Kinesis’ “Freestyle” family of split keyboard designs offer intriguing layouts, but with the exception of last year’s gaming-focused Freestyle Edge, they unfortunately lacked mechanical switches. With the release of the new Freestyle Pro, though, the company has kept the more office-friendly look of the Freestyle2 but loaded it up with Cherry MX Brown switches.
- Kinesis Freestyle Program Keys For Mac Download
- Program Car Keys
- Kinesis Freestyle Program Keys For Mac Pro
Indeed, the Freestyle Pro is essentially an update to the Freestyle2, although Kinesis says that’s it’s also a sort of little brother to the Freestyle Edge. The split-style Freestyle Edge offered an ergonomics-inspired lift kit so you could prop up the two halves like a tent. It also had blue LED backlighting, palm rests, four dedicated buttons, and two vertical rows of macro keys on the left side. Compared to the Freestyle Edge, the Freestyle Pro lacks backlighting, and the palm supports (which you can buy separately for $24.95) are not included.
However, on the Freestyle Pro, that left-side bank of macro keys is loaded up with numpad functions, whereas they’re undefined (and simply numbered 1-10) on the Freestyle Edge. The Freestyle Pro is also pre-loaded with Mac and Dvorak layouts, has eight hot keys (for Desktop, Last App, Select All, Undo, Cut, Delete, Copy, and Paste), and includes four extra Mac keycaps.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a mechanical keyboard made by Kinesis, and it is a split keyboard. Mac, and Dvorak layouts. This program allows you to completely. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this video! First 200 people will get a 2 month trial for free here: the CORSAIR Light Loop fans. The new Freestyle Pro keyboard offers the same advanced ergonomic features of the Freestyle2 but with the additional benefits of full on-board programmability of low-force Cherry MX mechanical key switches. Instantly switch between Windows, Mac and Dvorak layouts or create your own. The FS Pro makes programming a breeze with the no-install. The Freestyle Pro is also pre-loaded with Mac and Dvorak layouts, has eight hot keys (for Desktop, Last App, Select All, Undo, Cut, Delete, Copy, and Paste), and includes four extra Mac keycaps. Both the Freestyle Pro and the Freestyle Edge boast Kinesis’ SmartSet Programming software. Although you can do a fair amount of programming on the.
STANDARD MAC LAYOUT: The Freestyle2 for Mac features a standard Mac layout with Mac-specific hotkeys, shortcuts and multimedia keys to boost your productivity. LOW-FORCE KEY SWITCHES: The Freestyle2 uses a custom membrane key switch that features a low-activation force and tactile feedback to reduce finger fatigue, impact and strain.
Both the Freestyle Pro and the Freestyle Edge boast Kinesis’ SmartSet Programming software. Although you can do a fair amount of programming on the fly with the four buttons (the “Programming Cluster”) on the upper right side of these keyboards, the software gives you a handy GUI to work with. It lets you program and edit macros, remap keys, and more, and it lives on a 4MB “v-drive” on the keyboard itself instead of on your desktop (points for Kinesis!). You can see it in action here:
The Freestyle Pro is will lay completely flat, but if you prefer a bit of an angle, you can buy the lift kit (V3 Pro, $24.95) or the lift kit-plus palm rests (VIP3 Pro, $40).
You can get the Freestyle Pro for $179, which is $40 cheaper than the $219 Freestyle Edge.
Kinesis Freestyle Pro
Interesting tidbits:
- The “Programming Cluster” (the four dedicated buttons on the top right of the Freestyle Pro) have Cherry ML switches underneath. One would normally expect to see membrane switches. Points!
- Plug-and-play compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Chrome, although the pre-loaded SmartSet Programming app works only on Windows and Mac operating systems.
- The chassis are plastic. So much plastic.
- You can tuck most of the 20-inch cable that connects the two halves into the chassis to hide it.
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Full-size numeric keypad with standard layout
- Solidly built
- Provides two USB 1.1 ports
- Additional special-function and data-entry keys
- No third-party software drivers required
Kinesis Freestyle Program Keys For Mac Download
Our Verdict
If your main Mac is a laptop, or if your favorite keyboard is missing a numeric keypad, a standalone keypad is one way to replace those useful keys. Although there are a good number of these input devices on the market, few officially support the Mac, and even fewer offer any advantages for Mac users. Kinesis’s Low-Force Keypad for Mac is an exception, offering both Mac compatibility and Mac-specific features. Icom programming software for mac.
Like Kinesis’s Freestyle Solo Keyboard for Mac (), the Keypad uses traditional dome-style key switches (as opposed to laptop-style scissor switches). As with the Freestyle, the Keypad’s keys require more travel—the distance you have to press a key for it to register—than most laptop keys, but aren’t nearly as mushy-feeling as many dome-style keys; in fact, they require little force while providing very good tactile feedback.
In addition to the standard keypad keys—the numerals 0 through 9, the five numeric operators, enter, clear, and decimal—the Kinesis keypad includes a comma key in the bottom row (which makes the decimal key narrower than normal) and, along the top edge, escape, tab, delete, and fn keys.
The keypad also provides eight navigation keys, accessible as alternate functions of the 1 through 9 keys (5 excluded). These alternate functions—up-, down-, left-, and right-arrow, as well as home, end, page up, and page down—are accessed by holding down the keypad’s fn key. Like the special-function keys on Kinesis’s Freestyle Solo keyboard, these alternate functions require no third-party software drivers—a nice touch. However, they do require a one-time setup procedure in Mac OS X. When you first plug in the keypad, OS X’s Keyboard Setup Assistant appears on the screen and walks you through the operating system’s process for identifying an unknown keyboard; instead of pressing the Z and / keys, as requested by the Assistant, the Low-Force Keypad’s manual instructs you to press fn-0 and fn-decimal. This procedure fools OS X into thinking that the keypad is a full-size keyboard. (Your Mac remembers the keyboard on subsequent connects.)
These extra keys and functions allow you to perform many common data-entry tasks without having to use the main keyboard simultaneously. Unfortunately, the placement of the fn key in the upper-right corner of the keypad makes it difficult—and anything but ergonomic—to access these special functions with one hand. I would have preferred the fn key in a position where you could hold it comfortably with your thumb while you use your fingers to type; assuming you use the keypad with your right hand, a good place would be the left edge near the bottom.
The keypad connects via a 6.5-foot USB cable. This long cable is useful for positioning the keypad around your other accessories and input devices, although wireless capability would be a nice addition. You also get two USB 1.1 ports, one on each side near the top edge; these allow you to connect a USB keyboard to the keypad so you don’t waste one of your Mac’s USB ports by having both connected. (For example, Kinesis’s own Freestyle Solo doesn’t provide any USB ports of its own; to use the two together, you’d connect the keypad to your Mac and the Solo to the keypad.)
Macworld’s buying advice
Program Car Keys
If a numeric keypad would help you work more efficiently, Kinesis’s Low-Force Keypad for Mac is a well-designed option that stands out for its Mac-specific design and features.
Kinesis Freestyle Program Keys For Mac Pro
![Keys Keys](https://d0wnloadiq.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/4/8/124804063/841623800.jpg)
[Dan Frakes is a Macworld senior editor.]