The Kenesis Freestyle Pro with the extra tents is a great mechanical keyboard that feels like an upgraded natural 4000.
this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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ErgoMechKeyboards
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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards
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Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)
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¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid
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Agreed, that's what I switched to when I got rid of my MS natural. My only regret is I didn't do it sooner.
What is wrong with it? What are you looking for?
Sorry, now I created duplicate posts. Oh well, first try. Mainly because my hands are hurting more these days, and y'all seem to have a better way of doing things with a mech keyboard. Not so much what is wrong with it, but what is better that's out there. Thanks
By switching to a mech keyboard leave you will indeed have more choice in the switches (more or less hardness, tactile versus linear, etc. ), which can indeed help preserving your fingers.
However, most causes of pain are due to other factors:
- the way you sit (in particular related height wrt keyboard and screen)
- mouse (type of mouse, position wrt keyboard, ... )
- the frequency of pauses at work
- keyboard physical layout (less keys, with better placement, means less effort)
Since we are in a ergo keyboard community, naturally we would like to address the last factor in this list and suggest you small split keyboards with columnar layout (many examples in other posts, I will not cite any here!).
Such keyboards would make a much bigger difference than other suggestions already made in other answers to your post (which look too similar to your current keyboard), but they require some effort learning new habits.
Anyway, don't neglect the other factors in the list: use an ergo chair, prefer a trackball to a regular mouse, keep it close to your typing position (easier with a small keyboard, or with a split, if the trackball is between halves), ...
💯In addition to an adjustable chair, also get a height adjustable desk. And not one of these desks where you have to unscrew the legs. They are too much effort and you’ll never finetune it in the end. Get an electric height adjustable desk. It makes finetuning so much easier for getting the right wrist angle and it also allows you to use it as a standing desk.