Any suggestions on wrist rests?

[Damion]

As the topic says. Since I'm working 40+ hours behind a computer, I suppose saving my wrists should be a priority. Are those $18 wrist rests over at Best Buy worth it--do they really help--or is there better out there?

Thanks

 

[Peter]

First and biggest step to saving your wrists is to learn to type with all ten fingers on an angled "ergonomic" keyboard. These usually come with wrist rest anyway, so both problems solved.

Prices range from $35 (Chicony brand, flat, standard querty layout and typewriter style staggered keys, which is what I'm typing on right now) past the most widespread one, Microsoft's, to super-ergo keyboards for over $300 with key arrangements that don't mirror the restraints of the early mechanical typewriter, but instead fit the human hand.

www.chicony.com.tw
www.kinesis-ergo.com

regards, Peter

 

[Tseng]

What kind of mouse are you currently using?
I used to have a traditional mouse which is relatively and requires a mouse pad to work properly.
Now I use a optical mouse which works on almost any flat surface and light-weighted.

Switching mouse really makes a great improvement for me.

 

[Gog]

Hehe, too many one armed pull ups ehh?

 

[Damion]

Peter: Do you like your Chicony keyboard more than the MS Natural Keyboards?

Tseng: I am using a ball mouse at work, I'll try out the optical though, good idea.

 

[Peter]

What I like about the chicony is that it has an integrated touchpad below the cursor keys that comes handy when I'm suffering from mouse elbow, which I occasionally do.

I don't miss the 3Dness of the Microsoft keyboard (which I have at work). Note that I have the original Natural model there. Their current models both kinda suck - the "Elite" version has tiny little cursor keys and an extremely stupid layout of the Del-Home-Ins-End-PgUp-PgDn block, and the "Pro" version has lots of useless bells and whistles. The Chicony board has a very good tactile response to pressing a key, and is quieter than _my_ MS board. The newer MS boards have a much cheaper feel to their keypresses - in essential, the current MS board has the looks but not the guts.

On either, I currently notice that I'm increasingly pissed off by the unnatural way the fingers of the left hand have to bend because of the stupidly staggered rows of keys (that actually stem from the mechanical requirements of the original typewriters of over 100 years ago). And as a programmer, having to type the {[]} brackets on a German keyboard is annoying too.

So I'm currently trying to get hold of one of these

http://www.darwinkeyboards.com/smart_core.htm

but it seems they're not very interested in actually selling their stuff ...

regards, Peter

 

[skriefal]

Peter,
I believe the SmartBoard was sold to Datadesk Technologies, who now markets it under their own name. I'm uncertain whether they still sell them from the old www.darwinkeyboards.com page. Check out J&R. They have the PS/2, USB, and ADB versions of the SmartBoard for about $60.

 

[Peter]

Thanks for the link - they seem to be the cheapest. Now since these keyboards cannot be bought in Europe, I have now inquired whether they're going to ship me one here. (Doing programming work on German keyboards SUCKS )

regards, Peter

 

[Peter]

Speaking of things that suck, J&R are being nice but don't do overseas business, and Datadesk's Online Ordering system is "out for improvement" (read broken).

Thanks anyway - Peter

 

[skriefal]

CDW also sells the SmartBoard, for about $4 more than J&R. I believe they ship overseas.

... yeah, I've looked at buying a SmartBoard myself a few times . But my old original Microsoft Natural just keeps on chugging along fine, so I haven't yet "bit the bullet" and ordered a SmartBoard.

 

[Peter]

Watch your left hand - just move the fingers up and down naturally, and you'll see that you'd end up right in the middle between two keys all the time. This is why I'm going to give my trusted Chicony to someone else once I've gotten hold of a SmartBoard. And I'm going to pursue my boss to get me another.

I just come from contacting CDW about their international order procedures ... we'll see. I've tried a third place who charge $80 for shipping. No thanks.

regards, Peter

 

[Peter]

Ahhh ... DataDesk themselves contacted me, and they have the most reasonable international order handling and charges. I shall be relieved

 

[skriefal]

Well, a friend of mine just ordered the PC/USB version of the Smartboard a few days ago. When it arrives I'll be examining it. If it's as good as I hope then I'll be ordering one myself...

 

[Damion]

please let me know how it turns out.

Did some searching on the web and found the smartboard for $51. http://www.provantage.com/FP_70509.HTM

 

[Peter]

These are the folks with the ridiculous shipping charges. Watch the total.