Truly Ergonomic Computer Keyboard Review: One Month with the TECK
by Jarred Walton on March 7, 2013 12:35 AM ESTClosing Thoughts: A New Spin on Ergonomics
At this point, I can say that I like much of what has been accomplished with the TECK. Truly Ergonomic claims that they’ve created a “revolution in typing”, but that’s probably a bit too far in my book. On the other hand, I’m not sure most people would be willing to invest in a "true" revolution—for example, I’ve toyed with the idea of trying out the Dvorak layout to see if it would improve my accuracy and speed, but it’s such a massive change from QWERTY that the learning curve is even worse than moving from a standard keyboard layout to the TECK; reportedly, it can take around a month of typing four hours a day to reach your previous QWERTY proficiency. Likewise, as someone who has used a “natural” keyboard for years, the modified layout of the TECK feels like a better take on a split key arrangement—the staggered keys on most keyboards really start to feel taxing once you get used to something else. The thing is, Truly Ergonomic isn’t the only company to “reinvent” the keyboard, and in fact they’re not even close to being the first.
One alternative is to go with keyboards from Kinesis, a company founded clear back in 1991 (when I was still in high school and carpal tunnel was so far in my future that it never even crossed my mind). I don’t know how much Kinesis has changed their design over the years, but the core design of their latest Contoured Advantage looks to be largely the same as the original Contoured introduced in 1992. What’s more, the Cherry MX Brown switches used in the TECK were actually created at the request of Kinesis as an alternative to the clicky MX Blue switches; that’s a pretty strong pedigree. Kinesis also offers their Advantage with Cherry MX Red linear switches for those that prefer a slightly different feel, though I’ve heard (and tend to agree) that reds are designed more for gamers than for typists. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing TECK or others offer a selection of MX switches as an upgrade option.
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For their part, Truly Ergonomic points to their clearly original design and says they’ve worked to make their keyboard more ergonomic than other options. I haven’t put the Advantage through the paces yet, so I can’t say which is (subjectively) better, but they are certainly different. Pricing is in favor of the TECK, as you can pick one up for $248 compared to $299 for the base Contoured Advantage, but the Kinesis keyboards also include macro functionality which might be worth the additional cost for some. The Advantage also includes USB hub functionality, and the Advantage Pro comes with a foot pedal that can be used to further improve typing performance. (As someone that is in awe of a good pianist or organist, however, I suspect learning to use your foot/feet while typing is not something that everyone will take to.)
Ultimately, I can’t recommend the TECK as a keyboard that is ideal for every user out there, but if you’re suffering from RSI/CTS (or think you might be), I can say that personally I feel like the past month of use has resulted in less discomfort after lengthy typing sessions than the MS Natural I’ve been using for years. That’s a pretty strong recommendation for a subset of users, but it comes with the caveats I’ve mentioned already. The learning curve on the TECK requires a serious commitment to change, and now that I’ve been typing on the TECK for a solid month I’m finding that my typing on regular keyboards has deteriorated somewhat (e.g. 57 WPM on the Rosewill RK-9100 compared to 70 WPM last month). It’s not as bad as what happened when I first switched to the TECK, but it’s definitely something that will take a bit of time to readjust, so if you happen to have multiple PCs that you use regularly (e.g. at work and at home), you might have to purchase two keyboards to avoid disorientation.
Then there’s the price. $248 makes this the type of product that you likely won’t be buying on an impulse, and when you look at other mechanical keyboards that sell for closer to $100 it can feel quite extreme. On the other hand, if you’re suffering from RSI/CTS, all it takes is a quick look at the cost of surgery and rehabilitation to make the TECK look far more enticing. For my part, it’s simple economics: not as many users are willing to commit to an ergonomic keyboard, particularly one like the TECK where there are enough changes that it requires effort to make the switch. When your market is smaller and you have to put more money into R&D to come up with your initial design, prices will be higher. That’s also why you don’t see other extras like a USB hub or keyboard backlighting on the TECK, as both items would take an already expensive keyboard up into the $300 range.
And that’s basically my recommendation right now: if you’re in the market for an ergonomic keyboard and want something more advanced than a simple split key “natural”, the options are quite limited. For ergonomic keyboards with mechanical switches, you have Truly Ergonomic’s TECK, the Kinesis Contoured Advantage, Maltron (the most expensive of the bunch), or if you don’t mind going the DIY route you could try the open source ErgoDox (which you can get for $200 via MassDrop). Depending on personal preference, I would imagine any of those three could end up being the “best”, but it’s a lot like shopping for clothing: there’s no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to keyboards. To that end, Truly Ergonomic does offer a 60-day money back guarantee on the TECK. I’m still well within that 60 day period and at this stage I’m more than happy to keep the TECK and continue using it. We’ll have to see if that’s still the case after I spend some time with Kinesis’ Advantage offering.
