[Closed] users of laptops/ergonomic keyboards.... your input, please.

if she's using a laptop kb and touchpad all day she needs to do several things;

1) get the screen further away and higher up.

2) use a full size keyboard (ergonomic is not always necessary - a normal one with a wrist rest may be enough)

3) use a mouse.

does her employer provide these thigns - she shoudl be abel to get them to fund experiments with different keyboards/setups - they have a duty of care.

We use laptops as desktop computers too and my employer provides an external USB mouse and keyboard plus a clever laptop stand thingy to get the screen at eye level.

Something like this: http://www.laptopstands.co.uk/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Touchdown

employer!?? she's a student!
she had pain in her right hand due to clicking a mouse all day and got this tablette thing a while back.

not trying to be funny but she needs to reassess her whole workign environment, not just tack a keyboard onto what she already has.

If she had hand problems from a mouse but also gets rsi from typing then she needs to look at posture, desk height, seating etc.

I'd suggest she took regular breaks and did 'loosening up' exercises for her hands, arms, shoudler and back.

There isn't a quick fix for this sort of injury, from what I've seen - you need a wholistic approach.

Decent chair, desk the correct height, elevate the screen so she's looking straight at it, and use a (normal) keyboard and mouse positioned so her wrists are straight. All commonsense things that I ignored for years, to my own cost (bad back after years of all day laptop use on sofa/kitchen table).

how about handwriting recognition software and write what she wants to write on the tablet?

ive alwyas thought it would be useful to learn how to use one of these badboys too, just for geek appeal

[img] [/img]

supposed to be much easier and quicker to use.
doubt much better ergonoimically though.

think geek has some super bling keyboards 😀

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/

I've been using an [url= ]Microsoft Ergonomic[/url] keyboard for a few months now and any wrist pain I was experiencing seems to have gone away, it may not be small but it definately seems more comfortable and better suited to me.

If desk space is an issue then it sounds like a larger working area is required.

A simple but effective tweak is to prop the laptop up at the back by a couple of inches - puts the keyboard at a much more comfortable angle.

I've been using Roland E. Best's "Phase Locked Loops" (4th edition, hardback, McGraw Hill 1999) for this purpose for five or six years now 🙂

yup, i've filled her ball up with more air making it firmer and i've lowered the desk by 2" and it now rests flat as opposed to a slight tilt towards her.

desk space wouldn't be an issue if there wasn't so much shit on it. i built the desk a few (is 6 years a few?) years ago when she started uni and purposely bought the largest piece of laminated board i could fit into the car. it measures 1.2m x 2m.

anyone had any use of these? much cop? looks like they offer more positions than a fixed keyboard, but how flexible are they in use/real world?
[url] http://www.backshop.nl/uk_new/prod_display.php?prodid=14&opdr=tel [/url]

As above, get or make one of these:
http://www.laptopstands.co.uk/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Touchdown
/p>

and use a normal keyboard or mouse.

Normal [s]handjob[/s] helping in the kitchen duties will resume.

yup dmiller, i can make one of those stand things using the ply in the cellar or sit the laptop ontop of a few books.
it's hand positioning that's an issue.

cheers guys.

i'm having to do all manner of things like cooking, the washing, hanging out the washing, slicing and buttering her bread, shopping amongst other female household chores.

I use an MS Natural keyboard, which I find helps with RSI type pains. I also changed my mouse for a gaming mouse & pad, which requires less pressure for the buttons. Also had to retrain myself, as I used to hover my fingers above the mouse which led to pains in my arm.

I also found that a powerball helped, and doing more moutain biking!

I found that a graphics tablet didn't work for me, I find it harder & more painful to write than typing, but I have been using computers since early school days.

the tablet thingy is more for her 'design' work where you need to be more precise/delicate (this could be total balls, but it's easier for me to believe her than argue a point)

aye
i can try to dig out my H&S courses for VDU so I can tip her about posture etc etc.
But if she uses ONLY a laptop, and usb mouse and keyboard are going to be a major improvement.

Alpin - I mean something like [url= http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Docking_Station/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=310-2881 ]this[/url].

You cant use the laptop keyboard and mouse as it holds the laptop at eye level - she then needs to use a normal keyboard and mouse. Pop to Asda / Tesco / Whatever and get a cheap one with a wrist support and mouse with the same.

Total cost should be less than £20 and it may just be enough...

(That Dell link will only work with certain Dell laptops but you get the idea).