
Mouse-Friendly Keyboard - jmilloy
https://evoluent.com/products/kb1/
======
quanticle
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard [1] features a detached wireless
numpad which you can place wherever you want. Say what you will about
Microsoft, but their input devices are quite nice.

[1] [http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/b/sculpt-
ergonomic-k...](http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/b/sculpt-ergonomic-
keyboard-for-business/5KV-00001)

~~~
MichaelGG
It's almost perfect. Key action is better than the Ergonomic 4000. But the
screwed-up Home/End/Insert/Delete stuff is very annoying. Even months later,
I'm still having to look and making mistakes. I put the numpad up on the desk
past my mouse, for the few times I _need_ it.

What I'd pay $$$ for is a Sculpt keyboard with mechanical keys. Nothing else,
no new inventive designs, nothing crazy or very different, nothing terribly
ugly. Just put some Cherry MXes onto a Sculpt and sell it to me. All the ergo-
mech keyboards seem to either have significantly different layouts, or are
just huge.

[Another thing I'd pay $$$ for: sell me a kit to move the keyboard/pad on an
old ThinkPad X/T/W series to transplant it onto a new one. I used to use my
X201 all over, all the time. With my T440p, I actually _hate_ using it. As in,
it's negative and I actively dislike touching the damn thing.]

~~~
to3m
PSA time, I suppose: I've got a UK example of this keyboard, and it's no
better than OK. The chiclet layout has ordinary-size keys, but the gaps
between them (that the mechanism requires...) are larger than normal. The #
key on the Sculpt is as far away from H as the Return key is normally; the
Return key is another key further out. Very uncomfortable. Test drive before
purchase. A big shame, because the key action is pretty good, the rearranged
navigation keys are - as these things go - sensible, and of course the
separate numeric pad is pretty useful. Independently-mappable space bar halves
would have been nice though.

(If you have any friends in America, get one of them to buy you an American
version. I bet they're much better, and the wider Return key will prove easier
to reach.)

Quite why they just can't sell an MS Ergonomic 4000 with mechanical switches,
I have absolutely no idea. Just about every other niche of mechanical keyboard
fiend is very well served - except the people that want a split mechanical
keyboard with a layout that hasn't been pissed about with. They're shit out of
luck.

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wmoxam
Or ... you could get a tenkeyless keyboard

~~~
falcolas
I wish there were more available that which keep the insert and inverted T
arrow keys.

Having to custom order them stinks.

~~~
dublinben
Like the CM Quickfire Rapid? Or any number of other TKL keyboards?

[https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/tenkeyless...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/tenkeyless_keyboards)

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ErnestedCode
But the 10-key on the left-hand side is near useless. Most people who use the
10-key are trained to use it with their right hand. It's better to just get a
keyboard without a 10-key at all, put the mouse on the right and if you're an
accountant, get a separate 10-key keyboard.

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lorddoig
I would highly recommend spending a little bit more (ok, double) and investing
in a TypeMatrix 2030.[0] The size/mouse position thing is important I think -
and the 2030 is of comparable size - but it's nothing compared to having
vertically aligned keys and the most used buttons (enter/backspace) in the
middle. Also the build quality is superb. I could never go back.

    
    
        [0]: http://www.typematrix.com/

~~~
cordite
It really does seem weird at first, but it really does get comfortable. It
also seems to have a moderate lifespan, since I've used mine for over three
years now.

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sengork
Or use the mouse on the left hand side of the keyboard...

~~~
coderzach
If you're left handed...

~~~
to3m
Your left hand, assuming you have one, is not a useless appendage. It doesn't
take much training to teach it to use the mouse. And then you can easily take
notes while you work. Switching mouse hands was one of my better moves, I
think. I now bitterly rue the years I spent wasting my time pushing it around
with my writing hand. I can't play mouse games left-handed, but that's a small
price to pay; the mouse is easily moved when necessary.

Bonus points: you get to do a subtle social dominance power move if you sit at
a left-hander's desk to help them out. (A statement that is made with tongue
in cheek, but appears to be the truth nonetheless...)

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cpwright
The Kinesis Advantage also has no numeric pad, so that there is less travel
for your hand to the mouse. I've had one for two years, and am a huge fan.

~~~
zrail
I use a Kinesis Advantage with a Magic Trackpad[1]. It's the perfect setup for
me.

[1]: [https://www.petekeen.net/mounting-a-magic-trackpad-on-a-
kine...](https://www.petekeen.net/mounting-a-magic-trackpad-on-a-kinesis-
advantage-keyboard)

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geoelectric
I've actually really been wanting something like this, but can't find one
(this one included) with Mac keycaps.

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jeswin
>The Evoluent Mouse-Friendly Keyboard has a more sensible layout with the
numeric keypad on the left so your mouse may be much closer on the
right.(Patents pending.)

Moving the numeric keypad to the left deserves a patent now? I hope the patent
is never issued, even with the broken system in place.

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eCa
I have a large gamer mousepad, which allows me to have the mouse in front of
the keyboard with the keyboard still on the mousepad. Kind of like at the end
of [1]. Works much better for me than having the mouse on either side of the
keyboard.

[1]
[http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/mouse/mouse...](http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/mouse/mouse_location.html)

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josu
This looks absurd to me. I never put the mouse in front of my shoulder, I
always use it at an angle. I'm trying to actually use the mouse like in the
demo picture from the article [1] and it feels awkward.

[1] [http://evoluent.com/wp-
content/themes/evoluent/images/kb1_co...](http://evoluent.com/wp-
content/themes/evoluent/images/kb1_comparison.jpg)

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RRRA
How about a 60% keyboard like the Poker 2 or ducky, etc.?

I've switched from a full keyboard to a Poker 2 and you can get used to it
very quickly.

~~~
taternuts
Yeah me too (tex beetle) - and 60% keyboards will get you even closer to your
mouse than this board would, it looks pretty big

~~~
hatu
And it's actually a nice and solid keyboard with mechanical switches. This
looks like a basic flimsy $10 keyboard in quality.

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slimetree
The Happy Hacking Professional keyboard solves this in an interesting way:
just kill off all the keys you don't need and use Emacs-style modes.

[http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhk...](http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2&pid=pdkb400wn)

(It's expensive, though.)

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brudgers
The MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 already solves this problem [and others] for me
because it works so well in my lap. The Y in this XY problem is the keyboard
on the desk...well and mouse centric interface use.

Mouse ergonomics is just a weak sister of gorilla arms.

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lukasm
I've been looking for a keyboard with detachable numpad. Use case:
Occasionally, I use Blender which has a lot of shortcuts and numpad is very
useful, but I don't want to be always there . This looks promising.

~~~
lowboy
Tenkeyless keyboard and a standalone USB numpad.

~~~
tracker1
I was just checking for a unicomp without a 10-key, they don't seem to have
one.. :-( really prefer the feel of old-school buckling spring keyboards.

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mavsman
I actually enjoy stretching my mouse hand way out to the right as I recline in
my chair. I find it relaxing.

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pcunite
I've been using the filco majestouch tenkeyless for years ... love it.

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m0skit0
Nonsense.

