I have been very satisfied using the Kinesis Advantage 360 / glove80 for several years.
I purchased it at the end of last year because I thought the Svabod looked a little better, and I've been using it alongside my existing keyboard.
Looking back now, I don't think I would buy it again.
High entry barrier
First of all, to properly use the Svabod, you need a basic understanding of 3D printing.
I purchased the Self Print kit and learned 3D modeling (Fusion 360) for the Svabod... There is an active Discord community for it. Various ideas are implemented there and step files are provided. Git Hub is also updated. It seems like you need a 3D printer to find a model optimized for your hand, use various parts, and repair them.
Second, practice due to unfamiliar finger movements; Need for neural adaptation, development of an optimized layout
Besides pressing down your fingers, you have to move them left and right, and flick them upwards. Flicking with your fingernails is not something you're used to, and it's unsuitable for consecutive use. For example, when typing "ㄱ + ㅏ ㄱ," consecutive upward flicking feels unnatural. As a result, I completely rearranged the layout so that frequently used consonants are located at the bottom.
Also, the pinky and ring fingers lack independence. In other words, it's difficult to move only the pinky or ring finger left or right without the other fingers moving. I heard that beginners learning instruments like the piano have a similar problem... However, continuous practice improved their independence. AI said it was due to neural learning. Anyway, since everyone's finger nervous system is different, it takes time to get used to moving them left and right.
How much better is it ergonomically than the 360?
There's no objective evidence because there hasn't been any research measuring this, but personally,
I definitely move my fingers less when using both keyboards. However, since I was already using a sufficiently ergonomic keyboard, I didn't feel a dramatic improvement. Especially since I wasn't changing due to wrist or finger strain, it seems like I encountered these problems because I just wanted to try something new.
Specifically, the keys that were uncomfortable or out of reach on Kinesis keyboards (like the "q" key on the left and the "p" key on the right) were moved to a more comfortable position (pinky fingertip location), so I didn't notice any improvement.
Productivity? Typo rate?
After using glove80 or Kinesis for several years, I felt like my thoughts could be directly expressed on the keyboard. While it felt fast, after using Svabod for a few months, I didn't feel as familiar with it or experience an increase in speed compared to Kinesis keyboards. This keyboard seems to be optimized for reducing strain on your hands rather than being fast. Therefore, I didn't think my productivity would be as high as with my current keyboard.
And is the integrated trackball better than a separate keyboard and mouse system?
I had always dreamed of a solution that combined a keyboard and mouse. I think Svabod is almost the best in this category. However, using it properly requires a layer switching system when moving the mouse... But there were many inconveniences when I actually used it. The mouse layer lasts for only one second while moving the mouse, and I kept making mistakes. Thinking about it, I've never experienced wrist pain from using a separate mouse. While there are advantages to using them together, I didn't think it was significantly better.
