In the past I’ve had some serious problems with RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury, aka Carpal Tunnel). It usually flares up when I write a book, for obvious reasons, but I’ve been lucky enough not have any trouble for the past year or so. Well,until yesterday.
Working at home, banging out pages of specs for Argus my left forearm and wrist flared up and I spent the rest of the day and night with a very uncomfortable ache. I have something of a keyboard fetish and will regularly change keyboards for no other reason than I feel the need to. My girlfriend has a similar pocket book fetish.
So, while the RSI flare up would be a great excuse to get a new keyboard, this time I wasn’t too happy about it. I love my DiNovo Edge. It goes everywhere with me and is without doubt the single best feeling keyboard I have ever used. It’s ultra flat profile though is not good for the typing posture so I reluctantly conceded that I should change it and go for a more ‘ergonomic’ keyboard. I picked up a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (what a cheesy name) this morning on the way into the office and I’m just getting used to it now.
It’s like a large black alien invaded my desk and it’s taking a lot of getting used, thanks to it’s ultra weird negative slope. As you can see in the picture above, it slopes away from you at about 7 degrees.
I’m still getting used to it, and missing my DiNovo badly, but already I can see some advantages. My hands are in a more natural position, a less straining one, but also this keyboard has forced me to not to slouch in my chair. I have a tendency to almost lay down in my chair and type on my flat keyboards. That’s just not possible with this. You have to sit up to get your head and shoulders above the keyboard in order to not only find the keys, but also to better see what your are doing.
I’ll let you know if I still use it in a day or two though.
