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Archive for October 4th, 2006

Laptop in Bed – Ergonomics

My right hand hurts. It's been hurting for a few days. I first noticed it when I was staining the front deck last weekend. It still bothers me, especially at night. Actually, only at night. During the day it's fine.

What does this have to do with using laptops in bed?

Well, I want to make sure I don't make my hands and wrists worse by straining my hands and wrists any more than I already strain my hands and wrists. Get it? Do you get my "joke" about straining hands and wrists, or do you not get my "joke" about straining hands and wrists.

Actually, I was trying to be funny. I was trying to simulate repetitive stuff. Repetitively repetitive repetition. Get it?

So if I keep typing and my hands are at a bad position, I can hurt my hands and my hands will hurt like hurt hands. I don't want that.

I also don't want more blog entries like this beast, so I will put this beast to bed, which reminds me: I need to get back to the topic.

Laptop in bed. How do I put the mouse at a decent height so that my wrist isn't bending downwards? And how do I not hunch over? My eyes seem to glaze when my head is too far away from the laptop monitor. Right now it's about 3 feet away. I think I need it about 6 inches away. That's a good geekorific distance. 5 inches is too geeky. 7 is too pedestrian. 6 is just right.

I want the "just right" feeling when I am using the laptop in bed. Has anyone felt that just right feeling? If so, what multi-hundred dollar laptop stand thingie are you using or did you actually learn how to use your laptop's native keyboard and touch pad? I haven't. I still use an external keyboard and mouse. Just like a newbie.

That's right, I'm geeky enough to warrant a precision 6 inch LCD clearance but not so dweebish that I know how to use a touch pad efficiently.

Actually, does any geek actually use the touch pad? Or do true geeks use keyboard shortcuts for everything, including web browsing? (If you answered "what" then, um, like, huh?)