of your human nature: you were born as its loyal child.
You thought you could win society, but you can't fight, and win, something that does not care about you. Society disposes of you.
So meet the rest of us that didn't have the chance you have to begin with. We have common sense but we are denied and oppressed by folks like you, that try to escape our fate, get your glory, by bringing that fate upon us.
From our point of view, you are really stupid, to the sad point of being a criminal. But hey don't worry, God doesn't exist, now does he?
Of course you may have missed the point, that society promises to make you a God, but only if you accept it as God and abandon our humanity. This choice is what you are trying to avoid, thus pushing yourself into RSI.
Recognise the dragon. The flames are your own. You can type that on any keyboard you want.