Kinesis Advantage Review: Long-Term Evaluation
by Jarred Walton on July 2, 2013 10:15 PM ESTClosing Thoughts: Advantage, Kinesis
I spent more than a month typing on the TECK before moving on to the Kinesis Advantage. The initial learning curve with the Advantage wasn’t as steep for me, and while part of that may be the similar orthogonal key layouts, I think the layout on the TECK requires more effort to learn. I don’t know that anyone can really declare either keyboard as superior, but every user is likely to prefer one more than the other. I happen to be lucky in that I got a chance to try out both.
My initial thoughts were that the TECK and Kinesis are really just different takes on the same idea—mechanical ergonomic keyboards. After returning to the TECK to do some additional use, however, I’m now convinced that the TECK requires more effort to learn, and in fact if you stop using it for a month or two and return you’ll have to retrace some lost ground. Today for instance, after numerous attempts, I managed to get no better than 55WPM on the TECK in any of the typing tests—15 to 20WPM off of what I was doing back when I finished the TECK review. On the other hand, I pulled out an MS Natural and was able to get good results within a few minutes.
A big part of the difference is in the key arrangements; TECK changes a lot more relative to the standard keyboards, whereas the Kinesis layout puts a bunch of stuff on your thumbs but otherwise leaves most keys where you’d find them on other keyboards. Maybe it’s just personal preference, but the center column of Start, Delete, Tab, Backspace, and Enter on the TECK doesn’t work nearly as well for me as the thumb pad arrangements on the Kinesis. On the other hand, I generally had a better time with the cursor keys and document navigation keys on the TECK, and while it can cause some issues at first, I think moving Shift up to home row is an ergonomically sound idea.
There are other aspects to consider as well. The TECK is definitely more compact than the Advantage, even with the palm rest attached; without it, the TECK is positively diminutive in comparison. The Advantage also has a few additional features like USB ports, macro recording/playback, and built-in key remapping. None of these are “must haves” in my opinion, but they’re all potential perks that make a good product just a bit better.
I know that I’m not a very good study in “typical” computer use—I have several desktops that I switch between, plus laptops come and go almost weekly. That means I tend to like things that don’t mix it up too much, at least in the keyboard arena (these two keyboard reviews notwithstanding), and in this case the layout of the Kinesis Advantage simply works out better for me than the TECK. It also costs more, but the good news is that both companies offer money back guarantees. If you’re looking for a good ergonomic keyboard, there’s at least the potential to give both of them a try and then keep whichever one you like the most. The Kinesis Advantage will set you back $299 for the model I reviewed, or $325 for a model with Cherry MX Red switches; the Advantage Pro bumps the price up to $359 but you also get longer macros and a single-action foot switch. The TECK rings up at $248 (plus shipping and such), so about $50 less than the base model Advantage.
There’s still one more keyboard that I’ve got waiting for some serious attention: the ErgoDox via MassDrop. I almost cringe at the thought of having to go through “keyboard rehabilitation” yet again, as just poking around at it is enough to let me know that yet again there’s a completely new layout to come to grips with. I suspect by the time I’m done I’m still going to end up back with the Kinesis as my favorite of the bunch, but there’s something cool about a keyboard that you can build on your own if you want, with the design released under the GNU GPL v3. The MassDrop option isn’t currently available, but if enough people express interest in it I’m sure it will open up again. Now pardon me while I go cry a bit before unplugging this Kinesis and starting in on a full review of the ErgoDox….
