Cloud Nine C989 Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard for PC - Kailh Linear Red Switches - RGB Light Up LED Backlit with USB - Ergo Split Key Board with Macro

I have been using a MS 4000 Ergonomic keyboard for over a decade. After my wrist surgery, I found it VERY uncomfortable using a standard keyboard as the wrist angle was not natural. The curved keyboard is much more relaxing and natural feeling and eliminates pain when typing for long periods of time (whether office work or gaming - and I do both).My old keyboard gave out and my company was offering reimbursement for setups to allow us to work from home so I started researching. My decision came down to this keyboard and the Kinesis Freestyle. Aside from the price difference (the Cloud9 was on sale marked down from $219 to $189 with an additional 10% off coupon at the time I purchased), I liked the fact that this offered the tenting option already included. The Kinesis board required an accessory that cost an additional $30. No brainer to save the money buying this keyboard over the Kinesis.Now on to the keyboard itself. I have been using a full size MS4000 for over a decade, as stated already. That keyboard was about 20" wide and had the full number pad on the right. I like having that number pad as I use it on a regular basis. The Cloud 9 is the same width. If you haven't been using a full size board before, it will seem HUGE. That may come into consideration should you have limited space on your desk.The brown keys have a nice feel to them. You can hear them click and you will know that you haven't miskeyed. They are responsive and spring back quickly. The lighting is nice and there are a number of options based on what your preferences are. The one bad I would have to say is that, when the lights are off, you can't see the letters/numbers on the keys. If you are unfamiliar with where the keys are as you get used to this board, that could be an issue for you, especially with all of the function keys added on the left side. Took me a few days to get the feel of where the keys are, but now it is just natural.The raised wrist rest and the built in tenting are very comfortable. Your wrists sit at a natural angle and the hand positioning feels very good. The only thing I wish it has was an option to increase the incline on the keyboard. The MS4000 had feet that you could pop out to raise the top of the keyboard which was nice. This isn't an option with Cloud 9 or Kinesis. After a few days, it wasn't an issue as I got used to the keyboard sitting flat.As for gaming, this keyboard is great! As I said, the keys are quick and responsive so you will not lose any speed when playing. I haven't used the M keys on the left side so I can't speak to how well they play into twitch gaming.The keyboard splits down the middle. If you want it to stay as one keyboard, the left side fits into a groove on the right and stays there even when gaming (I tend to keep the keyboard together when I game). If you prefer to play with the left side as a gaming pad, here is where the Kinesis wins (out of the box anyway). The connecting cord on the Cloud 9 is a bit short. As I have a 5' desk with a shelf for the monitor set up, its not an issue for me as I can just move the right side under that shelf. If you don't have the room to do that, it would require an accessory cord that sells for $15. I think it should be the standard cord, but I don't work for them so my opinion doesn't really count.Overall, I am very happy with this keyboard as both a productivity keyboard for office use as well as for gaming. I can play games for 3 or 4 hours and walk away with no wrist or hand pain. For me that is a huge thumbs up. If you are the type of person who takes care of their things like I am (I mean, my last $60 keyboard lasted me for over 10 yrs!), I think this is well worth the money spent. You definitely get what you pay for!

As a long time developer, RSI issues developed within a few years of entering the field. That was when I discovered the Microsoft Natural 4000 keyboard. It solved all wrist issues and was an easy transition (unlike say the original bowl shaped Kinesis, which was the other alternative at the time). But elbow issues soon developed from excessive mouse clicking. So, I mapped the buttons in the middle of the 4000 to become mouse buttons. Problem solved.3 or 4 years ago, the MS 4000 was discontinued. I bought 2 extras. Last week, I was down to 1 spare and decided to try some alternatives. I bought this C9.After an hour, I knew I had found the replacement! These keys are actually much much better than the MS 4000's. I did not appreciate mechanical keyboards previously because my experience were only with the super heavy clicky ones from way back. (Some people still like them, but I always preferred what I now learn is low force / linear - like the Cherry MX Red.)No buttons in the middle to remap, but the 10 macro keys on the left work just as well. Two of them are mapped to mouse clicks and the rest to common used sequences. RGB backlighting color coded to help identify the macros. Absolutely wonderful.But I actually have Macs as well as Window machines (2 of each). Having the FN key on the left is a deal breaker on the Mac, bec 3 modifier keys are needed on each side. Fortunately, there is a firmware option on the site that lets you swap the Fn and Window keys!So that's the good news. I already bought two of these, and will shortly buy another 2 for my remaining 2 machines... may even pick up an extra spare for when one inevitably breaks.Now the not-so-good (but bearable) items. The software to configure is Windows only and it is rough. How rough? Here are some examples:If you use the firmware to swap the Window and Fn keys, don't try remapping the Window key (the original Fn key). If you do, it gets really confused and you lose the new Fn key - and you also get some unexpected key code! Fortunately, using software on the OS side (e.g. Karabiner Elements on the Mac) to do the swap works.If you set up a macro via the kbd, don't attempt to reset that key with the Windows software. They seem to collide or some such and it leads to strange problems.And as to configuring keys in the software - you don't get a menu to choose the target. Instead you need to type the key. Well, that makes it very difficult to swap two keys (unless you use another keyboard).Also there is no way to configure a key+modifier combination. Well, actually, maybe you can do that by assigning a macro via the software, but as I had enough difficulty with that colliding with assigning a macro via the keyboard, I did not pursue it and did the remapping with Karabiner on the host instead.Oh, and the "USB-C connectors" - I use quotes because while they have the USB-C form factor, they are actually not USB-C. You reverse the direction of the cable and things don't work. Yet the connector doesn't seem to be marked as to which direction to plug it in.I've also read some complaints about the sheer size of the keyboard, but that's a tradeoff to fit the 10 macro keys. So I am good with that. The macro keys and the split ego design are what gives this keyboard its unique value proposition for me. I know, the mech keyboard enthusiasts, based on looking at a few YouTube videos, want small, but I want comfortable and functional. The big knob in the lower center though - that can probably become a smaller knob further up and maybe 2 extra keys be placed there instead!I may have listed as many nit picks as compliments, but make no mistake: I will end up buying 4, if not 5, of these in all within the next few weeks, so that action speaks for itself.