KinesisUSB Freestyle2 Keyboard for Mac (20" Extended Separation)

It took me a few months to get used to the way I need to type on this keyboard. I have had it for more than a year and it just hit me how much I like it, how much easier it is to type on this than on any other keyboard that I have ever owned. It really needs the accesory kit to be fully cofortable, but it is great.

Not sure why they decided to break with the standard layout and put a set of keys on the left side of the keyboard. If you touch type you will keep accidentally hitting these keys. My solution was to cut out and gaffer-tape a piece of card over them. Not very elegant and after two years of having to re-tape the card I am now searching for another brand- A split keyboard that sticks to a standard layout. If you need to look at the keys when you type you might find these extraneous keys useful.

A bit of a learning curve as the B is the on the opposite side I used to use, but other than that being able to spread and fan the two halves of the keyboard into an ergonomic position has saved me from a lot of wrist pain.

I don't typically write reviews, but this product has changed my life for the better.I've been in various roles in IT over the last 10 years and I've always had a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX blue switches.Over the past year or so I've taken on a Software Engineering role which means I've been typing more than ever. In the last 2 months or so I was developing wrist pain in my left wrist. I thought maybe it was from playing guitar too much, but I came to realize the reason for my wrist pain was because of the angle at which my arms and wrists were when using a keyboard. I'm 6'4" and broad shouldered, which means my wrists on a normal keyboard are almost at a 45 degree angle. Combine that large angle with excessive typing and it's no wonder I developed problems.So, I began my search for a more ergonomic keyboard, particularly one that separated in the middle, but didn't have a drastically different layout (looking at you Kinesis Advantage and TruErgo) and so I found this and bought it sight unseen.I was leary at first of the membrane switches but they do feel well and don't require much pressure to activate. I must say, they don't feel "mushy" either (a good thing!), but obviously the biggest bonus here is that the keyboard is separated which allows me to sit with my shoulders at a comfortable width, and allows my wrists to stay nearly straight when typing. A week later, and my wrist pain is all but a memory. I will definitely use this until it breaks, and I will buy again!Good:- Split keyboard design that retains a (mostly) standard key layout- Handy shortcut keys on the left side- Feels good to type on, even for a membrane keyboard.- 20" separator instead of 9" on the standard split keyboard.- 'Delete' key is now right about the 'Backspace' key. I was always bad at hitting the small Del key on a keyboard, but now it's much easier.Bad:- Function key is a toggle key (think like the Numlock key).- alt/option and command keys are small. I would have preferred a smaller spacebar on the left side to make those keys bigger. I've since remapped my Caps Lock key to Command and I'm no longer struggling to hit the command key now.Otherwise:- Esc key is now a little farther than normal, but it's also 3x as a big, so that's a bit of a wash.- The VIP3 Accessory kit is useless for me. I find this keyboard much easier to type on without the kit. I will be sending mine back.

The media could not be loaded.  四十肩になり、分離型キーボードを探してました。強めにタイピングする方だと思いますが、キーが軽く、音も静音だと思いました。肩が楽になった！

設定も簡単ですぐに使い始めることができました。体への負担が軽くなり、概ね良好です。難点は、数字もブラインドタッチなので６が右側にあってくれるとよかったのですが…。

The Kinesis Freestyle2...Pros: The 20" split is wonderful for sitting at a desk. You can put the laptop in the middle, and connect up the keyboard at shoulder widths. I never would have thought shoulder-width typing would be as comfortable as it is!Key action is really quiet for office work, but not super mushy. They just do a good job of connecting the rubber membrane to the plastic keys, so it doesn't make noise when you type, yet still feels like a decent typing surface.Cons: Some of the UI buttons are out-of-date and don't work.A few of the non-typing keys are in weird places, like the escape & delete keys.A 10-key would be really nice. I had to tape a separate 10 key pad to the right side. Having a bar for cut / copy / paste / etc is nice, but a 10 key would have been much better.Even longer than 20" would be better, for cable management purposes.As much as the Kinesis has some cons, the pros are really nice. The typing action is decent and really quiet, the split feeling is amazing, and in general it's just a joy to type on. Now, I did immediately turn around and pick up a V3 kit for the additional comfort of the tilt. And there are a few clear ways to make it better (full wireless, including the center wire? Updated or remappable function keys? A 10 key?). But until those future updates happen, this clearly will be my favorite keyboard.