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Kinesis, who makes the Advantage series (crazy bowl shaped keyboard that I'm typing on right now and love to pieces) also makes the Freestyle (two halves), and they make the latter in a Bluetooth configuration. Amusingly, a wireless keyboard with a wire (between the two halves).

No good for me - I gotta have a number pad. Okay - I see they have an add-on keypad available, but it looks like the tilt stands are all add-on options too. So that makes the Freestyle a little to pricey. Not sure from the description about the keys, either. I'll probably just have to stick with getting another ErgoMagic keyboard when my current one wears out.

I 2nd this. Been using Comfort Keyboard for nearly ten years and would never go back. I don't the elevated swivel things but the keys themselves are designed to give good feedback yet little to no impact on your joints. Very customizable and they have a variety of options.

http://comfortkeyboard.com/keyboards_ergoflex.html

Give the Comfort Keyboard a try: http://comfortkeyboard.com/keyboards_ergoflex.html

I've been using one of these for years. It's great to type on and you can position the number pad on the left if you wish so it's out of the way of the mouse. In FPS I use arrow keys to move and no.pad for weapons. With this keyboard I can position my movement hand and mouse hand equally apart... damn now I gotta play some Quake3 (got to be ready for Quake Live afterall)...

Been around for years:
http://comfortkeyboard.com

I'd like to take a minute and summarize the problems that have been mentioned and add one of my own:

• Different keyboards: Others have mentioned it but I'm probably a more drastic difference between the keyboards than most. I have a laptop that I use frequently at home and when I'm on the road and a Comfort Keyboard at work. I'm sure I never type my password the same way on those two.
• One handed typing: You mentioned an a broken hand although others have mentioned eating an apple or holding something. The system will certainly not handle those one-off one-handed typing.
• Drunken coder: Besides being drunken (which you might argue that not allowing a drunken coder to login is a good thing), there is also a tired coder or a coder who spent too much time playing golf over the weekend and has a blister on their hand. Certainly the security question fall-back will be needed there.
• CTS: I don't think anyone has mentioned carpal tunnel syndrome but I have a pretty significant case of it. I have daily symptoms (this explains the Comfort Keyboard - it helps loads). My typing speed and rhythm vary from day to day - even hour to hour - depending on my current symptoms. I don't think a system like this will ever work for me.

Cirque makes laptop like touchpads.

Some years ago, I was having a lot of trouble typing. Everything up from my elbows killed.

I switched to a Comfort Keyboard. It took a bit of adjustment and it was damn expensive (looks like they've come down to closer to $200), but it worked great.

After about six or seven months, I ended up switching back to a normal keyboard just because I switched workstations and was being lazy. The pain never came back though, so I just continued on with a regular keyboard.

Try reading this(i used to have a hp workstations @ work a few years ago) or other similar guides on the internet.
A few important points according to me:
1. make sure that your chair and table height are correct/comfortable for you, you should not have to bend forward (refer to ergo guide for what correctness means)
2. invest in a good chair with sufficient lumbar support & hand rest, should cost around $150 (adjustible arm-rests wud be great too)
3. make sure that the keyboard and mouse are placed properly, if required get one of those ultra adjustible keyboards especially if you are going to be typing all day.
4. take frequent breaks (and that doesnt imply reading /.)
5. try to get some exercise for you back wrists and neck atleast a few times a week, dont ignore any pain in joints (could be CTS)

Comfort Keyboards are like that. Nicely made but expensive. I went through a point were I couldn't type any more. Just too painful. Used this for six months and all was right. I did end up going back to a normal keyboard though.

www.comfortkeyboard.com

I have not tried one of these, but I'd like to. This guy has an intriguing setup using a two-piece keyboard mounted to the arm rests of an office chair.

Dunno if these are exactly what you're looking for, but...

http://www.ergostar.com/split.shtml

http://www.comfortkeyboard.com/ergomagic_tm.htm

This one is adjustable, but doesn't come apart:
http://www.keyalt.com/keyboards/goldtouch.htm

There are links to several (including some of the above) here:
http://www.tifaq.com/keyboards/adjustable-split-ke yboards.html

DennyK

I have seen something similar to what you describe in my own search for a more comfortable keyboard. I found an interesting set of keyboards by a company called the Comfort Keyboard Company. I haven't tried one myself, so I can only go by what information they provide, but they certainly do look adjustable -- the individual sections of the keyboard can be up to 6 feet apart. They are a little pricey ($160 to $200 US), but they might be what you are looking for. They are also quite programmable, along the lines of some of the wishes expressed in other posts in this thread, and there is some kind of foot pedal that can be involved, too.

I agree 100% that it all depends on the person.

What works for me is a combination of the Comfort Keyboard (three detachable sections on ball-and-socket joints) and the 3m Ergonomic Mouse (shaped sort of like a joystick).

With the standard keyboard or common "ergo" models I'll get shooting pains down the back of my hands after a couple of hours, even if I take regular breaks.

And yes, the idea of life as a waiter sucks :-)

I miss my "Comfort Keyboard" (www.comfortkeyboard.com/).

I've talked to the designer on several occasions and he seems like he'd be open to designing the split keboard into a regular laptop, but the problem he runs into is getting the laptop manufacturers to pay attention. Even in marketing -- do you see Dell offering this as an alternative? Nep.

The keyboard has been out for over 6 years. The keyboard is fully configurable as well -- key remapping, sticky-keys for handicapped, also has an optional foot pedal that you can configure for a common key. A friend of mine configured hers for the ESC key since it was the longest reach key. Repeat rate...all that stuff configurable.

Now imagine two have build directly into the laptop. The locking devices could be a notched
wheel protruding slightly from the sides of the computer.

One obvious draw back: if tilted too high they'd block part of the screen.

The hard part is not getting ergo folks to produce the keyboard -- its getting the big companies like Dell, who buy their laptops fully assembled from China, to incorporate it.

The only way -- I hate to say it, it seems to effect change is for an affected person to sue the laptop manufacturer for contributing to or causing an RSI injury. OR for an already partially affected (disabled) person suing for equal access. Large companies in our system don't really listen until large sums of money and/or bad publicity are involved.

-l

This design would also help with the muscles of you lower arms. I had Pronators(SP?) syndrome, basically problems with the muscles in my lower arms because my arms spent most of their time palms down. I am not explaining this very good, but it can be a problem. All the muscles that do the work for moving your fingers are in your lower arm.
A key board in this position, vertically, keeps your arms in a neutral position. Assuming your hand is flat and your thumb rests on your hand in such a way that everything is flat, when you hand is perpendicular to the floor is when the muscles in your lower arm are at rest.
This key board might be ok, but I would much rather have a keybaord that can adjust. This keyboard rotates from flat to 90 degrees and you can sperate the the parts up to 6 feet apart. This is the one I would because you can adjust it.

Isn't this pretty much the same as the 'Comfort (TM) Keyboard system', except maybe a bit less adjustable?

You can get a minimal 3-piece keyboard called the Ergo-Flex from the Comfort Keyboard company. Then you can arrange it however you like, even on the arms of your chair, like this fellow.

You can get a minimal 3-piece keyboard called the Ergo-Flex from the Comfort Keyboard company. Then you can arrange it however you like, even on the arms of your chair, like this fellow.