KINESISUSB Freestyle Pro Ergonomic Split Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry MX Brown Switches) - KB900-brn

The media could not be loaded. I bought two "Freestyle 2" keyboards right before this Freestyle Pro keyboard was released and couldn't bring myself to upgrade so shortly after buying two keyboards at the time. Now I have finally upgraded to the Pro version with MX Silent Red switches and overall I am very satisfied with the upgrade. The keys feel soooo good on the Pro.CONS (not huge things, but worth noting):-No USB inputs on the back of keyboard. The Pro version has no USB inputs on the back like the Freestyle 2 does (two USB-A ports). I didn't realize this until it arrived. I remedied the issue with a cheap USB hub, but I do miss being able to plug a mouse and foot pedal directly into the keyboard.-No connector piece for the keyboards on the Pro model. I really like how the Freestyle 2 has a little connector piece at the top of the keyboards that allows you to pivot the two keyboards at different angles while still keeping them attached. The Pro model doesn't have this and while I haven't missed the connector piece much in the short time I've owned this model, I do wish it were there.-Smaller Delete key (above Backspace) on the Pro model. On the Freestyle 2, the Delete key is a very wide key, the same width as the Backspace key, and it's placed directly above the Backspace key. For my needs as a typist, this was fantastic. On the Pro model, it's now just a little key on the top right of the keyboard, not one large key over the Backspace. I have somewhat remedied this by remapping the 2 keys to the left of the Delete key (ScrLk and Pause) so that they perform the same as the Delete key, giving me a wider area to hit when I'm typing fast, but it's just not as good as one big Delete key and I'm disappointed by Kinesis's decision to change this.PROS:-The keys feel great and the MX Silent Cherry switches are not too loud, which would be a problem for me hearing dictations in my earbuds. There is a comparison video on YouTube of the MX Brown vs the MX Silent Cherry switches and it was an obvious choice for me. The MX Brown are very, very loud and the MX Silent Cherry are quiet and still feel great.-Remapping and macro software (SmartSet App). I thiiiink this belongs in the Pros section. The ability to remap the keyboard is wonderful and in some cases a huge improvement over software remapping (more on that below). However, I did find that there was a learning curve with this software and installing the firmware update. To achieve what I wanted, I ultimately remapped directly using the keyboard and then double checked my changes using the software. Some people might think the software is great, but I just found it a little tricky setting up macros, while on the other hand doing simple remapping of keys from the app was really straightforward. I use remaps and macros directly on the keyboard in conjunction with the software for Windows 10 called "AutoHotkey" which is really powerful and can do some things that the Kinesis SmartSet App cannot do. (On Mac, BetterTouchTool is similar to AutoHotkey but even better with a much better interface.)-Ergonomics. I'm in love with the ergonomics of this keyboard. I won't gush over all the little reasons, but basically the lifters and all the other layout and design decisions made by Kinesis I largely agree with. I considered the Matias Ergo Pro, for example, but they have made some strange decisions with key size and layout. I wish the tilters (VIP3 Pro accessory) came with this already expensive Pro keyboard, but I kind of understand their decision to not include it. Some people are going to want the "wrist rest + lifters" model and some want the "lifters only" model, so it makes sense to let the customer decide what they prefer and buy it separately. I personally love the "lifters only" model because I can position the keyboard right at the front edge of my desk near my body, unlike the "lifters + wrist rest" model that causes the keys to be several inches away from the edge of the desk based on the location of the lifters underneath the wrist rest.-Includes a key removal tool and some Mac keys. I think this was a great decision by them, making the keyboard compatible with both Windows and macOS.-Longevity of mechanical key switches. I have been using the Freestyle and Freestyle 2 keyboards for approximately the last 7 years and it's my opinion that the keys tend to get slightly mushy and worn out over time. Some people may not experience this because they aren't typing 6+ hours a day and they won't wear out the keyboard, or perhaps they wouldn't even notice the slight squishiness or lack of crispness I'm describing at all, but I notice that those keyboards have tended to wear out in about 3 years. They are still fully functional and I still use it alongside this newer Pro model, but some keys just act a little weird and it's annoying. I'm hoping that these crisp feeling mechanical switches on the Pro model continue to perform the same for many years to come. It could be the case that popping off all the keys on the Freestyle 2 and cleaning under them would improve this somewhat mushy feeling, but I'm never going to find out :)OTHER:I mentioned earlier how remapping directly to the keyboard can be an improvement over remapping software in some circumstances. I now transcribe for a healthcare company that requires me to work inside a virtual machine running Windows 7 where everything is locked down and the key remapping software that I use on Windows 10 (AutoHotkey) does not work inside that virtual machine. Luckily, the macros and remaps saved to the software inside this keyboard DO work inside the virtual machine, meaning I can work more efficiently in my stupid locked down virtual machine.SUMMARY:I love this keyboard and would buy it again. I have also contacted support a few times over the years and they are always so prompt, polite and helpful. I fully believe it is a worthwhile upgrade over the Freestyle 2.EDIT (01/30/2020):Update! Still love the keyboard, but I was getting a little annoyed with the keyboards sliding around on my wood desk throughout the day as I was typing and frequently needing to be readjusted, so I made a little wood block and screwed the lifters into it so that the two keyboards don't float around on my desk. This has been a huge improvement for me. I would still highly recommend the keyboard even if you don't have the ability to do this. Perhaps a rubber mat instead of just a wood desk would keep the keyboards in place better. But if you're interested, I first cut a 1/2 inch thick piece of wood into the triangle shape I wanted (the block is 2 inches wide at the top, 3-1/2 inches wide at the bottom) to separate the bottom of the keyboards by about 2 inches and then angled it up so that the top of the keyboards touch slightly, and I then used a miter saw to cut a 30 degree angle on the sides of the block of wood and then placed this piece in between the lifters and drilled some holes and sent some screws through the lifters and into the wood to create one solid keyboard at the angle I prefer. Been so happy with this setup since doing this.

