Kinesis Advantage2 Ergonomic Keyboard (KB600), Black top case, Cherry MX Brown Switches, QWERTY keycaps

Product Information

And the best part of the thumb clusters: they're exactly where I want them. No competitor seems to be able to get the thumb placement correct. The Ergodox in particular suffers from this for me: my thumbs seem to hover just off the cluster and it feels like a stretch to reach the keys in the cluster. Typing Speed If the keyboard still doesn’t power up, perform a Hard Reset by holding Program and F9 while plugging the keyboard in. Plug & play. Instant configuration for Windows, Mac and non-Windows PC operating environments, includes Windows and Mac legended keys.

Mechanical keyboards are stereotypically quite loud. They are certainly louder than most keyboards in offices these days, but that's because modern office keyboards tend to be made of rubber or silicon. Mechanical switches have plastic and metal parts that run into each other and typically come in larger chassis with larger keycaps. All of this leads to more noise. Select your trigger key or key combination (lights will lights will flash slowly). Up to two modifiers may be used as “co-triggers” in concert) Kinesis themselves have an entire set of instructions for using the Advantage 2, walking you through how they believe you should use the device. They try to encourage you to type the way people were taught in the 80s (or, so my parents tell me): don't bottom out your key presses and never look at what you're typing. I touch type just fine, but still haven't mastered typing force. Still, on the Advantage I feel encouraged to type with less effort. The Advantage2 Quiet LF utilizes the newest Cherry MX Quiet Red stem mechanical key switches which have a linear feel, low activation force, and sound-dampening components to make them quieter than conventional mechanical switches. The MX “Quiet” Red is an ideal choice in open work environments where ambient noise is a concern.

There are more than a couple things that differentiate this keyboard from the average keyboard, such as: Press and hold the Program key and tap F12 to enter Program Remap Mode (lights will begin flashing rapidly). Release the Program Key Right Ctrl is mapped to Esc, and I think it's the perfect place for the Esc key. Close to when you need it, but not so close that it hinders you. Separating the keywells positions the arms at shoulder-width to keep wrists straight and perpendicular to the home row to reduce abduction and ulnar deviation. Due to the split keyboard design, each hand has its own set of keys which have been split and positioned a short distance apart. The split nature positions hands at shoulder width and perpendicular with the home row of keys. This keeps your wrists straight, avoiding abduction and ulnar deviation.

An ergonomic keyboard helps to optimise your workspace and a variety of designs are available to meet your physical and work needs. The design and layout will position your forearms, hands and fingers in a comfortable work position that facilitates ease of use and eliminates the possibility of injury. It's not cheap, but neither was my initial Advantage2. However, it's something I use daily, sometimes up to 8 hours, and I think purchasing and spending this kind of money is OK if it's part of your daily job. At least for me. Wireless Split DesignAlso just like other ergonomic keyboards, the Advantage has a “ tented” design. This means that both halves of the keyboard have a gently upwards slope starting with your little fingers and progressively rising as you move towards the index fingers. Again this allows for a more natural position of wrists and shoulders. The Kinesis keyboards are not for everyone. I would always wonder why people would use Advantage2. I've seen countless times in conferences or meetups people would bring with them. It was absurd, and I thought people were crazy. My thoughts on this changed dramatically when I started using Advantage2 last year. The moment I put my hands on the Kinesis Advantage2, I knew it was something I would use for years to come. A great keyboard, which the Advantage 2 certainly is, goes one step further: not only can you type without injuring yourself, but it also helps you forget about the keyboard, concentrate on what you are writing and makes it feel natural and fun.

True Split design. The Moonlander could be adjusted to your shoulder width, providing another level of ergonomics. Let's get this out of the way: I have no idea how people get their keyboards so clean for photos. I tried dusting and wiping with a damp cloth but the thing still looks like I rub white Cheeto dust on it for fun. My apologies. Kinesis has gone a step beyond simply adopting a matrix layout in the search for the perfect ergonomic fit. Your hands in fact rest in a completely natural “ well” taking into account the length of your finger and their natural curvature. Moving your fingers up and down in a straight line always puts your finger tips straight on the keys with no reaching. The new Advantage 2 even has textured and molded home row keys that make it immediately obvious that your finger tips are dead center on their respective home row keys.

Linking

Before I can tell the main differences and the new features, I'll have to describe shortly how it all started. Please bare with me because it matters to understand why the Advantage360 is superior and better to the existing Advantage2 in many ways.