Editing Ergonomic keyboard (section)

===Hand shape===
Some keyboards have the keys physically arranged to better resemble the shape of a hand, at least compared to standard [[QWERTY|typewriter layout]].
This is primarily to reduce finger movement, but the keys tend to be also positioned so as to reduce ulnar deviation.

A keyboard with [[Staggering#Columnar layout|staggered columns]] has a column for each finger, with the offsets between columns corresponding to the relative lengths of the fingers and/or the position of the knuckles.

The [[Staggering#Symmetric_stagger|symmetric stagger]] layout is considered more ergonomic than the standard typewriter keyboard primarily through reducing ulnar deviation, but the columns for the middle, ring and little fingers are offset against each-other somewhat corresponding to the fingers' relative lengths also on both hands.

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:NEC PC-8801-KI -- top.jpg | [[NEC PC-8801-KI]] has ''staggered columns'' for typing Japanese using the [[M-system]] input method
File:Mtron1.jpg | [[µTRON]] has columns laid out in a ''symmetric staggered'' layout
</gallery>

Note: So called [[Staggering#Matrix_layout|ortholinear]] keyboards such as the [[TypeMatrix line|TypeMatrix]] are an ''anti-pattern'' in this aspect, but many ortholinear keyboards are ergonomic in other aspects, such as having hand separation or even being fully split.