KINESISFreestyle2 USB Keyboard for Mac (9" Standard Separation), Black

My first impression is... holy crap this is amazing. WHY are split keyboards not the standard? Regular keyboards, in comparison, make me think of Chinese foot binding. Right away, I'm typing at normal speed. I haven't gotten used to the layout of the extra/function keys, but then again I only just started using it. I do like the Mac-specific keys so far, though. I'm glad I picked this up instead of the PC version, since I'm on a Mac. I wasn't sure if the Mac product was inferior or something, but I don't see any evidence of that. Solid product so far.I imagine the keys could be better, but honestly... I just came from a Microsoft Sculpt and this keyboard feels way better. More accurate. More responsive. Since it's wired, I don't have to worry about wireless interference. The keys are not too light nor too stiff or noisy. Pretty quiet overall. Even compared to a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000, the keys feel better.I can't emphasize enough how awesome the split aspect of the keyboard is. It took me no time at all to fall back into my normal typing rhythm. I was expecting an adjustment phase, similar to the Kinesis Advantage, but because it's still a flat keyboard without the funky key wells of the Advantage, it's easier to get used to. With other keyboards, the armrests on my chair make absolutely no sense, and in fact bother my elbow quite a bit due to repetitive irritating pressure. However, this keyboard lets me pull my shoulders back (which is super critical for good posture and warding off shoulder problems) and actually line my arms up with the armrests.It's not this often that I'm this happy with a product. There's always something wrong. I'm sure I'll notice something wrong soon enough. But my first impression is a high A grade.I am interested in the tent things, but at first glance it costs ~$50. Not too enthused about that, but I get that it's a specialty product. Kinda wish the tents came with. I could see that being a very good thing.

Prior to getting the Kinesis Freestyle2, I was experiencing a lot of pain in my left wrist: Not carpal tunnel, but rather some kind of tendonitis on the outside of my wrist from holding my hand in an unnatural position. I tried playing around with other ergonomic keyboards, but they just didn't allow me to position the keys precisely the way I wanted. Also the two other keyboards that I tried out seemed cheaply made: Sticky keys, clunky typing action.So I got the Kinesis Freestyle2 keyboard for $95. It is a flat keyboard that splits into two detachable sections, so that I can position the sections diagonal to each other. I also got the VIP3 Accessory Kit ($36). It adds another dimension of ergonomics: It "tents" the split sections upward at the center, allowing me to roll my hands inward a bit. It also provides attachable palm pads.On top of all that, I propped a couple 3/4"-thick blocks of wood under the supports for the palm pads to provide some negative (backward) slope to the keyboard. Then I "tented" the two sections even higher by placing a 3/4"-thick book running from the center block down to the table.Altogether, that seems to help my left wrist a lot. Despite two or three days of heavy typing, my wrist is already feeling much better. The split keyboard design makes it possible to play around and position the keys exactly as I prefer: A straight wrist with lots of "tenting" so that my hands roll inward. I can glide my palms over the palm pads for guidance but don't have to rest them down on the pads, which also helps to keep my wrists more flexible (as opposed to immobilizing them on pads).Also, the functioning of the keys on the Kinesis Freestyle2 is excellent--very smooth, tight, quiet, no sticking. And the fact that it's made for Mac means I can use all the peripheral "hotkeys" on the keyboard; I can't do that with ergonomic keyboards made for Windows.I'm really loving the keyboard. It took a lot of playing around to position it just the way I wanted, but at least the Kinesis Freestyle2 gives me the option to do that. The other ergonomic keyboards simply didn't allow me to find a comfortable position for my wrist, no matter how I propped them and played with them.

This keyboard is a great ergonomic split keyboard for beginners who are transitioning from a traditional keyboard. It did not take me long to learn how to use the keyboard and learning did not slow my workflow down much. Once I got used to the keyboard it felt much better on my wrists.The problem with this keyboard is that the electronics seem to be cheaply made. I've had 5 of these and the ones that worked, I've had to replace them every couple of years. I had one or two that I needed to ship back right away because they didn't work.I'd recommend people use this one to see if the keyboard works for them and then buy something nicer once it inevitably breaks.

Initially I had high hopes for Kenesis Freestyle, the innovative split keyboard deisgn conceptually seemed to make a lot of sense, but the quality for Kenesis is poor. The keyboard I got, the 'U' key was not working 75% of the time, and it was very frustrating. The keys also have a high profile so difficult to type on (like a traditional typewriter). I would say for those who are lucky enough to get one that works, it would takes a bit of getting use to. Surprisingly the arms don't feel relaxed when the two side are apart due to the fact that the keys are still aligned horrizontally, you have to place them quite far frm each other for the fingers to align. The trade of though is your hands need to be farther away from your body, and that's not a natural resting position for most people.