All keyboards should be made this way...
Pros:
Faster speed, greater comfort, fewer typing mistakes
Cons:
Larger than "standard" keyboards
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I find it amusing how many people have an aversion to "split" keyboards such as this one. I actually got mine free when my boss hated it so much (it came with a new system) that he gave it to me and bought another "standard" keyboard instead. Very telling is the fact that he hadn't even TRIED using it!
What surprised me most when I first tried it was how, well... NATURAL it felt. I expected at least a few hours (or even DAYS) of "getting used to it", yet within SECONDS it felt completely comfortable and I began to forget that it was anything but a normal keyboard. In fact, within minutes I noticed my typing speed increasing significantly (I would estimate 15-20% faster) with error rates DECREASING significantly.
My only complaint? It takes up more space than your normal keyboard, due both to its shape and its un-removable wrist wrest (not that I would ever want to remove it!). And, of course, you may be just slightly annoyed any time you have to use a "normal" keyboard once you've experienced this one--NOT that it makes normal keyboards any harder to use than they have always been, but you may find that your standards have "increased" somewhat ;-).
Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend this keyboard (or, if you hate Microsoft, others just like it since they DO exist) to anyone, regardless of skill level. The increase in typing speed alone will repay your investment in the long run, not to mention the reduction in hand/wrist strain.
NOTE: Although the picture to the upper left depicts a "standard" Microsoft Keyboard, and the subject simply says (oddly enough) "Microsoft" , the keyboard reviewed here is the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite which has the "split" design.