Hi list, On 15 August 2013 12:46, David Richards <[email protected]> wrote:
> I actually get more discomfort from the mouse than I do from the keyboard. > Same here. I get a cramped mousehand when gaming sometimes. Time for a break then. On 15 August 2013 13:08, mike smith <[email protected]> wrote: > > Re ergonomic. Try it for a while, you'll learn to love leaning your > wrists on something. And likely hate the normal ones. I use one at home > on the iMac - for such an ergonomic company Apple has awful keyboards and > mice. I often use three or more different keyboards during the day and posture seems a much more significant factor to me on stress and strain than any attribute of the keyboard itself. Opposite to Mike's experience, staying mobile at the keyboard is the key for me, rather than leaning on anything. This may be because coding needs much more than A-Z. The keyboard itself doesn't matter except when typing quickly from muscle memory. That said, personally, "ergonomic" is synonymous with "uncomfortable" - keyboards, mice, chairs, car interiors, phones, toothbrushes, cutlery, you name it - but I understand that it may fit others. "Compact" is as bad for me as "ergonomic". I don't have larger-than-average hands but larger keyboards and larger mice especially are much more comfortable for me, as well as large cutlery and steering wheels. I'm still young, but I find that I type better and with less stress at any keyboard by adopting a pianist's posture at the computer: back straight (not leaning against the chair back), elbows in, wrists level (not leaning on the desk or gel pad) and fingers curled so that my whole upper body is relaxed and mobile from the seat to my fingers. Of course you don't need to move from side to side nearly as much at the computer as you would when performing at the piano, but if I let the brain subconsciously take care of balance with micro-movements in the back, shoulders, elbows and wrists then all upper body muscles will not tense whether I'm reaching as near as the tab key or as far as the phone. I can't type efficiently with my shoulders anchored to the chair back, let alone wrists anchored to the desk (although I am guilty of adopting this slouched posture from time to time when despondently mouse-wheeling through a forum full of garbage answers hidden amongst the advertising). You can also try standing at the keyboard, which I find surprisingly comfortable (at proper height like on the kitchen bench of course). -- Thomas
