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Oh well, I just hate it when people say they are experiencing RSI when they actually don't even know what it is. For myself, I'm using computers and equipment now for about 16 years and never had any fysical defects (?) ;o)

If you haven't had RSI then how do you know what it is?

Borislav, not wishing it to anyone.

For myself, I'm using computers and equipment now for about 16 years and never had any fysical defects (?) ;o)

More than 25 in my case without problems, but that does not mean the problems don't exist. One has to be carefull both not to over- or underestimate dangers.

Controversies concerning dangers of mobile phones, monitors, HV transfer lines etc come to mind. One of the main problems is that it is extremely easy to make errors in design and/or interpretation of such epidemiological studies, either accidentally or intentionally (if one has a hidden agenda).

Two examples:

Notorious Corning breast implant case, where the company went out of business paying enormous amounts to women allegedly afflicted by an array of health problems because of use of implants. What the studies supporting ridicolous court rulling completelly neglected is that users of implants were exposed to other risk factors (using oral contraceptives, using aggresive hair dies, abusing alcohol etc) several times more than general population. It is not up to study authors to judge someone's lifestyle, but these are still epidemiological facts, being politically correct or not.

Low-frequency EM radiation from monitors: some studies have shown that professional typist are considerably more likely to have miscarriage if they use word processor as opposed to typewritter. Ergo, the monitor is to blame. Nobody noticed this applies only to typists, not programmers, operators etc. The fact is that pregnant WP typists are in danger because they work for hours in the same position, moving only their fingers and eyes. Those using old-fashioned typewritters move and strech every so often when they change paper, collate pages etc. So, the solution is excercise, not 'low-rad' monitors. (My half-serious theory is that these studies, which originated in Scandinavia, were comissioned by Nokia, so that they could offer a solution: a low-rad monitor. I expect something similar with cell phones )

Having said that, I do hate user interfaces which force the user to alternate between keyboard and mouse a lot. I am looking for a keyboard with good tactile feedback and 'eraser' style pointer control, so that I don't have to move my hands from the keyboard (a laptop would do, but I am still to find laptop keyboard I like - I am using an old-fashioned Lexmark $150 keyboard with really good tactile feedback).



Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

I am using an old-fashioned Lexmark $150 keyboard with really good tactile feedback).

Another good keyboard (my personal favorite) is one you would probably hate -- the Gateway AnyKey keyboard.

If by tactile feedback you mean a physical or audible click when a key is depressed, then you won't like the AnyKey. It is a very soft touch keyboard, like typing on velvet, and is quiet. What I really like about it (and this is so essential to my work that I have haunted ebay for years and stockpiled a half dozen keyboards because they are no longer being manufactured) is that it is fully programmable - you can install macros into just about any key on the keyboard. Gateway has told me that I am the only person to ever complain that I could only store 1024 keystrokes as macros before running out of keyboard memory. As a conservative estimate, I would guess that I place between 5,000 and 10,000 keystrokes a day using my macros (some of which are in the vicinity of 100 keystrokes long).

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Another good keyboard (my personal favorite) is one you would probably hate -- the Gateway AnyKey keyboard.

If by tactile feedback you mean a physical or audible click when a key is depressed, then you won't like the AnyKey. It is a very soft touch keyboard, like typing on velvet, and is quiet.

I know that keyboard (that's the one with fuction keys all over, both over the top and on the left, like original PC keyboard, and with 8 cursor keys - normal and diagonal, right?) You are right, I hate it, especially too soft, kind of undefined feel to the keys. I really like mechanical click (or rather klang in the case of my keyboard) heard but espacially felt. Of course, there are worse: some Compaqs had keyboards with tactile feedback, but it lied: you felt click before the key made contact. Awfull!

I had to use one of AnyKeys a couple of weeks ago and had to constantly look at it: cursor keys are in the wrong place, entire rows are shifted, shift/ctrl/alt position is non-standard... (other keyboards - some Sun's, for example, suffer from the same problems). However, I remember I liked the layout when the keyboard first came out.

As for macros, I prefer to write them in the software I use. Of course, with some Windows SW it might not be possible...

Cheers!

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

I never really used one of those particualr keyboards for personal use, but did administer a lab full of them. I probably averaged at least 10 Ctrl-Alt-Macro presses a day to get the things out of macro mode.

Yeah, that's what I told Doug, too, the first time he raved about the AnyKey to me...

___________
Tony Fabris

Oh well, I just hate it when people say they are experiencing RSI when they actually don't even know what it is.

Rest asured that I certainly know what RSI is, and how it may be caused or not. I know perfectly well that I narrowed RSI down too much when just equaling it with a carpal tunnel syndrome, but hey, it was just a joke, ok?

cu,
sven
proud MkII owner (12GB blue now green, #080000113)