Tru-Form USB Keyboard with Touchpad

Reviewed By: Kirk Hiner

Review Date: December 6, 2000

Developer: Adesso, Inc.

Minimum Requirement: Apple USB computer

Retail Price: $119.95

Availability: Out Now

This is the easiest review I've ever written. Not because I'm feeling especially loquacious or because of exceptionally strong feelings about the product, but because I'm reviewing Adesso's Tru-Form keyboard, and I'm using it right now.

This is my first full foray into the split form keyboard. A friend of mine had some old Apple keyboard that he could adjust from normal to split, and I messed around with that for a bit, but not enough to appreciate the form. Now, after having worked solidly on the Tru-Form for the better portion of a month, I don't care to ever go back to traditional keyboards again.

For the uninitiated, the image above does a better job of illustrating the split form layout than I can with words. Basically, the letter portion of the keyboard is split down the middle and spun on an axis a little above the function keys, give or take a few centimeters. This allows the hands to rest in a more natural position as one types, potentially eliminating keyboard related injuries such as carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or repetitive strain injury. Despite the frequency with which I use a keyboard, I've been lucky enough to never suffer from such ailments (perhaps due to my early training on the Intellivision controller?), but the split from keyboard offered other benefits as well. Mainly, fewer typos.

Granted, this wasn't the case at first. It took a few days to get used to the layout, and I frequently missed the keys in the upper corners of the board. I still have some trouble finding home row when I get started, and using the keyboard to select functions in Photoshop takes a little more attention than before, but once I get going, the split layout makes much more sense. My hands stay in position better, so I'm less likely to stray off track.

Aiding in this are the raised center and deep wrist support of the Tru-Form. Not only are my arms, wrists and hands angled comfortably, but they rest comfortably as well, and that makes a world of difference when working on long documents. My last never-to-be-published novel took six years to complete. Had I access to the Tru-Form, I probably could have whipped it out two.

It took me somewhat longer to get used to the built-in Glidepoint Touchpad which is placed in the wrist wrest directly beneath the split. On the left of the touchpad are two buttons that can be substituted for the mouse buttons (as can tapping the pad itself). At first, I tried to use the touchpad as I would on my PowerBook 3400c; finger for pad, thumb for button. However, the buttons here are placed to the left of the pad as opposed to beneath it as on the PowerBook. This was extremely awkward and harder to get to than the mouse. Then I took a different approach. I started to use my right thumb for the touch pad, left for the buttons. With a little training, this started to work somewhat better. Still not as well as the trusty mouse, though. For all the devices that have been designed to replace it, the mouse is still the standard for screen interface, and justly so.

Despite the split, the Tru-Form features a full 106-key extended keyboard layout; dual command, control, option and shift keys, 15 function keys, a full number pad and full size arrow keys. To get all of these in, the Tru-Form takes up a lot of retail space--21-3/4 inches wide by 10 inches deep--making it a tight fit for those using keyboard trays under their desks. Placing the two USB ports in the back of the keyboard helps this situation a bit as users won't have the cables protruding from the sides as in most traditional keyboards. The drawback to this is that the Apple Pro Mouse cable is barely able to reach to the port, making the combination a pretty tight one. But hey, those willing to shell out extra bucks for a better keyboard should also be willing to do the same for a better mouse (or at least a USB extension cable).

From a design standpoint, I was initially somewhat put off by the darkness of the "graphite casing". Charcoal, is more accurate, I think. However, the lack of contrast between the dark keys and the case made it somewhat less jarring to look at. And on a completely pointless note, Adesso needs to seriously reconsider the Tru-Form's packaging. When it arrived at the office, my first thought was that someone had sent me a slot-car race set from 1982. That would've been pretty cool, actually, and I'd be happy to review one of those as well. Even worse than the design is the glaring typo on the front cover:

Are they commanding me to act as my mouse? I know, I know, no one except me cares about this whole singular vs. plural issue, but I didn't spend four years as an English major to let errors such as this slip through unchecked (just as I expect no one to do the same of me). So humor me, Adesso, and throw the "S" on "Act," will you?

Back to what matters, the Tru-Form is plug and play, even the touchpad requires no special driver or software configuration. However, Adesso does offer a couple of rules. The Tru-Form must be plugged into the back of the computer, not a hub, and only low-power devices such as a mouse, trackball or joystick should be plugged into the Tru-Form's USB ports; no printers, scanners, etc.

If there's a concern that it will take too long to adapt to the split keyboard layout, don't worry; the transition is easy. In fact, it takes me longer to switch back to the regular layout because my wrists have now been spoiled. Adapting the touchpad, that's a different story. Some of my friends swear by them, but I would just as soon pick up the standard Tru-Form without the touchpad for $50 less (it retails for right around $69.95). At that price, it might wise to pick up a few for family and friends. Not for their sake, but because you'll never want to use their cramp-inducing traditional keyboards again.

Now, let's talk slot cars...

.