Kinesis Advantage2 Quiet LF Ergonomic Keyboard (KB600LFQ)

TL:DR the Kinesis Advantage 2 LF (KB600LFQ) is a phenomenal keyboard for anyone spending significant time typing. It's a solid investment in your work comfort and overall hand health. If you're on the fence about purchasing, I highly recommend giving it a go. As someone sat at a keyboard all day writing and programming I have tried many different keyboards with both standard and ergonomic layouts. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LFQ (Low-Force, Quiet) keyboard is the best so far. The biggest selling point for this keyboard is its ergonomics. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LF features a key well design that comfortably accommodates your hands and fingers in their natural resting position, which drastically reduces the strain typically associated with long periods of typing. The key wells are split and angled for a more natural position for your arms, wrists and hands. Additionally, the keys are highly responsive and don't require much force to activate, leading to reduced hand fatigue and a more enjoyable typing experience. One feature this keyboard has that the newer 360 models lack is a piezo speaker. This speaker creates a key click sound on key actuation so you can hear when the key is activated. It's a small detail but helps to avoid "bottoming out" the keys which is a common cause of pain in your fingers from typing. I bought this keyboard because I suffer from RSI, it's not a cheap keyboard but for me the keyboard enables me to keep working pain free. If you are suffering from RSI do seek expert advice though, RSI is a catch all name for a variety of different symptoms with different causes, what works for some may not work for others. The keycap profiles on the Advantage 2 is fantastic with the home row being a different shape so your fingers can quickly recognise where they are on the keyboard without looking. Sadly these keys are made of ABS plastic, giving them a sticky feel. They are pretty thin and wear out quickly getting a very smooth and shiny texture. You can buy replacement PBT keycaps direct from Kinesis, they aren't quite the same profile as the originals but they do feel nicer to type on and should not wear out. The keyboard sounds very hollow which is a real shame, I feel kinesis could have improved on this and with the Cherry Red silent switches it could have been a very quiet keyboard. There are various discussions online on how best to reduce the sound on these keyboards, I personally haven't tried any of them yet though. The Advantage 2 also has powerful programmability with Kinesis own Smart Set system, offering the ability to customise every key to suit your specific needs. It's possible to program it from the keyboard itself switching key positions and recording macros which is useful if your IT department limit the control you have over your PC, but you can also mount the keyboard as a USB device by using a key combination where you can create more powerful customisations such as "mod tap" keys where if you tap the key it performs one action and if you hold the key it performs another. For example, on my keyboard I have the Caps Lock key mapped to Ctrl when it's held down and Esc when tapped. The keyboard has two layers per layout, but supports many custom layouts which you can activate using a keyboard shortcut. It takes a little while to adjust to having come from using a regular keyboard but I was back up to typing at around 90 wpm within a week. The instruction manual that comes with the keyboard provides some useful guidance. If you buy this keyboard, do make sure you read the instructions. This is by no means a cheap keyboard, but given it's programability, and potential to prevent repetitive strain injuries, I believe it's a worthwhile investment. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LF (KB600LFQ) is a phenomenal keyboard for anyone spending significant time typing. It's a solid investment in your work comfort and overall hand health. If you're on the fence about purchasing, I highly recommend giving it a go.

BACKGROUND: I have used Macs since 1986 and, therefore, many of their keyboards. I have also tried several other brands over the years - but none can compare to the ease of typing on my Kinesis, which I have used for 15 years. I don't remember when I got the first one, but the original keyboard was the white model, and, over the years, it has gradually turned a dull yellow. The first one took a little time to get used to it, but it was/is fantastic once I did. I'm 6' 1" and broad-shouldered, so I had to squinch my arms together and bend my wrists. And I used to wear wrist braces for carpal tunnel issues. After using the Kinesis for a while, I stopped wearing the braces and have not had wrist issues for a loooonnnnggg time. :-) Also, I can touch type on the Kinesis keyboards. I say boards because this purchase was my 4th one: upgrading the office keyboard, home, and 2nd home. In December, after waiting for six weeks, I was excited to try one of the new 360 models - and frankly LOVED both the flexibility of adjusting each hand's key's angle and elevations together with the feel of the keys! But unfortunately, despite all of Tyler Sullivan's (in their tech support department) efforts, I could not conquer the programming skills needed to make it operate as a Mac keyboard. His efforts were much appreciated, but although I have used Macs for all these years, I have never done any coding. It was literally Greek to me! Since I liked the keys on the 360, I decided to try the Advantage 2 model to see how it feels. It arrived yesterday. The new model keys are so silent and touch-friendly. A tiny detail - the home keys are slightly more cupped, so one's fingertips tell you instantly that they are “home.” :-) Overall: WOW! Nice! Smooth! And Quiet. Worth updating! (Even without my carpal tunnel issue, I’d update just for the superior feel and quieter typing!) And consider that the A2 is one-half the cost of the 360 (which I had just returned), so there is that. And finally, FYI - I will likely upgrade the other two keyboards. Considering the extra cost of replacing two more keyboards tells you how much I like the A-2 model. Nonetheless, I will wait awhile with my fingers crossed - yep - it is challenging to type that way ;-) I am hoping that, once the original demand for the 360 has been caught up, Kinesis will consider making the 360 available ready to use as a Mac Keyboard! KINESIS, ARE YOU LISTENING? So, I strongly recommend you give their technology a try. I hope you find it as appealing as I do.

Avant, je n'arrivait pas de taper sur un clavier sans regarder les touches. Car avec dix doigts sur un clavier standard, mes mains commençait à faire mal au bout de dix minutes. Avec ce clavier ergonomique, je peux écrire pendant des heures sans douleur. Et ma vitesse d'écriture a plus que doublé ! Seul conseil : prendre la version silencieux (LF), car il est beaucoup moins bruyant que la version de base.

I received the keyboard after waiting for weeks, and the package is missing the hands rest cushions... Disappointing...

Mucho más silencioso que las otras versiones Cherry