KINESIS Freestyle Edge RGB Split Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Cherry MX Blue Switches - Ergonomic USB Wired Keyboard for PC, Mac, Typists & Programmers - Perfect for Office Work, Gaming & Coding

Due to significant pain in my wrists, forearms, and discomfort in my shoulders after typing and working on my computer for even short periods of time, I decided to bite the bullet and invest in some type of ergonomic input tool(s). I researched mechanical keyboards incl. "Alice" layouts, straight split boards like the Keychron Q11 and tentable boards from Kinesis, Dygma, ZSA, etc. My two biggest goals in being a newbie was finding something that would provide a high degree of relief without a lengthy adjustment period and something that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I decided my best choice would be a true split keyboard with tenting. This Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB (KB975), with the lift kit (AC910), turned out to be the perfect choice!I'm a 72 year old who learned how to touch-type in high school on old manual typewriters and have only used staggered QWERTY keyboards my whole life so expected I should be comfortable moving to any keyboard with a similar layout, like this Kinesis. That immediately eliminated the columnar or ortho-linear designed keyboards, which also seem to be the most expensive. And indeed, transitioning to this keyboard has been absolutely painless. I've had virtually NO adjustment period, regardless of the tenting angle I try, and was typing at my maximum wpm the very first day! What a great choice! I much prefer mechanical keys and have experimented with a few mechanical boards (two Keychron and a LowFree Flow Light) and switch types and have found the switch type that best prevents me from erroneous mis-strikes are higher initial force tactile switches so, of the options available, the blue clicky switches have turned out to be perfect. I wish they were hot-swappable because I would likely lube them somewhat but, as far as stock Cherry Blues go, they are absolutely acceptable and help keep costs down. I could get hot-swappable switches if I wanted to pay hundreds more for a Dygma or ZSA board but I would also have fewer keys and they, like most other brands like Corne, etc. "require the user" to deal with multiple layers, not something I relish the thought of doing. Though this keyboard takes up more real estate than some of those, I have no issue with it's size. Especially because I really like the layout and number of keys on this Kinesis and, though I don't want to be forced to deal with layers and customization, I love that this keyboard allows for that should I choose. I'm using WIN 11 Home and have found the SmartSet App to be quite different from using QMK/VIA, etc. but it's pretty straight forward and easy to use and the configuration(s) are saved to the keyboard's internal memory.The keyboard is plastic but solidly built and with a nice heft. The included wrist rests are sturdy and comfortable, as well as easily removeable. I have no issue with the fact the power/control cables are not removeable and, though I've used 2.4 GHz dongles & Bluetooth with other boards, I have no problem using a wired only keyboard. This keyboard uses good quality braided cables and, though it can be fed out from it's storage area to enable up to a 20" separation between the halves, I've found the 9" "out of the box" length to be perfect for me. The RGB looks great, and there are a number of stock animations or the user can easily configure it per key if desired.I purchased the Lift Kit for use with wrist rests to get tenting. After having tried all three tenting levels, I find tenting adds enough benefit to be worth-while. I initially felt the Lift Kit seemed a bit pricey but if I consider the benefit added by tenting, the ability to easily switch between tenting levels while using the wrist rests, the ability to easily install and remove them and the sturdy support they provide during use, I feel they are worth the money spent.After a week of heavy use, I can say this Kinesis FreeStyle Edge RGB was absolutely the right choice! I'm really enjoying the comfort it's providing and can't get over the ease of transition from using standard keyboards. It meets my wants & needs perfectly and only hope it will serve me well for many years. In addition to purchasing this keyboard I purchased a new Logitech MX ERGO Plus mouse and, though I hadn't used a trackball in many many years, found it to be as easy to adjust to as the keyboard and, by adding both the mouse and the keyboard, I have drastically improved my ability to now spend hours comfortably working at my computer. Money very well spent!