This guide if for people who are searching for a better way to type, do data entry, programming, or in my case, transcription.  It relates to using an ergonomic keyboard and the type of keyboard that I would recommend hands down above the others out on the market.

I do medical transcription for a living.  As such, I am constantly looking for a more productive, more comfortable, and easy to use keyboard and other peripherals for my work computer.

While I was in school, I used the typical QWERTY keyboard that comes with any computer purchase from the various manufacturers.  When I wore the letter off of the keys on my original straight keyboard, I started looking for another keyboard that would be far more comfortable to use.

I read tons of research, talked to several working MTs, and other students at the school that I attended.  Those recommendations ranged from the Microsoft Ergonomic keyboards to the Kinesis line of keyboards.  Most recommendations were for the Kinesis Advantage keyboard, but as a student I could not afford the cost of a new one. 

I went to the Kinesis website and saw that they had a Kinesis Maxim keyboard that was far more affordable than their contoured keyboards.  Since the Maxim physically split down the middle and raised in the middle to two different angles, both 8 and 14 degrees, I was sold on it.  I bought 2 of them and settled in to use them to see how much better my hands felt at the end of my school day.

Both keyboards were very nice to use.  Light to the touch, took hardly no pressure to cause the keys to strike, and the keyboards were so comfortable to use. 

I was so excited about these keyboards!  They worked like a charm to get me through school and into my first year of working after graduation. 

I noticed as I worked each day that my hands, fingers, and wrists were exhausted at the end of my work day.  So much so that I did not want to do anything that would require me to use them for other tasks. 

So, I decided to search yet again for a keyboard that would make it easier for me to work each day.  I decided to try to find a good deal for the Kinesis Advantage Keyboards.  I was fascinated with the keyboard because it was programmable, took even less strike force than the Maxim did, and the keys were all in a concave-type of setting.  This concave design allowed the user to strike the keys without having to reach far or to have to use awkward key combinations such as the Microsoft key shortcuts like Ctrl + B to bold the text.  The space bars, backspace keys, Ctrl, Alt, page up and down, home and end, delete, the Windows key, and the enter keys were all in the middle of the keyboard so that either thumb could strike them with ease using our thumbs, since they are stronger fingers than our pinkies are by nature.

I could remap any key on the keyboard and move them to other places on the keyboard where it would be easier to strike.  I could program the keyboard to perform macro commands and have it do all of the awkward commands that I had to reach out for before. 

This Advantage keyboard came with a user manual and an exercise booklet to enable the user to get used to it by performing these exercises.  It causes the user to use kinetic muscle groups to type, which is a far more natural way to type.  The normal straight keyboards cause the user to have to use muscles that were not made for typing with any comfort at all. 

There is definitely a learning curve for these keyboards.  For the first 3 to 4 days, my muscles were tired after doing a few exercises.  It did not take long for my hands and wrists to get used to this keyboard. 

I mistakenly thought that I would be able to switch back and forth between the Maxim on my personal computer and my Advantage on my work computer.  That is definitely NOT the case.  I had 2 Maxim keyboards for both work and home computers, and I can see that I will need another Advantage keyboard for my personal computer. 

My hands thank me every day for choosing this keyboard.  It is so comfortable to use, and even though it cost me a pretty penny, I can see how it will pay off in a short period of time.  Thanks for reading the guide!

Advantage

Maxim