ATPM 9.01 - Review: Kinesis Advantage Pro. Developer: Kinesis Price: $359 (regular version); $299 (without foot pedal and with less macro memory) Requirements: USB Trial: None One of my favorite computer accessories is the keyboard. The Kinesis Advantage Pro is one such keyboard. Design The Kinesis Advantage Pro is a single piece, solidly built (plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap) keyboard, with two concave bowls of vertically-aligned keys, one for each hand. I’m not really sure where the metallic silver color choice came from; maybe trying to match the TiBook? One thing I noticed right away is that the keyboard is marked with Command keys (one on each side), and even has Eject and Power keys. Mac key labeling isn’t quite perfect, though: the Return key is labeled Enter, which is fine until you find yourself hunting for the Enter key. The only other thing I disliked, as far as key positions go, is that the spacebar is only available to the thumb of the right hand.
Installation Getting Used to It Ergonomics Bugs Conclusion. SharpKeys 3.0. Kinesis Advantage Ergonomic Computer Keyboards - USB. Separate thumb keypadsThe thumb keypad includes often used keys such as Enter, Space, Backspace, Delete and the combination keys, Control and Alt on the PC (Command and Option on the Macintosh). This redistributes the workload from your relatively weaker and overused little fingers to stronger thumbs. Separate key wells for each handThis separation minimizes strain and stretching by positioning your arms approximately at shoulder width and with wrists straight. This design reduces abduction and ulnar deviation (common symptoms experienced with repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis). Concave key wells Concave key wells reduces hand and finger extension. Extension occurs when the joints in your fingers curl up and extend forward from your hands rather than relaxing down slightly in the direction of the palms.
A flat typing surface assumes that your fingers are all of the same length, thus your longer fingers must arch up over the keys. Alternative Keyboards - Typing Injury FAQ. Welcome to the Alternative Keyboard FAQ! Frequently asked questions are answered and products used to replace or enhance standard keyboard use are covered. Products include split, contoured, and chording keyboards, and other keyboard alternatives/accessories. Please visit our sponsors as their support makes this whole resource possible. Q&A on Alternative Keyboards Q: What is proper keyboard placement? Placement of the keyboard to the side results in twisting, awkward postures, and uneven loading on the body. More recent research at Cornell University has indicated that a slight backward tilt of the keyboard, to level the keys, is beneficial for wrist posture while typing.
Related to keyboard positioning, the pointing device (mouse, trackball, etc.) should be located as close to the keyboard as possible and at the same height. Q: Why are alternative keyboards needed? REFERENCES Bailey, R.W. (1982). Q: What changes have been made to keyboards? REFERENCES Bailey, R.W. (1982). Articles. Maltron Makes Orthotics for your Hands. Ergonomics of Alternative Keyboards.