[PLUG] Dvorak Keyboard Recommendations Wanted

[Rogan Creswick]

On 1/30/06, Charles Sliger <chaz at bctonline.com> wrote:
> I'd also like to find a good keyboard with a Dvorak layout.
>
> Preferably one that does all of the translations internally so no system
> config changes are necessary.
>
> Does anyone on the list use a Dvorak keyboard that they could recommend?

I've been using a Kinesis Ergo Advantage usb contoured keyboard for
the last 18 months or so (aside from laptop hours, which aren't
negligible).  It was an expensive keyboard (~$300) but *well* worth
it.  I spend 12-18 hours a day typing, and I have never felt any hand
/ wrist pain / strain while using it.  The version I have didn't come
with a dvorak legend, (because I got a black one.. you can get a white
one with the legend for the same price).  The keyboard does do
QWERTY/dvorak switching on the fly, and all the remapping is done in
hardware on the keyboard.  You can also record some crazy number of
macros (like 48 or 64?) as well as remap the entire keyboard manually
if you want.

This is a funky split-concave keyboard, and the space / enter / delete
and backspace (as well as a few other keys) are all thumb-operated by
default.  The keyboard also does not have a separate numeric keypad --
it is embedded as on a laptop keyboard.  There are two usb ports as
well as a connector for an optional foot switch on the back of the
keyboard, and ample space between the two key wells to mount a
trackpad between your hands, if you like that sort of thing.  (I wish
it had a trackpoint or two, but a logitech trackball works well with
it too.)

The thumb-key layout took some getting used to, as did the concave key
wells, but after about 12 hours on it I was no longer hampered by the
learning curve.

FWIW, when I ordered mine, I was able to get a 10% student discount (I
called to see if there was such a discount, and they gave me
directions for placing the order on line--the discount wasn't
advertised.)

--Rogan



>
> Thanks,
>
> Chaz
>
>
>
> Charles L. Sliger,    Information Systems Engineer,    chaz at bctonline.com
>
> "no matter where you go, there you are..."
>
>
>
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