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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: NormaJean on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:40:55

Title: I have a question!
Post by: NormaJean on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:40:55
What is the popular oppinion regarding the raisers that angle the keyboards?

Do you let your keyboard lay flat on its back or do you give it a little angle?

Discuss
Title: I have a question!
Post by: Lpb45 on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:42:47
I never ever used my risers until I started using mechanicals.  When I got my tenkeyless it had a weird wobble which I since have fixed but I put it on the risers and really like it. I have my work mechanical like that now too
Title: I have a question!
Post by: manfaux on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:44:57
I always have them popped out ever since I got my first PC.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: lootbag on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:52:02
For some reason I never use the risers on any keyboard.

I like it flatter/horizontal rather than angled upwards.
Feels like there is less strain on my wrists.

Do not know if that is actually the case though.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: reaper on Thu, 10 March 2011, 21:56:51
I'd never used that riser either unless the keyboard is extremely low profile then yeah...  but usually no.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: noodles256 on Thu, 10 March 2011, 22:02:04
I always use the raisers with a wrist rest. I type a lot more comfortably with like that.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: Hak Foo on Thu, 10 March 2011, 22:44:48
I use them, and frankly find a lot of them insufficient.  I want my keyboard raised up like an Apple IIe!
Title: I have a question!
Post by: bettablue on Thu, 10 March 2011, 22:49:27
It really depends on the keyboard.  On my model M's, I let the keyboard lie flat, but on the board I use at work I use the half step risers because the board is too low profile without it being raised.  Having it at the half way point gives my almost the same pitch as my flat model M.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: n12 on Thu, 10 March 2011, 22:51:45
I always used them previously until I got my first Filco board and tried it with risers down after reading here that it is usually bad (ergonomically) to use them. For me, Filco without risers is perfect.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: rustybarnacle on Thu, 10 March 2011, 22:54:59
I don't use them.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: dissident on Thu, 10 March 2011, 23:04:26
decided to use them after reading this post, since I'm sitting here laying in bed, with an overbed table extended over the bed, me next to/slightly under it, with a Dell IPS monitor and keyboard sitting on the table, mouse in my lap. :)  Hands being below the keyboard, the angle helps to see the keys and don't have to bend the wrists down quite so much.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: Armando Penblade on Thu, 10 March 2011, 23:10:45
I learned last night I have to use them. My Filco is very slightly off center without them. Someone mentioned something about twisting the case of some model or another (maybe the Filco), but as the tilted height is A-OK, I haven't really given it much thought.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: 002 on Sat, 12 March 2011, 01:13:08
I can't use the risers but probably only because I've used them flat for so long that I don't hit the keys properly when the board is risen.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: db_Iodine on Sat, 12 March 2011, 02:46:47
I've used the risers on some extremely low profile keyboards, but with any mechanical it just feels weird to use them, so I don't.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: keyb_gr on Sat, 12 March 2011, 11:31:13
I used to never use them, but when I got around to fixing my sitting posture recently (trying to sit upright properly for once - ugh! my back!), I found that the increased angle could actually be quite useful. Makes a G80-3000 quite noisy though. Overall I'd say it's a matter of hand vs. keyboard height - low keyboard, more useful increased angle.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: Surly73 on Sat, 12 March 2011, 13:03:38
I've pretty much always used them and I have found it more comfortable this way.  It just feels weird typing with the board flat.  Only for the last week have I tried using my model M (at the office) flat.  It seems to dramatically decrease the noise and so far the model M has enough of a curved shape to it that it's working out OK.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: NormaJean on Mon, 14 March 2011, 17:21:22
Thanks for all the answers guys, from what I can see we all have our preferences and that's what makes us unique.

I for one use my raisers.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: keyboardlover on Mon, 14 March 2011, 17:22:18
I use mine. Dunno why, really. I guess it kinda feels more comfortable.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: escargot on Mon, 14 March 2011, 17:57:48
I made use of them all the time with rubber dome keyboards, they lay usually pretty flat on the desktop. In the case of the Sun Type 7 I used the middle raisers, a full raising was a bit too much.
With my Model M I didn't felt it was really that necessary until I tried it on my own desk (the keyboard had to travel around until I got it to my place) - the sound of the keyboard changed drastically. Since the desk is rather big and with a lot of space underneath it boosts a bit the noises you produce on the desktop, but with the raisers on the sound just feels clearer and crispier.

The height seems to be OK, but I'd like to have it like this for one more week to see if it's really better position wise.
Title: I have a question!
Post by: BucklingSpring on Mon, 14 March 2011, 19:23:04
I usually don't use them. It does't feel good to work with them on.

Risers on a keyboard do not look good either
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=16117&stc=1&d=1300148515)

It's not my type... No pun intended uh uh.