If you can afford it but this instead of a cheap ergonomic keyboard. You'll save money long-term and it's WAY more comfortable.

I'd had shoulder pain for about a year. Several months of physical therapy did nothing for it. Within 2 or 3 weeks of getting this keyboard, shoulder pain was gone. I appreciate the longer cable between the two pieces, which allows me to space and angle them perfectly for me. The Cherry MX Silent Red Switches aren't actually silent, but they're pretty quiet, and I like the feel. I also appreciate the ability to easily remap keys without installing any software. Just press the remap key, then the key you want to re-map, then the key you want to map it to, and you're done. I remapped the backspace key so that it's now just to the right of P. I also remapped F4 to Enter, so I have an Enter key on both the left and right sides. Used stick on keyboard labels to re-label those keys. Only issues - I occasionally hit the Fn key by mistake. And every once in while (like every six months) something causes the keyboard mapping to revert back to original. Not a big deal since it's so easy to remap. It did take a few days to become 100% comfortable with typing on separated keyboards, but not a big hurdle.

Moved to this keyboard off of a 10+ year-old MS Ergo 4000. Compared to the MS keyboard, it is obviously much more flexible to position (especially with the VIP3 Pro kit - don't buy this keyboard without it or you just get a two-piece keyboard with no tilt adjustment or wrist pads), but the keys themselves are all square and not sloped or differently-sized for better ergonomics. So focus on this if positioning is where you need ergonomic support, but not if you also need a high degree of ergonomic adjustment for your hand/fingers.On the other hand, the mechanical keys do, as I hoped, feel great. I am certain that the strong key feedback makes my typing "crisper" so I hold my hands more appropriately, and my fingers literally are less tired when typing for extended times.The Cherry Red Quiet keys are fine for typing while on Zoom meetings, and the people I'm talking to do not report keyboard noise. There is, as mentioned in other reviews, a little reverberation as the keys hit the metal baseplate, which would be nice to have silenced, but I don't find it especially bothersome. The feel is good with no tacticle "click," which I'd assume you'd get on the Brown keys. This is NOT a clicky keyboard and if you want one, look elsewhere.Programmability is amazing, and I'd point you do the documentation on how wide it is. You have 3 layouts to customize, each with their own second "layer" by pressing the fn key. This means that in total you have 6 full keyboard layouts to work the way you want. The software to edit layouts is easy enough to use, and once you set things up, the layouts and macros are saved on the keyboard. So if you're using this with ChromeOS or Linux without native support, you can personalize on another machine and then use the full customizations on other computers.The VIP3 Pro accessory which, again, you just should buy to get the most of our the ergonomics of this keyboard, is cleverly built and gives you three different angles to tent your keyboard. I found myself tenting the left more than the right, and it's nice to have that option. It only does horizontal angling though, so you cannot tilt the keyboard vertically forwards or backwards.On the downsides, the rubber feet to keep the keyboard stable are not very sticky, and as a result, the tenting accessory ended up sliding around and sometimes flipping position on my very slick keyboard tray. I put some microsuction tape on the rubber feet and that resolved it.Overall I'm happy and can type comfortable and quickly on the keyboard. Took some getting used to with typing with my hands far apart, but once I got a few days' use under my belt, I was back up to my typical 100wpm, and my hands and wrists feel great after a long day of typing. If you cannot touch type, however, avoid this keyboard. Using a broadly split keyboard like this along with hunting and pecking would be incredibly frustrating. I'd also have a hard time endorsing this as a gaming keyboard for the same reasons (the same would be true of Kinesis' gaming version of this, which is the same except with fancy lights).Between the un-padded metal backplate, the lack of forwards/backwards tilting on the VIP3, and the slippery keyboard feet, the keyboard falls short of being a true best-of-the-best option, at at a little above $200 for the whole kit, that's a disappointment. But the options for ergonomic mechanical keyboards are limited, and I cannot fault the feel of the keyboard once I got it "just so."