5 ms·

In like '00 I got painful carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms after working intensely as a full-time developer for 3-4 years. The solution was: Microsoft Natural K

by tpmx 5y ago

In like '00 I got painful carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms after working intensely as a full-time developer for 3-4 years. The solution was: Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro (Photo: http://xahlee.info/kbd/Microsoft_natural_keyboard.html http://xahlee.info/kbd/Microsoft_natural_keyboard.html) plus a fantastic heavy-duty "telescopic" keyboard/mouse tray that Ikea designed and sold for a few years.. You screwed it into the bottom of the desktop. The key was allowing the keyboard to be angled slightly away from the body, while also allowing it to be as close to the legs/knees as possible - thereby minimizing the wrist angle. Is anyone aware of any modern replacements for the above? DIY/mechanical? (Mostly the keyboard itself - would love a mechanical keyboard witht the same 3d layout.)

hellweaver666 5y ago
Theres a whole world of split mechanical keyboards out there, like the Dactyl, Manuform, Kyria etc. I think splitkb.com has a discord where the very specific subset of mechanical keyboards that love ergo boards hang out.
- tpmx 5y ago
  I've seen a very large number of split DIY keyboards, but not really any with a dome-like (shaped like the hand) 3d layout like the MS Natural Keyboard from the 90s/00s - before they too went quite flat. (Thanks for the discord hint.)
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    A number of them can tent which makes for a similar experience.
  - Jenk 5y ago
    Dactyl split keyboard has a fork/derivative called the Manuform[1]. [1]: https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform
  - benhurmarcel 5y ago
    There's also this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ergomechkeyboards/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ergomechkeyboards/
wellthisisgreat 5y ago
I was getting dangerously close to a carpal tunnel territory and what steered me off the collision course were split keyboard (Sinc/ quefrency) and a sliding keyboard tray, altogether they allowed me to keep my wrists at a 45-ish degree angle, tilted inwards (like they should be) and my elbows and shoulders relaxed and never at a sharp angle. Never had even a numbness ever since
Tepix 5y ago
I'm also looking for a replacement for the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. It seems Microsoft stopped making them some time ago. I bought two more as a reserve but they are already in use now. My ideal keyboard would be this keyboard but with good mechanical switches. I've tried a Keyboardio Atreus but it was too much of a change.

by tpmx 5y ago

hellweaver666 5y ago

Theres a whole world of split mechanical keyboards out there, like the Dactyl, Manuform, Kyria etc. I think splitkb.com has a discord where the very specific subset of mechanical keyboards that love ergo boards hang out.

tpmx 5y ago
I've seen a very large number of split DIY keyboards, but not really any with a dome-like (shaped like the hand) 3d layout like the MS Natural Keyboard from the 90s/00s - before they too went quite flat. (Thanks for the discord hint.)
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  A number of them can tent which makes for a similar experience.
- Jenk 5y ago
  Dactyl split keyboard has a fork/derivative called the Manuform[1]. [1]: https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform
- benhurmarcel 5y ago
  There's also this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ergomechkeyboards/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ergomechkeyboards/

wellthisisgreat 5y ago

I was getting dangerously close to a carpal tunnel territory and what steered me off the collision course were split keyboard (Sinc/ quefrency) and a sliding keyboard tray, altogether they allowed me to keep my wrists at a 45-ish degree angle, tilted inwards (like they should be) and my elbows and shoulders relaxed and never at a sharp angle. Never had even a numbness ever since

Tepix 5y ago

I'm also looking for a replacement for the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. It seems Microsoft stopped making them some time ago. I bought two more as a reserve but they are already in use now. My ideal keyboard would be this keyboard but with good mechanical switches. I've tried a Keyboardio Atreus but it was too much of a change.