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Kinesis Announces Freestyle Edge Split Keyboard for Preorder

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Kinesis is a company with over 25 years of experience developing and selling ergonomic peripherals such as their Advantage keyboard and partnering with others such as DXT and Evoluent for mice. Their products have been predominantly on the higher end of the price range for keyboards, and they do not offer a keyboard with features that the gaming keyboard market tends to look at- until now. Kinesis have now announced an update to their Freestyle series of split keyboards that aims to appeal to both the gamer and the typing professional alike in the form of the new Freestyle Edge.

The Freestyle Edge introduces genuine Cherry MX mechanical switches to the Freestyle series, a change from the membrane switches before. Customers can choose between Cherry MX Red, Brown or Blue switches, and the keyboard has blue backlighting added as well now. In addition, there is an 8-key macro bank to make use of a fully programmable keyboard with some preset functions pre-programmed included multimedia control and lighting control.


The Freestyle Edge halves can be separated by as much as 20", allowing users to accommodate the keyboard to fit their specific shoulder width. Another advantage here that Kinesis believes will appeal to gamers is the ability to have peripherals in between if only one half is needed, or even both with the nearest key banks used. They showed off the product at PAX West which is going on this weekend in Seattle, Washington and some pictures below illustrate the use of mice, joysticks, racing wheels and so forth in conjunction with the keyboard.



The Freestyle Edge is now up for pre-order along with lift kit and palm pad accessories, and there is also a special 20% discount code (NEWSLETTER) that ends September 4, 2017. Follow the link here to learn more and purchase, with expected retail availability in November, 2017.

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That microphone looked like something else for a good second.
 
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split keyboard? it makes your table full
 
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.....must purchase this......for science......
 
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when you cut your keyboard in half, you could like, put stuff between the pieces, BRILLIANT!
 
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My idea from a few week backs that I tweeted to Wooting keyboards was a lot better I suggested two wireless split keyboards and a toggle switch similar to the windows key toggle switch to switch it from a regular typing mode into a programmable key mode with analog keys. I also suggested adding two small track pad's below each half of the space bar to serve as twin thumb trackpad's.
 
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Gotta have one of these! I have wide shoulders and big hands. Normal keyboards hurt after a while. Even ergo's hurt. This might be a god-send.

EDIT: Just looked on the site and good grief the price. I'm not hurting for money, but that's steep for a keyboard. It's got a bunch of bells and whistles that really won't appeal to most people who would want one..
 

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Gotta have one of these! I have wide shoulders and big hands. Normal keyboards hurt after a while. Even ergo's hurt. This might be a god-send.

Whut. Mice I understand, but you have to be a giant if normal sized keyboards are too small.
 

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Says the munchkin with tiny hands... Oh, I'm sorry, freakishly tiny hands...

But seriously, you have to be massive shoulderwise. I'm a big guy (195cm with appropriatly broad shoulders, used to be 150kg, now 110) with decently large hands, and I've never had problems with keyboards.
 
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hmm good with driving wheel
 
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But seriously, you have to be massive shoulder wise. I'm a big guy (195cm with appropriatly broad shoulders, used to be 150kg, now 110) with decently large hands, and I've never had problems with keyboards.
Everyone's shaped different. I really do have big shoulders and hands. Some have said they're freakishly big. Got on Amazon, found similar keyboard for a more reasonable price without all the needless bling. And from the same makers.
hmm good with driving wheel
That's actually great idea!
 
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