Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 13:20:10 +0100 From: Paul Robinson <paul@iconoplex.co.uk> To: Dick Davies <rasputnik@hellooperator.net> Cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: RSI-basher? Message-ID: <20040811122010.GS12472@iconoplex.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <20040811085011.GA21373@lb.tenfour> References: <20040810152244.GM12472@iconoplex.co.uk> <20040810153601.GL87690@submonkey.net> <20040811085011.GA21373@lb.tenfour>
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On Wed, Aug 11, 2004 at 09:50:11AM +0100, Dick Davies wrote: > These are absolutely brilliant. I would be typing this with my nose if it= weren't for mine, > as it is I am still doing development work and sysadmin with only the odd= ibuprofen to keep > me healthy. Yeah, that's the thing. Last night I was in an absolutely foul mood, because I knew if this got any worse, in effect my career would be over. As I'm still only 26 (yes, I have been in front of a screen playing/admining/coding since I was 11 and I can't imagine being able to do anything else for a living), this is not something I really wanted to occur. On the mailing list there have been loads of good pieces of advice about=20 ergonomics, individual choices of keyboards and setups, and they're all=20 useful. I intend taking all that advice (even the weird one about the coppe= r=20 bracelet) simply because until neurological i/o implants are available, I= =20 don't have any choice. I also, having realised I can get work to pay for it and having read your= =20 comments, have decided I'm going to get one of these keyboards. Even if wor= k=20 refuse for some reason, I'm going to pony up for it out of my own pocket.= =20 Unless I find something even better. :-) =20 > * universal support - no drivers needed, every OS I've used it with (*BSD= , Linux, win*, mac os*) > sees it as a USB hub with mouse and keyboard attached. That's nice. Only thing I have to consider is those occasions when I'm=20 plugging into boxes without USB support. Hmmmm. > * flash updates using a piece of Java - you also get a GUI then to config= ure all the perks Java? I'm in BSD world! Getting Java to run on FreeBSD was so hard the last= =20 time I tried it, I've given up hope. Still, I'm sure I'll find a way. :-) > * it can switch layouts - I think Dvorak, Qwerty and Qwerak are in the la= test ROM - *without* needing > a layout update in the OS : so if you use Dvorak you set that in the ke= yboard and don't need to configure > each OS - win2k in particular drives me potty since it has per-app keyb= oard maps, I avoid all that with > this. Yeah, I'm thinking about making the jump to Dvorak, but I can type very=20 quickly with QWERTY and am not sure I want to go through the pain of=20 re-learning the layout. It seems a lot of hassle seeing as I only got=20 touch-typing down pat about 2-3 years ago. > * it fits over most laptop keyboards so you can use it anywhere - there's= a macintouch version out soon=20 > that replaces the standard iBook keyboard That's a must for me. If I go Dvorak, I need it to go over my thinkpad. I= =20 can't believe I'm considering replacing my thinkpad keyboard... > the only other feature I'd like is changable overlays - they do printable= overlays, but paper wears out. > I got the QWERTY version, then switched to Dvorak and it would have been = nice to see where an odd character is, > but if you're learning to touch type on it its simpler to download the pr= intable overlays and stick them > on either side of the monitor. That's the one thing that has put me off so far. If I go one route and then= =20 want to try or revert another route, it's $300 effectively down the drain.= =20 At the moment the $/GBP exchange rate is so good for me that this is not=20 actually prohibitively expensive - about 150 GBP - but down the road it=20 might be closer to 225 GBP as it has been in recent years. > All in all they are really well made bits of kit, I agree they're a bit p= ricey but it's the best 300 dollars > you'll ever spend if it means you can keep working. And the 'wow, nice ke= yboard'/'what the f_ck is that, it looks > like a stealth fighter' geek points are a nice bonus... True. I would have preferred them to come in Manchester City Blue rather=20 than Manchester United Red/Burgandy, but then that's probably me=20 over-thinking about the new Premiership season starting this weekend.... :-) =20 > any specific questions feel free to mail me. Cheers. I think you've covered everything. --=20 Paul Robinson http://www.iconoplex.co.uk/
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