New keyboard for linux: Adesso Tru-Form or MS Natural Keyboard 4000?
- by Andrea
Hi folks!
I'm going to buy a new ergonomic keyboard for my laptop.
In the following, keep in mind I live in Italy.
I considered the following models:
Adesso PCK-308UB - Adesso Tru-Form™ Pro - Contoured Ergonomic Keyboard with TouchPad-PS2
Pro:
has a built-in touchpad in the same position of my laptop
somewhat cheaper than the alternative below
Cons:
the surface doesn't seem to be bowl-shaped. keys seem to lay on a straight slightly-inclined surface. It seems an idea used extensively in other ergonomic keyboards
according to a few comments on the net, new Adesso keyboards seem to lack robustness, they're likely to loose small parts after a few weeks or months. Other users, instead, seem to never had any problem in years and swear by their quality and comfortability. Those who had problems, however, lamented a lack of responsiveness from the manufacturer.
I'm not sure whether the keyboard, at least the standard keys, and the touchpad will both be recognized correctly under linux distros (I mostly use FC btw)
last time I checked, Adesso didn't have local resellers in my country
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard
Pro:
recognized as one of the most comfortable keyboards
reliable customer service operating in my country
AFAIK there are several documented ways to get extra buttons work with linux
Cons:
it doesn't have a builtin touchpad and has a numeric keypad wasting space to reach mouse
But there could be other keyboards I haven't considered yet, so here follows my ideal keyboard wishlist, ordered by priority
linux compatible
basic ergonomic design, which entails split tilted keyboard and pads
advanced ergonomic design, like true-ergonomic's or kinesis , where special keys (like enter, caps-lock...) are placed symmetrically in the middle to be used by thumbs
a builtin touchpad/trackball placed under the keyboard. I just love this on my notebook. I think it's pretty effective, since it allows my hand to rest naturally everytime I use it. Any opinion on this?
high-quality switches, like cherry's
(unsure about this one) additional programmable keys placed near usual ones, to simplify typing shortcuts
TIA
Andrea
