Typematrix is an American computer keyboard design and manufacturing company specializing in ergonomic TCO99-compliant keyboards

Computer keyboard

In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...

, and is based out of Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...

. The company was founded in 1990 by Henry Webber, who set out to design a superior ergonomic keyboard to alleviate typing pain and prevent the development of typing injuries. The most popular TypeMatrix product is the TypeMatrix 2030 Keyboard.

Design and Ergonomics

TypeMatrix keyboards are significantly different than a standard computer keyboard. The primary difference is its matrix architecture (straight vertical key columns), which is intended to increase typing accuracy and decrease wrist distortion. Large centered Shift

Shift key

The shift key is a modifier key on a keyboard, used to type capital letters and other alternate "upper" characters. There are typically two shift keys, on the left and right sides of the row below the home row...

, Backspace

Backspace

Backspace is the keyboard key that originally pushed the typewriter carriage one position backwards, and in modern computer displays moves the cursor one position backwards, deletes the preceding character, and shifts back the text after it by one position....

, Tab

Tab key

Tab key on a keyboard is used to advance the cursor to the next tab stop.- Origin :The word tab derives from the word tabulate, which means "to arrange data in a tabular, or table, form"...

 and Enter

Enter key

In computer keyboards, the enter key in most cases causes a command line, window form, or dialog box to operate its default function...

 keys move usage of some of the most-used keys from the pinky to the index finger. TypeMatrix keyboards are designed to have a smaller footprint and decrease the reaching distance to a user's mouse

Mouse (computing)

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...

, in an attempt to lessen arm and shoulder stress.

TypeMatrix products support the Dvorak

Dvorak Simplified Keyboard

The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard is a keyboard layout patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak and his brother-in-law, Dr. William Dealey. Over the years several slight variations were designed by the team led by Dvorak or by ANSI...

 typing method and can switch from QWERTY

QWERTY

QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...

to Dvorak modes.

Size and Weight

• Length: 12.75 inches (324 mm)
• Width: 5.25 inches (133 mm)
• Height: 0.5 inches (12.7 mm)
• Weight: 1.56 pounds (709 grams)

Key Specifications

• Standard size: 19 mm center to center spacing
• Switch lifecycle: 10 million strokes
• Travel: 3.0 mm ± 0.5 mm
• Force: 55 gm ± 10 gm
• Switch: membrane technology with "double-scissors" mechanism

External links

• Official site
  • Ergonomic study (company's site)
• Promotional video Comparison to traditional keyboards
• Crap Keyboards Hurt Your Business Product review, usage tips
• TypeMatrix 2030 Product page