Review of the Totally Ergonomic (TEK) Keyboard

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in keyboard on (#2WYF)
When you've bought your third expensive keyboard it's time to admit you have a fetish. Or that you spend most of your day glued to the business end of a computer. Or both! But face it: if you spend a lot of time writing, a decent keyboard is worth more than its weight in gold, for reasons of efficiency, health, and comfort alone.

I was in the mood for a keyboard built around a linear (not-staggered) layout, and a few reviews of the TEK ("Totally Ergonomic Keyboard") made it seem appealing. So I bought one and have used it for the past couple of weeks. Here are my conclusions, and a few notes of comparison with the Kinesis Ergo keyboard, which I also like and use daily.
Reply 4 comments

Totally agree (Score: 1)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2015-02-08 00:54 (#2WZ4)

If you spend most of your day glued to the computer, you shouldn't skimp on your keyboard or mouse. I spent far too many years under the assumption that any cheap generic keyboard or mouse was "good enough" just because they worked. Then I started trying the higher end of the spectrum and now I'll never go back!

Mechanical keyboards simply offer a far superior tactical feel and much better durability. Many manufactures now offer a whole range of models based on "Cherry MX" mechanical switches. These switches come with a variety of haptic effects designated by color: Black, Red, Brown, or Blue. My current favorite keyboard is the Corsair Vengeance K70.

Don't overlook your mouse either. Modern mice have far superior optical tracking than models from just a few years ago and can now work on damn near any surface. I've ditched all of my old mousepads and glitchy mice and no longer have to battle for the mouse cursor. My current favorite mouse is the Logitech G400s.

TypeMatrix or generic 89-key mini keyboard: (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-02-10 01:46 (#2X00)

I was completely unimpressed with mainstream "ergonomic" keyboards, and kept using a standard one, until I stumbled on early demos of the Type Matrix:

* http://www.typematrix.com

I was both trying the new layout, and learning Dvorak. The later was a miserable process taking months, despite promises that almost everyone learns it fast. In the end, my typing speed improved, and I no longer had to stop typing due to wrist strain. Incidentally, I can seamlessly switch between Dvorak (home) and QWERTY (at work), no problem.

But at least the early TypeMatrix prototype wasn't very durable, and I wasn't happy with the $100/ea. price, so after the second one, I looked around for cheaper, simple keyboards that would give me most of the advantages. I wanted something without a num pad (much less distance to mouse), flat and 0.5" high with no incline... I found only one at the time, and it was just a quarter the price. With a nice durable steel backing plate, and key caps that only required a little sanding to reorder to Dvorak, my first couple lasted for quite a few years (unlike the TypeMatrix'eses). These days, they are available for just $10/ea. on Amazon.

* http://www.amazon.com/Gear-Head-Windows-Keyboard-KB1700U/dp/B0041A5OGA/

* http://www.amazon.com/89-Key-Mini-USB-Windows-Keyboard/dp/B0036WTWX0/

I only hope they still build them like they used-to...

Re: TypeMatrix or generic 89-key mini keyboard: (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2015-02-12 09:34 (#2YGK)

Believe it or not, I considered the Typematrix, and I liked the idea of the skins you can throw over the top to access different keyboard layouts (I use Dvorak about 70% of the time). I was impressed by the grid layout - once you get used to it, it's hard to go back). But I was turned off by a bad review by Xah Lee, who I trust when it comes to keyboard stuff. (He's the ergo emacs guy, and he seems to do nothing other than bitch about emacs and review keyboards). I'd still like to try a Typematrix, just out of curiosity. I'm told the build quality has gotten way better. Everything else about that keyboard is pretty darned cool.