Even if you have pain, the weight of the switch alone may not be enough to explain what will cause you the most discomfort. It's conceivable that if you type twice as fast on a Cherry Brown than you do on a Buckling Spring that you'll have much more pain on the Cherry Brown because either the speed or the repetitions that you're doing will result in more pain. I'm exaggerating of course, but just doing so to illustrate a point.
I think it's the opposite in my case. I wanted to get the same WPM on my buckling spring as I could get on my Cherry switches.
Just going by the physics alone:
[Fewer keystrokes per minute] x [lower force per keystroke] = Less work performed by your hands.
It is interesting how easy browns are to type on...I have to type up a bunch of stuff for work tonight, and I plugged in my Compaq because the AT101W was tiring me out (and I'm a bit tired to begin with). It's made a huge difference.
Maybe I should try Cherry Red which supposedly is even lighter :-)
Maybe I should try Cherry Red which supposedly is even lighter :-)
Same resistance, just no tactility.
I have noticed that the switches which will cause the most fatigue after a long typing session is the buckling spring.
Same resistance, just no tactility.
Isn't fatigue normal after a long day?
I'd like a switch that feels good, and I want to avoid getting an RSI.
Fatigue doesn't sound like a problem really, fatigue means it's time to stop and squeeze a stress-reducing anti-RSI device:Show Image(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=12052&stc=1&d=1281284633)
Well, if you're faster on the buckling springs, then that alone could explain why you feel less fatigue on the Browns... or not.
Just going by the physics alone:
[Fewer keystrokes per minute] x [lower force per keystroke] = Less work performed by your hands.
Could it be possible that changing keyboards periodically produces a positive effect overall.
Can fatigue in the case of typing lead to RSI?
Excellent question. I don't know. Geekhack could use an ergonomics and RSI wiki. Maybe I'll start one. I just need the actual content. Details...
Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend who is a physical therapist. I'll see if she has information on computer RSIs that isn't generic fluff ("take a break every 10 minutes") or marketing drivel ("buy our $80 rubber domes.") Research on the topic must exist.
Why then the need to use more than one keyboard?...
Could it be possible that changing keyboards periodically produces a positive effect overall.
Excellent question. I don't know. Geekhack could use an ergonomics and RSI wiki. Maybe I'll start one. I just need the actual content. Details...
Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend who is a physical therapist. I'll see if she has information on computer RSIs that isn't generic fluff ("take a break every 10 minutes") or marketing drivel ("buy our $80 rubber domes.") Research on the topic must exist.
Even though, I am really digging the Topres in the Realforce, it still doesn't have the fatigue-killing "bounce" Cherry has.
I find that too. I, personally, find Topre to require more force than brown Cherry. It could be because it requires more initial force.
I don't think I said that you need to use different keyboards. I was just using an analogy of weight lifting to make it easier to understand why someone might be able to achieve paradoxical results of having less pain with heavier switches. It's wasn't the best analogy because while you might stress different muscles more or less when you change keyboards, it's probably mostly the same and most accomplished touch typists won't see their speed drop off a cliff so while it's possible for someone to get relief moving to a heavier switch, I wouldn't say it's likely for your typical person.
A few people here who suffer from RSI have reported that they change their keyboards on a rotation. I've done so myself before. It really depends on what RSI symptoms you have and even then, I'd expect that it'd only have a small effect unless we're talking about going from traditional keyboards to a vertical split ergo keyboard or a Kinesis Contour. Just changing keyboards that are mostly the same, but have different switch types should have only minimal effects at best.
Switching keyboards can't be said to product a positive effect. It could just as easily produce a negative effect and barely any difference in effect.
I have suffered with RSI and in the early years when all that was available were the inundated thick IBM monitors and keyboards which required heavy pounding I then suffered with acute tendonitis. However, speaking from experience I can say that changing keyboards, for me, has produced an overall (and continues to) positive effect and experience, minus the split keyboard.
Unfortunately, I usually don't get to use any nice keyboards for most of the day (They've got rubber domes at work).
Unfortunately, I usually don't get to use any nice keyboards for most of the day (They've got rubber domes at work).
It sounds like you need a HHKB. Mine fits cozily in my laptop backpack.
I don't think I could really walk to work. It's about a 15-minute bike ride. And up here in New England, there's plenty of hills too.
You can still flip folks the bird from your bike.
I don't think I could really walk to work. It's about a 15-minute bike ride. And up here in New England, there's plenty of hills too.
And since it's up north, we also got about an average of 500 potholes per mile on our roads.
Snow (and ice) sucks. I was driving around the Chicagoland area last week and noticed the same thing. I didn't notice it much when I was a kid, but now that I have been living in Texas for awhile, I just add it to the list of reasons why I hate snow.
What are those white puffy things that those lightning bolts are shooting out of?
We don't get lightning like that down here. We haven't seen clouds (except in the mornings) or rain for awhile here. I have seen it in Dallas, though, it's pretty crazy.