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Ktracho - Friday, July 5, 2013 - link
I've been using the Kinesis Advantage since the late 90's. I certainly didn't invest hundreds of hours into getting used to it - half a day to a day is more like it. It's certainly less effort than learning a new keyboard layout like Dvorak, which took me a couple days to be comfortable with. I do have an Apple laptop at work, though I rarely remove it from my desk, so when I use it, I always have my Kinesis keyboard connected to it. However, we have a couple labs with dozens of systems, and my wife and kids don't use a Kinesis keyboard at home on their computers (I do have a Kinesis keyboard for my computer at home), so I often have to switch between my Kinesis keyboard with Dvorak layout and standard keyboards with QWERTY layout. It's not a big deal - it's like being fluent in two languages and having to switch between them, which I have to do as well. Every once in a while I start typing in the wrong "language", but it's easy to get back to the right "language".JayJoe - Sunday, January 11, 2015 - link
Nope, switching is really not that hard. You are not replacing your knowledge (or rather muscle memory) you are extending it. Have you ever forgotten a language when learning another? Have you ever forgotten one type of sport you practice when learning another? In this case it is not problem to use standard keyboards and the Kinesis simultaneously. The same way you can type Querty AND Dvorak (once you learned it). People are so afraid of new things, but we don't forget the old things by doing so.Menty - Saturday, July 6, 2013 - link
Far, far more people use desktop PCs for business than use them for gaming.Manch78 - Saturday, July 6, 2013 - link
At work, I type....a lot!, so I would be in that category. At home I mostly play games. While this would be useless for me at home, it would be great to have at work. Ergonomic keyboards are defnitely not a niche in the business world. You could always get one of these for typing and a nostromo or something similar for gaming. Best of both worlds.subvertigo - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - link
Ergonomic keyboards are about getting the right tool for the job. You trade off the flat, common array of keys for better typing. There /are/ ergonomic keyboards for gaming, and instead of having to remap games, you remap the board. Notably the Razer Orbweaver has mechanical keys, but altogether the Razer Nostromo, Saitek Command Unit, and Logitech G13 all have ergonomic aspects for gaming: thumbsticks for WASD, macros and shift levels so you don't have to run all over the keyboard to ergonomically play games.In addition, any gameboard bigger than the Belkin/Razer Nostromo has enough keys to function as a complete numpad which many ergonomic keyboards don't have.
Chubblez - Wednesday, July 3, 2013 - link
I suppose gaming comes down to type of game, mouse, and modifier keys. I game on a Goldtouch Key Ovation because I need the smartcard for work, and am too lazy to change back and forth. Mouse is a standard Microsoft 5 button.No issues with Crysis (Original) and very little issue with WoW, using 1-6 with ALT and Shift as modifier keys.
krazyderek - Wednesday, July 3, 2013 - link
kinesis lets you do hardware remapping of the keys directly in the keyboard, i swapped the backspace, delete, enter space buttons so it was a mirror image of how the keyboard comes stock, that pretty much removed any gaming problems, and swapping the windows key and end key was also really nice, once i remapped them in the keyboard it's self, i just popped the keys off with a butter knife and physically moved them and never had trouble again!Azethoth - Saturday, July 6, 2013 - link
You are wrong in generalizing about the split: it makes it better for games because it reduces positioning errors and hitting keys beyond your target keys. Gaming means left hand on keyboard, right hand on mouse. A split layout lets you accurately position your left hand to the right hand position to use infrequent keys.Take a look at that MS natural of yours: The inner edge keys (like T G N, etc. are larger than usual as well). MS Natural had the best layout and sizing of keys for me. The Kinesis does not have the fatter keys of course but would retain the other advantages of splitting.
Also: I remap to ESDF always so nothing to complain about on that front. The lack of G keys is what kills this board for me, not gaming.
Finally you are wrong to diss gamers like that. I have an easy existence proof of a gamer that also wants a good keyboard: me. I am willing to pay lots for that keyboard and have many times. I buy them in pairs to cover work and home, and they need to game as well as produce code and forum rants;-)
Azethoth - Wednesday, July 10, 2013 - link
I forgot to add, this is just in response to dismissing the concerns of gamers for a keyboard. I am totally fine with Jarred not having the time, energy or bandwidth to test gaming in addition to typing for a month+ per keyboard.If you can type fast on the board, its likely also going to be good for gaming. +/- tweaky cherry red vs brown vs black etc. preferences.
randomstar - Monday, July 8, 2013 - link
As a note: to the guys commmenting negative - anyone who can afford one of these to help their typing comfort can have two keyboards - one for powetyping, and one for gaming.