Endlessly Curious

My first experience of a computer keyboard was with my family’s ZX Spectrum.

Next came an Acorn Archimedes, with strange non-rubber mechanical keys!

Then a new family computer: a Windows 95 PC, with those weird extra windows keys.

Finally my own PC with components selected by me, bought by me and built by me, paid for with a student loan. I liked the look of the ergonomic keyboards so I gave one a whirl.

Eventually I was forced to upgrade from my trusty natural keyboard to a more fancy model also by Microsoft when production of the natural model stopped, which meant getting used to a ‘normal’ cursor key layout again.

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And finally my current keyboard with a triple action foot switch, which is also my most expensive by far. I upgraded to this model after too much typing and some over indulgence with World of Warcraft (I’ve since quit) in the evenings which robbed my hands/wrists of any rest from typing: left me with sore fingers and tendons. In addition, several programmer friends the same age as me were succumbing to RSI at the same time which worried me enough to make me take the ergonomics of my input devices and my usage patterns very seriously or find a new career which didn’t need my hands!

Thankfully, since using this set-up at home and at work (which my employer provided) combined with the most excellent WorkRave rest break management program my hands are almost completely healed, which I’m really thankful for as so many other people I know didn’t get off so lucky at all with RSI like symptoms. One friend even needed experimental surgery to try and relieve the pain caused while typing….

In my opinion it is never too early to start thinking about your working ergonomics and break patterns as it can literally cost you your ability to work later in life if you’re not careful