I too was hesitant to jump on the Kinesis Advantage, but my hands were hurting so bad that I sprung for it on Amazon for about $260.
It has definitely taken some getting used to, but I am typing pain-free for about a month and a half. I am a software developer by trade, so I use a big chunk of the keys and do so without issues.
Only thing I don't like is that the bracket/brace keys are really out of the way. If I cared enough I'd move and re-map them (the keyboard is very customizable), but I don't.
Bracket/brace are fine if you use your little finger properly. Really it's a better position than "standard" keyboards since you only have to reach down vertically instead of having to move laterally as well which reduces accuracy.
Using a Kinesis is possibly the best way to unlearn all your bad typing habits. :)
I think they staggered the right bracket a little too much to be optimal. This means you still have to reach much further than the other fingers do for stuff like periods and commas.
I've seen this mentioned pretty frequently, so there are some good mapping ideas out there for those who use languages with lots of braces.
It has definitely taken some getting used to, but I am typing pain-free for about a month and a half. I am a software developer by trade, so I use a big chunk of the keys and do so without issues.
Only thing I don't like is that the bracket/brace keys are really out of the way. If I cared enough I'd move and re-map them (the keyboard is very customizable), but I don't.