Ergonomic Keyboards?

[empire29]

Remember when ergonomic keyboards were all the rage couple years back? The split keyboards that were raised in the center?

What happened to those? Its rare that i see them anymore.

Was that all marketing hype? or were they really (significantly) better for you than a normal flat keyboard? why are they so hard to find now days?

Another post that linked a MS ergonomic keyboard made of think of this

 

[navychop]

I think very few people actually liked them. I only knew one, of all the people I supported over the years, that wanted one and liked it. Almost every other person refused to even try it on their own machine. Especially after trying it on someone else's machine.

 

[docpadds]

I became addicted to them back when the first Microsoft one came out (Still have it,weighs like 10 pounds). Didnt like the Elite versions. Suffered a normal KB on my new Pc for a while but about 2 months ago decided i had to go back and bought the Microsoft 7000 with Wireless mouse (yes i dropped 180 bucks on a keyboard/mouse).

i type quicker and more accurately on them. The only regular keyboards i use are on servers and my laptop or users machines. When i am at one of my work PCs or my home PC working from home I will be typing for hours or using it for extended periods of time so comfort is all the thing.

Ex-wife is exactly the same, but to even more of a degree, i had to buy her a hot spare in case hers died!

Have only ever had MS models, havent found any others i liked.

 

[SatelliteGAL]

I still see them. I saw one in Circuit City last week.
I am a touch typist and I could not get used to the hump in the middle.

 

[Van]

I like them alot and preffer them over the standard keyboard layout, I make more typo's with a regular keyboard than the ergo's and have to look down more than I care for to do the typing.

 

[navychop]

I still see them. I saw one in Circuit City last week.
I am a touch typist and I could not get used to the hump in the middle.

Yes, there seems to be quite a learning curve. Even the woman who liked it took a while to get back up to speed.

 

[mike1973]

I still use them at home and at work. I feel like it helps me type a bit better and actually faster. I have the nice MS one at home and a fairly crappy one at work that I might upgrade to the MS one.

Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

 

[navychop]

The thing I hate is some new keyboards that have a reduced key set, moving the Del key onto the period key on the numeric keypad. Bought one by mistake. Can't stand that, as I use the number pad keys a lot, and the Del key a lot. This keyboard will get passed on to someone else.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Been using the microsoft natural keyboards since the original. I hate that the new PCs are all USB only, because the keyboard I had before (it was a blue natural keyboard) blew away the Natural Keyboard Elite 4000, or whatever it is called. But I still love the split keyboard, just not as much as the older one.

 

[EvilEuro]

My personal favourite is / was the Cirque SK-6000. I also liked the original Microsoft Natural Keyboards until they started adding all the buttons to them and stuff. I liked the Cirque so much that I bought the same keyboard in a rebadged Lite-On model and a PC Concepts version of it as well. I type like a bandit on them and really hate having to use a regular keyboard. I didn't find the learning curve to be all that difficult though. Guess I was lucky in that regard.

The wife has a wireless 6000 and mouse from Microsoft. Got it on a great deal from Costco for 59 bucks. Chews through batteries, but that's what rechargables are for.

 

[jayn_j]

we have a couple of the 4000 series wired ones. The hump is less pronounced, and even a 2 fingered keyboarder like myself can learn to love it. I never could get used to the original, but I actually like the new one.

My kids adapted quickly and it seems to help them learn to type properly.

 

[hendrix04]

I use one every day. Love the thing, and hate when i have to switch to a standard at work

 

[Claude Greiner]

The Microsoft internet keyboards are pretty good!

I just wish these companies would quit f**king with the designs and keep these things the same.

The one I have now is from Microsoft and I got about 30 extra buttons which I could care less about!

As far as the keyboards with the hump, I absolutly hate them!

 

[docpadds]

The one I have now is from Microsoft and I got about 30 extra buttons which I could care less about!

Normally i feel the same but i have found that on both my MS keyboards the Back button is perfectly placed. I use a Back button on the mouse now too. Have gotten quite used tto it in web browsing. Apart from that the others are all useless on the main PCs (useful on the Media Portal boxes but thats all)