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Keyboards have evolved over the past few years. Between multimedia controls, wireless capabilities and backlighting, keyboards are much more pleasant to work with than they used to be. However, they all face a common drawback. They are all uncomfortable for anything task-oriented that’s not typing. Whether you use the QWERTY or Dvorak layout, the staggered array doesn’t conform to the size and tendencies of your hand, and the shortcuts used in applications never stay to one side of the keyboard.
Enter the Ergodex Corporation and their DX1 Input System. The DX1 targets both gamers and task-oriented professionals as the alternative input device that alleviates many woes associated with the standard keyboard, by allowing users to position keys anywhere on the surface to contour to the shape of their hands. With so many other adjustable products we take for granted like the adjustable chair and the DPI switching mice from Razer and Logitech, it’s amazing that no one has thought of such a simple idea any sooner. Yet for such a simple product, a lot of thought has been put into creating the DX1 to deliver the ultimate input experience. Go ahead and coin that phrase, no one’s claimed it yet.
The DX1 consists of three main parts - the main pad, a removable Plexiglas tray, and the keys. The ocean-blue pad is about 11″ wide by 9.25″ tall, accomodating the largest of hands with room to stretch. At the same time this is a relatively large chunk of desk real-estate, so depending on your setup you may benefit from buying a good wireless or mini keyboard for when you have to type. On the topside are two colored LED status indicators, two buttons for recording macros and launching the management software, and several slots for attaching the Plexiglas tray. At the bottom of the pad is a 1.75″ tall wrist wrest that while slightly shorter than average, works quite well to stay comfortable during extended usage. The left side of the rest has the Ergodex logo silk-screened on, giving it a sharp professional look. On a side note, the center of the wrist wrest would get slightly warm by itself when plugged in. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say whether or not this is a good thing.