I was browsing through Maplins at the weekend and saw a very cheap  mini keyboard that I decided to experiment with. (€16 / 10UKP)

I’ve already mentioned on my keyboards post that I want a keyboard with no keypad so this was a cheap and easy option. It’s actually being marketed as a Mini Desk-Saver Keyboard and the only reason I bought it was to save desk space, or to be more precise have a keyboard and mouse that I don’t need to reach to the side for. It seemed good at first (though I knew it couldn’t be long term) as I didn’t have to reach to either side for anything and I could actually fit a graphics tablet, keyboard and mouse comfortably in front of me.

But the size of the keyboard forced my hands really close together which put my wrists into a very unnatural angle. I didn’t realise just how much this would happen. This is called Ulnar Deviation and it’s precisely what split keyboards are designed to avoid. That’s why laptop keyboards and mini keyboards like this are terribly unergonomic. I thought I might end up with sore wrists but it was much more far-reaching than that. I was in bits for the whole evening yesterday, specially in the upper-back and shoulders and I had an ice pack on my muscles, well a bag of frozen spinach. So experiment over - avoid mini keyboards!

Other negatives

To save space, they also grouped several keys with other keys that could be accessed with the Fn key. But this was done with two keys that I use a lot; Home and End. And other keys were moved slightly; it just seems wrong to have Page Up and Page Down side-by-side rather than over-and-under.

Also, like a lot of keyboards, you can tilt the keyboard up towards you by putting little feet up at the back. This is wrong. Badly researched design that’s copied from one product to the other. So many manufacturers do this. The keyboard should tilt back away from you. Otherwise its forcing your wrist up at an angle.

I dread to think what mini laptops are going to do to a generation. I just had a quick look at the website for the Eee PC and even the image they are using is screaming No No No. If that kid keeps up that hunched posture and bent wrists he’ll be a cripple before he has acne.

It might seem a bit ironic for me to say so but when it comes to your health, or indeed many other subjects, the Web is no competition for a well researched book written by an expert in the field. And that’s exactly what Dr Pascarelli’s book is. My copy was printed in 2004 so some of the hardware and software is a bit dated but the medical advice isn’t. If you are having problems, then you really should educate yourself on what causes the various conditions under the RSI umbrella. The cost is a pittance compared to your health or indeed compared to what you may be forking out for the latest ergonmic input device. Here are the contents;

1. Understanding RSI
2. Getting the Diagnosis
3. RSI and Your Emotions
4. RSI and Your Eyes
5. Managing Pain
6. Your Lower Back
7. Physical and Occupational Therapy for RSI
8. Ergonomics: Making Your Equipment Fit
9. Biomechanics: Using Your Body
10. At Home with RSI
11. Getting Back to Work
12. RSI and Musicians
13. Other Causes of RSI
14. Beating RSI: A Five-Step Protection Plan

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