Hi,
I can`t post to the list these days, for some reason the list owner has blacklisted my ISP... And in their error messages, they give an address you can write to if you mean it is in error, but mail to that address bounces, as the address does not exist... How fun... My ISP is working on the problem though, so I hope they will succeed soon!
In the mean time I will just have to try a private mail now and then...
Take a look at http://www.keytools.com - they have the best selection of keyboards etc. that I ever seen, I think... I looked around as I might get a new one at work, but I really have not looked at if the different ones will work for Macs or only PC`s though. I have quite a lot of joint problems, so I have tried a lot of different solutions over the years, both for keyboards and mice/mice devices. One was a Logitech (I think) keyboard with an integrated track pad, not in the center, but to one side (too bad). This is a few years back though, so it wasn`t Bluetooth. I have no idea if it would be Mac compatible though, as the only desktops I have used since 1992, has been at work, on Windows PC`s (and up to around 1996, we were connected to one of the big Tandberg machines. Tandberg made the best keyboards ever though, with round keys that were oh so light... Too bad they don`t make keyboards for PC`s now!!! A mini keyboard from them would have been perfect!!!! Anyway, the above web site has lots of keyboards, including different types of mini keyboards. That is what I have ended out using at work, instead of the ergonomic keyboard, on recommendation by a physical therapist and occupational therapist. And I could not be more happy, getting a smaller keyboard without the arrows and numeric keyboard to the side, so I could get the mouse closer, was a lot better. Not having to have your arm in that awkward position to the side, to move past the arrows/numerics, helps a lot if you get problems with everything from the wrist and up to the neck, I think. Being able to keep your upper arm close to the body, is important in order to prevent strain. I have a big track ball, unfortunately not as good a the Kensington Expert Mouse which I used to have, but still better than a lot of other things I tried over the years (the KEM broke, and we had since changed vendor, and they did not carry that one, too bad for me. We have no changed again, so I hope I can get a new one). I also have a gel type large handrest, which has an integrated trackpad in it. I really can`t remember the brand, but I will try to remember to check it at work Tuesday (I`m off until then) if you want me to. It is not rectangular like most others, but rather curved, and it is big, so you can use it to get some of the advantages of a curved corner desk on a normal desk. It is really nice. And it has a groove in the middle which fits the Logitech trackpad perfectly. You tape it down there with double sided tape. With the trackpad there, and the mini keyboard just in front of it with the big track ball where the arrows/numerics normally is, I think I have an ergonomic environment as close to perfect as you can possibly get today. Also, being able to vary between the two pointing devices, is real nice. Having both was not a planned solution though. A vendor that visits regularly, just came in one day with the new handrest, and since I liked it, I got it with the track pad, and did not see any reason for getting rid of the track ball that I have liked so much for years now (I am sure that I before that tried about 10 different solutions!). Also, I do like the trackball a lot, because even if the the trackpad from Logitech has got a lot better than it used to be (as in the ergonomic keyboard or a separate track pad I had before that), I think it is not anywhere as nice as the one that is integrated in the Mac PowerBook and iBook. It is difficult to explain why. The older models I think you had to use too much force on. It has got a lot more sensitive, even a bit too much, I am having the same problem with that as with the one on the iBook, if I have a bit of a fever, I accidently move the cursor all the time. Had I been even more happy with it, I have been real happy with the trackpad on the PowerBooks I have had, and now the iBook, I never felt for getting a separate mouse or something like that. The only thing I am not happy with, is on this iBook (never had that problem before), with the track pad being too sensitive. The Kensington Expert Mouse (Bluetooth or not, the one I had was not wireless) is my number 1 favorite of all separate mice devices though, if you don`t mind the big size. I know many like Logitech`s big trackball, but at least the ones I have tried, hasn`t been good for me, because you have to use it with your hand in the same position all the time, holding your wrist with the thumb up (almost vertically), while you on the Kensington Expert Mouse can vary the position you hold your hand in, and can vary which fingers you use on the ball - much better for me...
I was just at the site to look a bit more, and saw that they actually have a left handed keyboard. That one should have been ergonomic too. Then you could actually have the trackball to the right, because the numericals/arrows are to the left - and still have a numeric keyboard if you use it now and then. You can have one with the mini keyboard also, just so that is said, only you have to buy it separately. My mini keyboard came from a Norwegian vendor, think it was www.handy.no - don`t know what the brand is. I am thinking of maybe getting a new one, as I just got a real nice new black/silver computer and flat screen, and the old white keyboard is a real eye sore in the office now. I might ask my employer if they can get one from the keytools website, since they offer black ones, wireless also, which would be a real advantage, since the cables are always too short for my desk with the tower hanging under the desk.
Why don`t you take a look at the web site. I hope they have something you would like... There`s a lot of neat stuff there. I think the SafeType ergonomic keyboard looks real interesting too, they are taking the ergonomics as far as you possibly can, tilting each part of the keyboard to a completely vertical position, only leaving arrows/numericals horisontal... The Maltron two handed keyboard really looks very nice too, a new type of ergonomic keyboard for me. Too bad they haven`t integrated a trackball or -pad in the middle, the space is available and it would have made it pretty perfect. If it also had a handrest space in front, as on the laptops, it would have been truly perfect...
Sorry this ended out as a really long mail... When I got going, I came to think about this and that, and it just grew... So sorry... Hope some of it will be useful for you though... I just had to mail when I saw your post, because I know how it is to try and try different options. It gets expensive and it is real annoying. I was so happy when I finally got the solution with the mini keyboard, the Kensington Expert Mouse and the gel handrest, because for me it has really proven to be wonderful. I have had a lot less problems with my arms and hands, even if I use a lot more time in front of the computer now than I used to...
Aase :)
I actually would love an ergonomic bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad in the center (integrated mouse), but I haven't seen anything like that.
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