Cloud Nine C989M Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard for PC - Kailh Tactile Brown Switches - RGB Light Up LED Backlit with USB - Ergo Split Key Board with Macro

UPDATE:8 months later, daily use.The keyboard has held up extremely well, I've been really happy with it.Even though it's been many months of daily use, I'm still missing some double stroke keys. I don't know if that's a muscle memory thing or due to the key feel of the browns. In hindsight I think I should have gone for the blue. I wouldn't mind the noise and I think the more distinct spring action would have helped my muscle memory training better.I've only detached the keyboard sides once, but it is a great option to have, although I do wish the connecting cable was just a couple inches longer.The memory keys on the left side are reasonably easy to configure in the app.The foam pad mod I did was definitely a great idea. These were the ones I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073W1RYGJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 - the small size fits perfectly from the base of the palm rest to the bottom of the indent under the CTRL FN ALT keys. Without these the base of my hands were getting sore by the end of the day. Highly recommended mod.Kinda looking forward to whenever this breaks so I can justify getting a version with the blue switches, but the way this is made, I have a feeling it's going to be a decade+ before it has any issues.Definitely a great keyboard!ORIGINAL REVIEW ========================I plan to update this review after a few months of use, but here are my first impressions. (Cherry MX Brown version)PREFACE:I did a ton of research on cherry mx switches before buying to be sure I got what I thought would be the most to my preference. If I had to do it again, I might go for blue switches, but I'm completely happy with the brown.COMPARING TO MICROSOFT ERGO 4000:Key feel is pretty dramatically different to the msft ergo 4000 which is what I've used for what feels like 20 years. For reference, the ergo 4000 uses rubber dome type switches vs the spring loaded switches in these keyboards. It's quite a different feel. It doesn't take more pressure to hit these keys, but the responsiveness is different and I find I miss double letters a bit (like ff and bb). I'm sure that will subside as my muscle memory retrains on this.Because of the missed double letters I was wondering if I would do better with a cherry mx blue keyboard instead that has a more distinct crack to the switch input. If I have to replace this at some point I will probably try blue switches.Noise isn't an issue for me (I work alone in a home office), but these cherry mx brown switches don't seem any louder than the msft keyboard. Maybe a touch sharper in sound but it's not anything annoying.I miss the vinyl/leather padding at the base of the msft keyboard, even after just an hour of use. So much so that I bought some low profile foam pads for palm wrests intended to go on laptops. I'll see how they do.The left CTRL key on the msft keyboard is wider, lower profile and smoother edged than on this board, so it seems like it was more comfortable to hit, but I'll have to see how I get used to this.I read a complaint about size of this keyboard. It's ok for me, but it is definitely a few inches wider.The main difference I'm noticing so far is the msft keyboard has much lower profile keys that seem to take less action to press. These keys sit high and I feel like my fingers move a fair amount more. It's satisfying to type on, but it's definitely a difference, and at first use so far I prefer the lower profile keys on the msft keyboard.I read there are other cherry switches (not offered on this keyboard) which have lower travel before registering, and overall slightly lower profile (like 3mm vs 4mm) and I wonder if those would be better for me, not that that's an option here.GAMING:I was concerned that these switches might be annoying during gaming, but a solid hour in my FPS game of choice, I noticed no adverse effects, other than missing a few hits of shift & ctrl because the layout is slightly different (and a few errant shift lock hits).So far so good, and any concerns I had about gaming I think are gone.I can just barely squeeze my old Sidewinder II flight stick in between the two sides of the board, but the keyboards have to be at an extreme angle. If there was just one more inch in the connecting cable it would have been perfect for me. Hopefully the mfr releases a longer cable for it soon. That was a setup I was really hoping to get working.INITIAL SETUP:Packed well in foam & foam slip covers. I managed to get the small connector cable plugged in the correct way the first time, was pretty easy.Downloading the new firmware and software was a hassle trying to convince my browser and windows to actually run the setup exe file, as it keeps warning about it being potential malware. cloudnine really needs to fix that.It comes with a handy hotkey reference page which got me going perfectly quickly, and I got the lights set up to my preference very quickly, and it's as cool as I wanted it to be. Backlit keys make a huge difference (letters rubbed off on my 10 year old keyboard were a prime reason for getting a new keyboard just now) and the cool factor is definitely worth it, plus typing in the dark is much better.SUMMARY:So far so good. Nothing is awful, nothing is bad, setup was easy enough, key feel is satisfying, gaming is fine, comfort is ok, lights are super cool. It's a definite recommend.

