keyboards/RSI/switching costs (was Looking for a secondhand Datahand Pro II)

[Mark Aufflick]

I really love my Kinesis Ergo Contoured:

http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/contoured.htm

Not only did it eliminate my hand and forearm pain, once you're used
to it you can type faster as well! It gives you hand separation, less
impact (long travel and with practice you don't hit the stop), makes
good use of your thumbs (why waste the strongest part of your hand?).

It's great for unix/emacs/windows since control is naturally
accessible under both hands. The only thing I will say is I haven't
yet found a good way to use it with my Mac. Since I use emacs on my
mac a lot I need three modifiers - control, Command, Option. You can
remap home and page/up, but that still gets a bit akward, and I miss
page/up.

Having said that, I find for me the best thing is a change in hand
position for alleviating pain - so I use my Kinesis during the day and
an apple bluetooth keyboard (with no keypad) at night. If you don't
like the apple bluetooth keyboard feel try a Happy Hacking keyboard:

http://pfuca-store.stores.yahoo.net/

Mark.

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 12:35 AM, Dirk Koopman <djk at tobit.co.uk> wrote:
> Patrick Mulvany wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 12:23:51PM +0100, Smylers wrote:
>>>
>>> Civil Service guidelines for new software procurement probably insist on
>>> decent accessibility support[*2], but continuing to use legacy systems
>>> which predate[*3] those guidelines isn't inself illegal.
>>>
>>
>> Actually this isn't the worst problem you will have. All Gov type
>> departments have very strict controls on software deployment so you would
>> have to get the software tested and approved before you could get it
>> installed. Even upgrading from one version of software to another is a pain
>> never mind trying to get a new piece of software installed. I would not be
>> surprised if total time from requesting a piece of software, through
>> approval and installation took 6 months to a year and that is with everyone
>> co-operating. If anyone feels the need to stick his/her oar in it could be
>> sunk without trace in 30 seconds.
>>
>
> Working as I do in the Ambulance sector, having to liaise with the Prime
> Contractor, then with Airwave, then with DH, I can confirm that 12 months is
> a bare minimum!
>
> Dirk
>



-- 
Mark Aufflick
  contact info at http://mark.aufflick.com/about/contact