
Martin Fowler – Kinesis Advantage2 – Review after three years of use - dc_ist
https://martinfowler.com/articles/kinesis-advantage2.html
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secure
I love my Kinesis Advantage, have been using it for 10+ years at this point.

I have recently released the kinT replacement keyboard controller:
[https://twitter.com/zekjur/status/1281130647776608257](https://twitter.com/zekjur/status/1281130647776608257)

Why would you replace the controller? There are a couple of good reasons:

* to build or modify your own keyboard

* to work around bugs in the standard controller, like I did back in 2013: [https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2013-03-21-kinesis_custo...](https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2013-03-21-kinesis_custom_controller/)

* because you prefer to run open source software such as the QMK firmware ([https://docs.qmk.fm/](https://docs.qmk.fm/)), even on your keyboard

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psanford
Also bluetooth: [https://hackaday.io/project/161578-wireless-ble-kinesis-
adva...](https://hackaday.io/project/161578-wireless-ble-kinesis-advantage-
custom-controller)

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emit_time
If anyone likes the ergodox / moonlander, but wants a keyboard with curved
keys, look up the Dactyl Manuform / Dactyl keyboard. It’s a split keyboard
that also has curve keys so it takes less movement to reach keys.

Unfortunately you have to have them custom built or build one yourself, but
there are sites that let you easily order one.

Here’s an example
[https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/ak8d0m...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/ak8d0m/dactyl_manuform_5x7/)

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joshribakoff
I use it too. For anyone questioning Dvorak vs QWERTY layout I recommend
Dvorak. You’re learning a new layout anyways when switching to this thing.
Dvorak won’t speed you up even after years of using it, but you can be
essentially just as fast as QWERTY and it’s much more zen in the sense you
have to stretch for keys less often. However you may find you need to change
keyboard shortcuts as some chords that are natural in a regular QWERTY
keyboard are no longer natural with the unique layout. Luckily you can buy
foot pedals and program macros for common keyboard inputs right in the onboard
computer in the keyboard. Well worth it if you have any kind of pain or
uncomfortable experience with a traditional keyboard

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copperx
After 10 years of switching to Dvorak, I wouldn't do it again. I don't live in
one app, I use Office, Photoshop, Emacs, IntelliJ, Visual Studio, and each
one, obviously, has different shortcut keys. I often have to think whether I'm
in Dvorak or qwerty mode; and the muscle memory of shortcuts went away.

I can't deny that typing prose in Dvorak is extremely pleasant. But switching
between Dvorak and qwerty (I often use others' computers) and between a
regular keyboard and a Kinesis requires me to remember 4 different shortcuts
sets for each program that I use.

If you are mostly a writer of prose, I recoomend the switch. But the ROI is
not there for the jack-of-all-trades programmer.

Life is too short to forgo muscle memory.

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joshribakoff
For me personally switching has been surprisingly transparent.

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cls59
I have one of these, nearly 12 years old at this point. Around two years in,
it took nearly a full pint of double imperial stout head-on during a buzzed
coding session. Was sticky for a little bit, but otherwise no ill effects.
Built like a tank.

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bsder
One caution about folks thinking about foot pedals: your operating system
might get in the way.

OS X, for example, can't use the foot pedal for "Shift" and apply it to the
"A" that you hit on the keyboard if they are two different USB devices.

So, you may _need_ a keyboard that the foot pedal plugs into in order to avoid
this.

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voltaireodactyl
I can’t be 100% sure, but I’ve been able to solve that problem by using
Karabiner and making sure both devices were checked in the preferences of that
app.

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julesallen
I'm still banging away on my original one from the mid 90's (PS/2 adaptor and
all!) and it's still going strong. The ESC has all but worn off the rubber F
key strip but other than that it's in fine shape.

I understand the new fangled 2 comes with real switches for the F key strip?

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fimbulvetr
Yes, that's right. I switched from an advantage to an advantage2 (which has
the non-rubber keys) a few years ago as my new gig purchased the advantage2
for me. Honestly, I didn't even notice a difference. The new f keys are
slightly larger (but not full size) and plastic, but I would personally say
that I wouldn't drop $350 for the plastic ones. I used the advantage for 15
years, so I was well used to the rubber ones. A few months after the switch, I
realized they weren't rubber - that's how insignificant the change was for me.

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dhruvmittal
I had one of these at a previous job, great keyboard. I still miss the
reliability of the thing. Ended up building an ergodox the year after I left,
and I've kept with that for the last 6 years.

