#maltron

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[yournewkeyboard]

via u/NotThatGuyAgain on reddit

[yournewkeyboard]

Maltron L89 3D with and without trackball - US English

[yournewkeyboard]

Marlton Single Hand Keyboard - US English (right and left)

[yournewkeyboard]

Maltron L89 2D - US English

[yournewkeyboard]

Maltron L90 3D - US English

[emptymanuscript]

Unsolicited Purchasing Advice for your Health

Your keyboard is slowly destroying your wrists. Sorry. There are two ways to deal with it: be on the computer less or get a better keyboard.

If you want to be a writer, option 1 is probably out of the question.

Had I realized before I went with option 2 how big a difference a better keyboard makes, I think I actually would have spent more than double what I did and purchased a Maltron.

The Maltron is supposedly the superior keyboard and seems to last obscenely long for a piece of electronics (I read a comment from a programmer that mentioned having the same Maltron Keyboard for more than a decade). But as I don't own a Maltron, I can't actually tell you for sure.

As I was unsure if any keyboard could make that big a difference in my life, I bought the Kinesis Advantage.

I went from thinking I was developing fairly serious carpal tunnel to having no pain within a few weeks, even after typing for a full day straight.

Before owning a Kinesis, I was leery of it: why spend $300ish when you can get a keyboard for $20? Especially if I've never been able to tell the difference between a $20 and a $120 keyboard. But the research made it seem legit and the Kinesis does feel different, immediately. There is significantly more difference between the Kinesis and the $120 ergonomic keyboards than between those $120 keyboards and the $20 ultra-cheapies.

They don't seem to sell the Kinesis in stores. So you're stuck taking people's word for it until you try it for yourself :( It's sad. The $300 really is worth it. And I think you could tell if you were able to go into a store and try it out for ten minutes.

But if you're feeling wrist pain or even if you are lucky enough to not feel any yet in spite of typing all day because you're not following option 1, I would urge you to look into the Maltron or the Kinesis. Do some ergonomic research. At the very least don't buy the ultra-cheapies. Your computer is going to be your primary business tool. You need to invest in making it capable of helping you do your work. And your wrists will thank you for it.

You can also do a lot for your physical health by purchasing a nice chair, making sure your desk is at the right height, and adjusting your monitor so you are viewing at a healthy angle (pro-tip, the angle you'll look at a laptop screen sitting in your lap is not a healthy angle).

The honest truth is that, while writing doesn't involve much physical exertion, it is very hard on your body. It is hard on your body in part because it requires so little movement, causing stiffness and straining parts that were meant to simply add to larger motions instead of carrying all the motions. Probably more than anything else, frequent breaks to get up and move around will help protect your body. But good equipment is a very strong second place.

You're going to have to look out for your health if you want to do this for your life. And that's going to have some up front and maintenance costs :( Again, sorry.