Cherry G80-5000 Ergoplus keyboard

Cherry G80-5000 (aka Cherry Ergoplus) keyboard. Made from 1994 to 1998.

This video, changed my view about brown switches. Now i think it sucks. I think red or blue switches would be better.

The Cherry G80-5000, also known as the Cherry ErgoPlus (and as the Cherry MX 5000 or simply the Cherry 5000), was the first and only ergonomic mechanical keyboard produced and designed by Cherry.

First introduced as early as 1994, it was the first keyboard to use Cherry MX Brown switches. Some owners have claimed the Cherry MX Brown switches used on the Cherry G80-5000 do not feel anything like the modern Cherry MX Brown switches that are featured on modern mechanical keyboards bearing Cherry MX mechanical switches.

According to Cherry, the Cherry G80-5000 was a test bed for experimentation with ergonomics. To paraphrase, “The key blocks must be arranged for both hands so that an ulnar deviation (i.e. an inflammation in the area of ​​metacarpophalangeal joints) is avoided due to a non-physiological hand position. The elevation, slope and curvature of the keyboard allows the hands to be held without additional tension.”[3][4]

Cherry claims to have taken the ErgoPlus from the market in 1997. To paraphrase, “Already in 1994, Cherry G80-5000 a model with a broken layout meant low sales figures however, that model has already taken off the market three years later. According to some surveys and many industry experts believe reason for the low acceptance of these keyboards is the long settling time brings the unusual layout with it. Even 10 finger touch-typists take up to two months before they can use the keyboard easily. From the basis of this experience Cherry decided that the generally accepted standard layout is to improve in terms of ergonomic requirements and thus to make the work more enjoyable for the masses, instead of bringing an ergonomically optimised product on the market, only ≺ 1% (source : GfK) is used by the consumer.”[5][6][7]. Though models made as late as 1998 have been sighted.

The G80-5000 was invented by Günter Murmann and Manfred Frank. [8] Murmann was CEO of Cherry Europe from 2003 until his retirement in 2011.

[2017-07-06 from https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_G80-5000]

Note that the Microsoft's ergonomic keyboard, also created in 1994, was a huge success. But Apple's ergo keyboard, created in 1993, was a major failure.

[see Microsoft Natural Keyboard]

[see Apple Adjustable Keyboard 1993]

μTRON vs Cherry Ergoplus