Comment by kpil
2 days ago
How the f are you supposed to type? Ideally I'd like full support for my arms from the elbow to the wrist.
In my first job - i think it was in 1997, I had my own small room with an L-shaped desk with a rounded corner. That gave a few inches of space for resting my arms - both when typing on a quite reasonable Pentium laptop, and especially when using the mouse.
Since then, the desks and the chairs has become shittier and shittier. Except perhaps when a was a consultant for an HR-department.
The U-shaped desk was probably the best ergonomically designed workplace I've had. Maybe a wheat-filled pad along the desk would have made it better.
Like a person playing the piano.
If your arms are resting, then your fingers and wrists are doing the maximum amount of reaching as you type. If you use a wrist rest you are encouraging your fingers/wrist to reach up (bend in your wrist) instead of neutral or reaching down (more natural position).
Like the people who generally get rsi from playing their instrument?
> Like the people who generally get rsi from playing their instrument?
If you get RSI playing the piano then you had a shit piano teacher.
Exactly this. When I was young I was told to practice the piano with golf balls under my palms to maintain proper wrist position.
Straight wrists is good, but hovering like a pianist is not good for extended computer use.
> but hovering like a pianist is not good for extended computer use.
Why ?
If you were taught piano by any teacher worth their fee, then your position is natural, effortless and your wrists are limp without tension.
Exactly the same position as an ideal computer keyboard position.
Piano position is the best keyboard position. Your fingers are doing the work.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone type like this.
Huh, seriously? Have you ever worked in an office? Perhaps your mental picture of what op is describing might be misaligned? I just always assumed it was a rarer/ more disciplined style some people had
A more concrete way of putting it is if you are putting so much weight on your wrists that the edge of the MacBook is making you uncomfortable, you're probably doing it wrong.
Steve Jobs back from the dead?
If your comments on HN end with "you are probably doing it wrong", you are probably doing empathy wrong.