The Ghost of the Typewriter: Part 3 of 6

The Ghost of the Typewriter (Part 3): The Keyboard Revolution Period

In Part 2, we saw how the "RSI Epidemic" of the 1980s served as a wake-up call. The world realized that the standard keyboard was hurting us.

What followed was a brief, brilliant "Golden Age" of invention. For a few years (roughly 1977–1992), engineers stopped asking "How do we make it cheaper?" and started asking "How do we make it fit the human hand?"

The Explosion of Ideas

Once the medical community identified "Ulnar Deviation" (wrists bending outward) as the enemy, inventors began tearing the keyboard apart. They realized that to fix the problem, they couldn't just curve the board—they had to break the "Ghost" layout completely. They turned to Columnar Layouts (straight vertical keys).

1977 The Pioneer: PCD Maltron (UK)

Decades ahead of its time, the British-made Maltron was the first to fully embrace the 3D Key Well. Inventor Stephen Hobday and training expert Lillian Malt realized that fingers are different lengths, so they placed the keys in a concave bowl to match the hand's natural curve.

The Big Leap: It was the first commercial keyboard to use a Columnar Layout, proving that diagonal keys were unnecessary.

1983 The Lost Pioneer: NEC PC-8801-KI (Japan)

While the West was still debating ergonomics, Japan was already building it. NEC released the PC-8801-KI (M-System), a fully split, angled keyboard designed for the Japanese "M-System" input method.

The Big Leap: It proved that a major electronics corporation could mass-produce a split keyboard. It wasn't just for hobbyists; it was for serious business.

1990 The Radical: DataHand (USA)

Perhaps the most radical departure from history, the DataHand abandoned the "board" entirely. It placed each finger in a small well with 5 directional switches. It eliminated wrist movement almost entirely.

The Big Leap: It proved that typing didn't have to look like a typewriter at all. It was pure ergonomic science.

1992 The Successor: Kinesis Contoured (USA)

Building on the concepts pioneered by Maltron, Kinesis launched the Contoured (Model 100) in the US market. It brought the "bowl" shape and columnar keys to a wider audience, positioning itself as a medical tool for serious professionals.

The Big Leap: It validated the market. Kinesis showed that people were willing to pay a premium to save their hands.

The Turning Point

By 1992, the solution existed. The "Columnar Truth" (Maltron/Kinesis) was gaining traction. We were days away from exorcising the Ghost of the Typewriter forever.

But in 1993, the Tech Giants woke up. They saw the "Ergonomic Trend" and decided to enter the game—not to revolutionize it, but to commercialize it.

Next in the Series: In Part 4, Apple and Microsoft enter the arena. We examine how their massive commercial success reinforced Path Dependence and accidentally killed the ergonomic revolution.

References: Moosy Research (History of Maltron), Xah Lee (NEC PC-8801-KI), Kinesis Corp (History).