The keyboard has a built-in wristpad which can be great. For me, it doesn't allow me to have the keyboard close enough to me. So instead of having my arms in a restful position, I have to have them a little too forward for me. I spend over 8hrs per day on my computer and have a lot of shoulder strain. This has helped but a narrow(shallower?) version would be awesome.

I have been using a MS 4000 Ergonomic keyboard for over a decade. After my wrist surgery, I found it VERY uncomfortable using a standard keyboard as the wrist angle was not natural. The curved keyboard is much more relaxing and natural feeling and eliminates pain when typing for long periods of time (whether office work or gaming - and I do both).My old keyboard gave out and my company was offering reimbursement for setups to allow us to work from home so I started researching. My decision came down to this keyboard and the Kinesis Freestyle. Aside from the price difference (the Cloud9 was on sale marked down from $219 to $189 with an additional 10% off coupon at the time I purchased), I liked the fact that this offered the tenting option already included. The Kinesis board required an accessory that cost an additional $30. No brainer to save the money buying this keyboard over the Kinesis.Now on to the keyboard itself. I have been using a full size MS4000 for over a decade, as stated already. That keyboard was about 20" wide and had the full number pad on the right. I like having that number pad as I use it on a regular basis. The Cloud 9 is the same width. If you haven't been using a full size board before, it will seem HUGE. That may come into consideration should you have limited space on your desk.The brown keys have a nice feel to them. You can hear them click and you will know that you haven't miskeyed. They are responsive and spring back quickly. The lighting is nice and there are a number of options based on what your preferences are. The one bad I would have to say is that, when the lights are off, you can't see the letters/numbers on the keys. If you are unfamiliar with where the keys are as you get used to this board, that could be an issue for you, especially with all of the function keys added on the left side. Took me a few days to get the feel of where the keys are, but now it is just natural.The raised wrist rest and the built in tenting are very comfortable. Your wrists sit at a natural angle and the hand positioning feels very good. The only thing I wish it has was an option to increase the incline on the keyboard. The MS4000 had feet that you could pop out to raise the top of the keyboard which was nice. This isn't an option with Cloud 9 or Kinesis. After a few days, it wasn't an issue as I got used to the keyboard sitting flat.As for gaming, this keyboard is great! As I said, the keys are quick and responsive so you will not lose any speed when playing. I haven't used the M keys on the left side so I can't speak to how well they play into twitch gaming.The keyboard splits down the middle. If you want it to stay as one keyboard, the left side fits into a groove on the right and stays there even when gaming (I tend to keep the keyboard together when I game). If you prefer to play with the left side as a gaming pad, here is where the Kinesis wins (out of the box anyway). The connecting cord on the Cloud 9 is a bit short. As I have a 5' desk with a shelf for the monitor set up, its not an issue for me as I can just move the right side under that shelf. If you don't have the room to do that, it would require an accessory cord that sells for $15. I think it should be the standard cord, but I don't work for them so my opinion doesn't really count.Overall, I am very happy with this keyboard as both a productivity keyboard for office use as well as for gaming. I can play games for 3 or 4 hours and walk away with no wrist or hand pain. For me that is a huge thumbs up. If you are the type of person who takes care of their things like I am (I mean, my last $60 keyboard lasted me for over 10 yrs!), I think this is well worth the money spent. You definitely get what you pay for!

I wanted a wired ergonomic keyboard which are limited in availability so went for this one as it had great reviews.It is a US layout which I hadn’t realized and as such would potentially have returned if the shipping and duty weren’t such a pain (US import).Have overcome this by programming a macro key as a gbp symbol.Slight software bug in that the keyboard lighting does always get retained and not figured out why.That aside looks and feels like a quality keyboard.Configurable illumination is great - have setup two modes - one for gaming and another for general use.Round control knob in the middle not really used by me but may figure out a sensible use for it eventually.Key actuation feels very nice - was interested in a cherry red but not an option.

This keyboard is great. The split design allows me to do unconventional layouts, like having my flight stick in the center of my keyboard. I can't fault the product on any of its features. Very comfortable to use, and the USB pass through works very well. For someone who spends 8-10 hours a day on their computer, the split angled keyboard design is something I never knew I needed until I had it, and now I'll never let it go.Unfortunately, due to the design of the shell, the keyboard has a lot of empty internal space, which acts in a similar fashion to a drum's internal space. The sound of each keystroke is reverberated throughout the shell, making it a very loud keyboard. This could be solved by filling the empty space or changing the design to prevent such an effect. Personally, I opened the keyboard and inserted sound dampening foam, which I cut into shape to match the areas. This helped a lot.