I have been using the FreeStyle for over a year now. The separation of left-hand and right-hand modules is the most obvious benefit. I have removed the tether, allowing the hands to be separated to a comfortable distance. Use the FreeStyle for a while and then return to a standard keyboard. You will immediately note how awkward and uncomfortable regular keyboards really are.
The core layout is unchanged from the standard layout meaning there is no learning curve. I would prefer it if the Backspace and Enter keys were right-most keys. This would avoid the occasional over-striking to the Home/End keys.
In comparison to the Microsoft "Natural" keyboard, the FreeStyle is a significant improvement. The Natural keyboard has a fixed separation. The one-piece design makes it a space-hogging monstrosity. The FreeStyle two-module design is a more clean and compact design. It fits in a laptop case.
The FreeStyle uses real tactile keys, not those gummy flat keys used by laptops. The Fn key acts as a toggle. I would prefer a "modifier" style Fn key which would prevent mode errors.
I ran into a hardware problem after a year of use. Kinesis was quick to fix it, free of charge. Kinesis Freestyle Solo Ergonomic USB Keyboard - Black
I just purchased my second Kinesis freestyle. I purchased the first three years ago and this will be an additional unit for another computer setup. Below is a list of items I looked for in purchasing the initial Kinesis and reasons for purchasing this second unit.
1. SEPARATE KEYPADS. The ergonomic aspect of the Kinesis is simple. The left and right sides of the keyboards are attached, held together only with a wire. I like this because you can move the keyboard over the course of the day, and it is a surprisingly comfortable way to type.
2. OPTIONS. There are a lot of ways to address ergonomic use of a keyboard. My 2006 purchase replaced a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard purchased in 1997 which was rounded. With the Kinesis option set you can assemble the keyboard at whatever angle, palm support, or other option that you desire. There are lots of other ergonomic boards, but they lock you into an option set. In my reading, I found that the scientific literature on 'what is ergonomic' had no clear synthesis, but they did all agree that flexibility was important.
3. TRAVEL. I've actually found that the Kinesis keyboard travels very well. It is easily folded and quite compact to take along as a travel keyboard.
4. KEY TRAVEL. The act of individual keystrokes on the Kinesis is... just right? I know this is not a very scientific description, but the depth of the travel and resistance is very good. Many laptop keyboards have too short of a travel and/or too high of a resistance and it feels this has increasingly spread to other keyboards used for desktops or docking stations.
5. SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE. Lots of ergonomic typing methods look VERY dorky. 9 out of 10 on the geek scale. You'll get plenty of questions with a Kinesis sitting on your desk, but nothing ridiculous. Most of the time people say, "Oh, that's cool." From a visual standpoint, people are used to seeing a separate 10-key for some colleagues, so the split keyboard isn't that much of a leap.
6. IT WORKS REALLY WELL. I got the second keyboard as I'd begun to realize how much I prefer typing on my other setup. The split keyboard is a very simple idea that is VERY comfortable. I'm no longer in a business role where I type a lot on a regular basis, but when I do I want to be able to move quickly and thoroughly to get my thoughts well organized. I really do prefer typing with the Kinesis and am excited about getting a second set up.
7. IT NEEDS A 10 KEY. My one complaint / suggestion is that you'll want to get a separate 10 key entrant method to speed up the entry process, as it is a bit laborious to do so using the Fn keys on the Kinesis.
All in all, I really like this keyboard and highly recommend it.
I'm a medical transcriptionist and have to type all day long. It got to the point where my wrists/arms/fingers were killing me pounding away on my Microsoft natural curve keyboard. A coworker told me about the Kinesis Freestyle and it literally saved my career. As soon as I began using it I realized I had absolutely zero pain! My production increased, as I no longer had to take breaks to ice my wrists. This keyboard is a must for anyone who does a lot of typing and is worried about carpal tunnel or is having any kind of pain. Apparently this is a very low-force keyboard with a rating of 45 while microsoft is a 65. The lower the number, the less actual force you have to place on each key. And that doesn't mean they are too super-sensitive. It makes ALL the difference when doing a lot of typing. The one and only thing I don't like about it is that darn fn key that toggles the keyboard back and forth from regular to numbers (keypad). It's too close to the left control key and many times I have hit it accidently and then started typing a bunch of jibberish, usually at least a line before I realized what was going on. But that is NOT a big enough problem to make me go back to any other keyboard! I do suggest getting the VIP kit with the separate tenting/wrist rest. It should really just come as part of the keyboard. - Keyboard - Carpal Tunnel - Ergonomic - Split Keyboard'
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