Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 12:57:02 -0500 From: Mary Lindstrom Subject: Kinesis key board summary To: Multiple recipients of list SOREHAND X-To: SOREHAND@UCSFVM.UCSF.EDU Here is a compilation of the responses I got to my request for comments about the Kinesis key board. These are more negative than I expected but keep in mind that individuals who found relief using a Kinesis (or any other alternative keyboard) may be more likely to have stopped reading Sorehand. I've just ordered one. They have a 30 day money back guarantee so it's not high risk. For those of you who don't know, there is a great deal of info on alternative keyboards at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu (used to be "soda") including an excellent faq and gifs of the various options. If you call Kinesis (206)455-9220 they will send you info including a picture. I have removed names because I promised I would. - Mary Lindstrom (lindstro@biostat.wisc.edu) -------------- Hi, I tried a Kinesis keyboard for three days (free demo from local reseller). I really liked the separation of the two halves of the keyboard. The different placement of the keys was hard to get used to, but I was getting used to it by the end of the three days. The problem I found was that my wrists "sat" on the plastic in front of the keywells, and they were worse by the end of the three days, but my elbows were not bothered by this keyboard. I also wanted to be able to move the two keywells even further apart. I have now instead ordered a Lexmark Select-Ease, which will enable me to adjust the two halves as far apart as I want. (It's also cheaper.) Some people swear by the Kinesis, tho. Good luck, ------------------------------ MANY- OOOPS! THAT'S MARY- I HAve been trying out the Kinesis. I am a statistician too, and I just got their research report. It was pretty funny...you should read it. They plotted EMG scores and since one line was above the other (on a small sample) , they said there was "less muscle activity." They did ANOVA's on learning or something. ANyway, I wasn't impressed, and they didn't measure all the different muscles anyways...or maybe they did, but they may have left out the ones where there was increased muscle activity. After trying it, I do think that some muscles are less stressed, but my fingers hurt from reaching down into the wells. SO, who knows..... let's do a study, I am very frustrated by the lack of empirical studies in this area. So, we are left to anecdotal stuff. I'm wondering if any keyboard will work. I do like the feel of the Kinesis keys compared to other keyboards, but after even using it for short periods of time, I was left crippled. Good luck, ------------------------------ I have had one for about 6 months now. It hasnt ended my problems, but I think on the whole it was a good idea. A side effect is that people at work are now aware that I have problems. I HIGHLY recommend getting 2 foot keys with the kbd, which I wire up as control and meta: a boon for emacs! Also, having to place the feet on the floor by the keys means I am forced to sit properly with my feet flat on the floor. I had to hack up a support to hold the foot keys in place, otherwise they move all over the place. (I got a piece of cork board (easy to cut with a knife) about 20 inches (50 cm) square, .5 inch thick (1cm) and cut two square holes in which I insert the keys upside down). I use a kinesis re-packaged serial interface box which works fine, though they had wired the power supply connections in reverse. This needs the a2x program from X11 and an X11 server with the XTEST extension to emulate the key strokes. Works fine, though the autorepeat is a bit jerky. Delivery was very slow (3 months), but perhaps they were busy at the time. ------------------------------ i've been touch typing exclusively on kinesis keyboards since the first month they became available. i have 3 of them. i refuse to touch type on a standard keyboard and only touch type on kinesis. the kinesis is a major factor enabling me to remain in my career as a software engineer. i have recommended kinesis to many people. a couple have not liked them due to the fact that one rests ones hands on the keyboard in order to use it. personally i like this aspect. another aspect that might be considered a disadvantage of the kinesis is that it is not two-piece keyboard, although the key-area for each hand is separated by about 6 inches. a bit of my history - in june 92 i came down with acute flexor tendonitis, leaving my left forearm and hand disabled for almost 2 months. the pain was excruciating - i could not lift a pencil or an empty can without major pain. i had to trade in my pride&joy sports car with 5 spd transmission for a car with an automatic transmission. i consider that driving a 5 spd car for so many years had very much contributed to my injury, as it resulted in my steering with left hand only 90% of the time. a few months later, after lots of physical therapy at Baxter and lots of other exercising, as well as typing with right hand only for a few months, i had mostly recovered from the tendonitis, but not enough to restart heavy weight training. my recovery was stalled due to reinjury every day touch typing on NCD keyboards. after i got the kinesis, my recovery resumed again and i was able to start weight training again as well as exceeding my previous typing speed of well over 100 words per minute. this was 10 months after my original injury and diagnosis. lately i am able to touch type all day long on a kinesis without breaks, but i prefer to take breaks and stretch and work with theraputty or squeeze-toys or chinese iron balls during the day. i have had extensive contacts with kinesis technical support and find that they are excellent. i wholeheartedly recommend the kinesis keyboard. 206 455 9220. --------------