HHKB for programmer with RSI

[alexlzl]

I blame this forum, in the last two months, I ordered total around 10 keyboards and still not satisfied. With a Topre Realforce 86KB en route, I am still thinking should I give HHKB Pro 2 a try too?

The problem is I am a programmer with RSI (both wrist and finger pains). I am worried about the "Fn" key combination may make the RSI worse (I need to use arraow, home/end, page up/down, F keys very often).

Any programmers can share their experience? Does HHKB Pro gives you trouble? BTW, I am not considering the Lite version due to the key switches. Thank you.

[megarat]

I blame this forum, in the last two months, I ordered total around 10 keyboards and still not satisfied. With a Topre Realforce 86KB en route, I am still thinking should I give HHKB Pro 2 a try too?

The problem is I am a programmer with RSI (both wrist and finger pains). I am worried about the "Fn" key combination may make the RSI worse (I need to use arraow, home/end, page up/down, F keys very often).

Any programmers can share their experience? Does HHKB Pro gives you trouble? BTW, I am not considering the Lite version due to the key switches. Thank you.

I'm not sure if I can recommend anything useful, as I don't have wrist/finger RSI problems, although I have occasionally has elbow problems from having the mouse so far away, and this definitely isn't an issue w/the HHKB because of its compact size.

If you have a Realforce 86 en route, I would recommend giving that a try when it arrives, to get a feeling of the switches.  If you don't like Topre, then you won't like the HHKB Pro.  The HHKB Pro, however, does have that condensed, function-key driven layout, which is definitely a different user experience and must be evaluated separately.

And you are very wise to not consider the Lite as a solution.  IMHO, which seems to be shared around the forum, this keyboard fights back a little bit.  My forearms can actually get tired from typing on it.

That said, if you can borrow a Lite temporarily, it might be useful for you to play around with it to see if you like (or hate) the condensed layout.  The key layouts between the two aren't identical, but the Pro is a subset of the Lite, so if you ignore the arrow keys (and, I suppose, the left function key, although dip switch settings on the Pro allow you to simulate this) you can get a reasonable approximation of what using the Pro is like.

(What country are you located in, BTW?)

[parisnight]

I'm a programmer with RSI and I had an improvement with the cherry brown switches.  I haven't tried Topre switches.  I use emacs, vi, screen, ratpoison, etc  and try to avoid using the fn and arrow keys.  If you are a more typical MS programmer I'd guess that you'd like the extra keys on the 86U compared to HHKB P2.

[lowpoly]

I am worried about the "Fn" key combination may make the RSI worse (I need to use arraow, home/end, page up/down, F keys very often).

You can dip-switch the HHKB to have the fn key to the left of the space bar. You press it with your left thumb. The right hand then presses the cursor keys which is just like writing regular letters.

[alexlzl]

You can dip-switch the HHKB to have the fn key to the left of the space bar. You press it with your left thumb. The right hand then presses the cursor keys which is just like writing regular letters.

Oh, that is a great tip! I didn't know you can do that. Looks like I will anyway get a HHKB Pro 2 regardless how good the Topre will be. Christmas shock is coming ...

[djones]

I have trouble with tendinitis on both hands, and cubital and carpal tunnel inflammation on my left hand/arm. I also own a HHKB. over all I think the HHKB is a fine keyboard for my form of RSI, with caveats:

#1 if you have RSI, start getting in the habit of using your fore/middle fingers for the modifiers and hitting the actual key with you other hand. maybe even turn on sticky keys. it'll slow down your typing, but a) it's safer, and b) you're a coder, not a court reporter.
#2 the fn key does pose a problem... if you follow my advice above, you'd want to have the left alt key as another fn (via dip switch), but then you have only two modifiers on each side of the keyboard, and they're asymmetric in position.. which is why if you want topre, i'd definitely recommend the 86U (even though i haven't tried yet, though I trust xsphat's judgement).
#3 changing keyboard is only a tiny portion of your recovery-- go see a chiropractor about your posture, find a hand therapist (I can recommend one if you're in the berkeley/east bay area), exercising, etc are much more important.

I'm a programmer with RSI and I had an improvement with the cherry brown switches.  I haven't tried Topre switches.  I use emacs, vi, screen, ratpoison, etc  and try to avoid using the fn and arrow keys.  If you are a more typical MS programmer I'd guess that you'd like the extra keys on the 86U compared to HHKB P2.

what are you, my long lost twin? We both have RSI, use almost the exact same programs (I don't use screen too much) on the same cherry brown switches.

[eugenius]

I am also a programmer, and I can type all day on the Ergoplus, it's much more comfortable than the Model M. Still, the Model M I had was one of the higher actuation force one, I typed on one that had a  much lighter touch, too bad I can't remember what serial number it had. It had an UK layout

I am typing this on a Dell XPS M1330, that keyboard gives even me RSI ... despite being as laptop keyboards go, quite light and comfortable. I had an XPS M1530 that had the same keyboard, but quieter and much higher actuation force. I didn't like it at all.

[alexlzl]

Totally, I recently realize that I am totally dependent on the split keyboard (Goldtouch in my case). Any flat keyboard will make my finger and wrist very painful in just a day. Sad, can't enjoy most of the wonderful boards mentioned here.

[bhtooefr]

Clearly, you need to get a Model M15.