[consulting] OT: Keyboards and RSI

[Benjamin Maurice]

Hello Mark,

First, to everybody out there: once you get RSI, the first thing you learn
is the best way to get rid of it is to not get it in the first place.
Follow proper typing practices (good posture, hands more or less at a right
angle, get an ergonomic keyboard and mouse now).  Some people go so far as
to say that once you have RSI all you can do is manage it, not cure it, and
while I'm not sure of that, preventing it is definitely the best idea.

Now for Mark and others of you who have it:  I've used the Dvorak layout for
years, and gave myself a repetitive stress injury anyway.  Actually, the
best way to avoid RSI is to not know how to touch type, so I can blame the
Dvorak layout for learning how to touch type.  Other than that, your fingers
move less so it might help, but faster so it might hurt.  I advocate Dvorak
but I wouldn'tcall it an RSI cure.

The best affordable ergonomic keyboard I could find quickly was Microsoft's
Natural Ergonomic 4000.  I hear some people swear by an older MS ergonomic
keyboard that isn't made anymore, but is available and very durable.

As for the new one, Microsoft screwed me on the rebate (sent in the UPC and
everything and they gave me maybe $5 for a mouse I did not buy instead of
$20 for the keyboard), and now it mostly doesn't work.  If the weather is at
all humid, typing V causes V2 and typing A opens a new browser window.  Not
a happy customer, just one with yet another reason to hate Microsoft.  Love
to hear if others know of better keyboards.

My strongest recommendation is buy the 3M Ergonomic Mouse.

My RSI is under control, but mostly I'm back to typing directly on a 12-inch
iBook with trackpad, and terrible posture, and can't explain why I'm no
longer freaked out about not being able to type anymore, except perhaps that
I'm stupid and have a high pain tolerance.

Good luck!

ben melançon
Agaric Design
http://agaricdesign.com/

Featuring: http://power2exchange.com/

On 8/10/06, Mark Fredrickson <mark.m.fredrickson at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I've decided to give the pain in my left arm the boot, and I'm in the
> market for a new keyboard anyway, so I thought I would see anyone had
> recommendations for an ergonomic keyboard.
>
> Additionally, does anyone use the Dvorak keymapping? Does it help with
> RSIs? Or is just for speed?
>
> Thanks,
> -Mark
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