Web Secret #30: Ergonomics part 1 - The Kinesis Keyboard

I use a $300 keyboard.

OK, the list price is $299.

Why you may ask...

Well for the past three years, I have been using my keyboard for about 8 hours a day to:

surf the net
write code
use e-mail
author articles
craft this blog

and after a few months of this regimen, SURPRISE, my fingers started to HURT. Since I plan on working for at least another 15 years, (maybe more given the current economic meltdown), I became alarmed.

I began a crash course in the ergonomics of using computers. And I zeroed in on the life changing (albeit expensive) Kinesis Contoured Keyboard.

When I type, my hands are sunk into two valleys of QWERTY keys. My fingers apply a lot less pressure, my overall hand and arm typing position improves, leading to - bottom line - massive reduction of finger pain.

Some of the keys eg SPACE, ENTER, Ctrl, etc., are not located in the usual place, so there is a learning curve to using the Kinesis. I am the most uncoordinated person on the planet and it only took me two days to get up to speed.

I did something else to reduce my finger pain - but that's another secret...see next week's blog.