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AndrewMorton - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
I had agonising RSI from using a mouse in work. I switched to using an A5 Wacom tablet - I had to use my left hand for it at the time, even though I'm mostly right-handed.. I still use a tablet left-handed from that initial habit, although using one right-handed is no problem now.At home, I have the luxury of being able to sit (cross-legged) on a cushion on the floor to use my computer, with the keyboard (Logitech Illuminated) raised a few inches and the mouse on the carpet to my right side, so I use the mouse with my arm fairly parallel to my body. A bit of circling my arms every hour or so, and no more RSI. And yes, I can play Crysis like that ;)
ThousandStars - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
I've <a href="http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/further-t... a Kinesis Advantage for years</a>, and the TECK would have to be an order of magnitude better to get me, or, presumably, most users to learn yet a third keyboard layout.That's probably true of most people: I imagine we're willing to learn one new, funky keyboard layout, but not two.
MatthiasP - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
So in the 8.5 years you write for AT you got 9 years older? Are the harsh labor conditions to blame?JarredWalton - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
My birthday is in November, my first article was in September. So technically I was 30.83 and now I'm 39.33. I apologize for rounding and losing some precision in the statement. While I'm trying to be absolutely factual, I should also note that I've been with AnandTech for 8.43 years.HobgoblinX - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
Since you didn't mention which headset you use, I might have to make some assumptions. I'm guessing you might be using the one that came in the box. Everywhere I've ever looked online, or anyone I've ever talked to agrees it's garbage. Also, if it works when you plug it into almost any laptop or desktop soundcard, it's also garbage.Let me explain. The reason both previous examples are garbage, is because they are almost certainly not active noise cancelling microphones. Active noise cancelling microphones require more power than the standard mic input provides on the vast majority of soundcards.
Also, don't use a compact or bluetooth headset. The reasons are twofold. Bluetooth headsets use a smaller section of the audio spectrum. This is mostly okay as this is where most of human speech resides, but while most applications find this acceptable, it does cause the accuracy of recognition to drop. (Forgive me if I'm too lazy to look up the actual loss right now.)
The reason to avoid a compact headset is, the further away from the mouth, the easier it is for outside sounds to make it past the filtering algorithms as there is less distinction between your voice and other sounds. Having a mic boom right next to the corner of your mouth makes sure that there is a clear distinction between your voice and other sounds so active noise cancellation can work properly
When I first started using Dragon, I had a standard mic, and even the slightest noise messed up recognition. It could just be someone talking in the other room or a car driving by on the street.
Now, I'm using a Sennheiser knockoff from KnowBrainer with an external USB soundcard with a high power mic port, and I routinely get 98-99%+ accuracy. The Sennhiser is $189, but the KnowBrainer knockoff is only $29 right now, and is only 1% lower on average for accuracy. Also, I can't remember the last time I've had an outside noise mess up dictation. I've had people walk into the room talking at full volume or a garage truck banging the dumpster around not 20ft from my office with nary a hiccup. Even if your kids are far louder, I think you would be surprised at how accurate you can be. I recommend Knowbrainer for stuff. FYI, I have no affiliation with Dragon or KnowBrainer in any way. I just like the software and the store.
Hope you can find this helpful. I've had some issues with carpal tunnel in the past, and it is definitely no fun.
JarredWalton - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
If you look at the old Dragon article, I actually have a Sennheiser. It's a great mic, but the kids can be very distracting right now -- I don't really have a good office space set up. I may return to using DNS when we finish painting a couple rooms.Ktracho - Thursday, March 7, 2013 - link
About 16-17 years ago, I decided I would try the Dvorak layout, and I found that after an hour or two of e-mail and software coding, I no longer needed to look at the keyboard layout I had printed out. I still had to think before knowing which key to press, but after a couple days, it got much easier, and I've wondered ever since how come everyone doesn't mind having to make so much effort to reach the most commonly-used keys. I do have to switch back and forth between layouts because all our lab machines at work have standard keyboards, as do my wife's and children's keyboards. However, something that makes this easier is that I got the Kinesis Advantage with Dvorak layout at work and at home, so it's easy to mentally switch based on whether I'm using a Kinesis or not.Maybe it depends on how easy it is for a person to learn a new language. I'm fluent in English and Spanish, and, though rusty, can speak a bit of French. Depending on which one, I feel learning a new language is doable with some effort. Same thing with learning a new keyboard layout or design like the Kinesis - it's just not a big deal to me. Probably the fact I play piano helps as well - your mind gets used to thinking, "If you see a note on the sheet music in this place, that means you have to press the key over here with this hand. But if you see a note in this other place, then move your other hand and press over there." You get used to doing these translations in a fraction of a second without stopping to think consciously.
TeamSprocket - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
It depends on the specific user.Myself, it took me well over a month to get back up to speed from my original QWERTY speed, and another several months to be able to switch between Dvorak and QWERTY with relative ease. I did it, but I don't believe everyone could do it.
If you're a touch typist to begin with, it's a matter of overcoming years (perhaps decades) of muscle memory. If you're a hunt-and-peck typist, then it really doesn't matter.
mcbowler - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
I had CTS starting at 30, 4 years ago... and my hands cracked just making a fist and tingled when typing. I started taking Juice Plus last year and I'm almost 100% improved. The keyboard looks decent though.dothebart - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
are which are used in my (no longer manufactured) Cherry G80 5000 keyboard.Purchased in 1998, and heavily used everyday as I'm a coder.
the only wear it shows is that the roughened surface gets bright on the hand rests.
Oh, btw, touch typing dvorak for 15 years now.