R.S.I. solutions?

[Eric S. Johansson]

Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:03:41 -0400, "Eric S. Johansson" <esj at harvee.org>
> declaimed the following in comp.lang.python:
> 
>> What's really strange is that most people think laptop keyboards are 
>> horrible but I absolutely love the ones I've had from Dell and Acer 
> 
> 	They are... There is no height stagger on the keys... Hitting the
> lower rank requires pulling one's fingers UP as you draw the tip back,
> and going nearly flat to reach the upper ranks (which, for my short
> fingers, means I tend to hit both the upper rank and the home row at the
> same time)

that explains it.  My hands are larger than most.  On a typical PC 
keyboard, I can hold down the control key with my little finger and hit 
all alphanumeric keys without straining (too much).

... Strokes are too short to -- I learned to type with old
> typewriters, where the technique was to "snap" at the keycap to get
> inertia to complete the stroke; one's fingers did not follow the key cap
> all the way to the end of the stroke, but was pulling back for the next
> stroke while the mass of the letter-head and key mechanism kept the key
> moving down.

never learned that trick.  Even with the old typewriters, I drove the 
key all the way home.  (Are we the only people on this list that 
actually used a manual typewriter complete with carbon paper and whiteout?)

but I do like short stroke because it is less finger movement and 
because the underlayment a laptop keyboard is more flexible than a 
desktop keyboard, I get some bounce which reduces the end of travel shock.

The problem I have with current keyboards is that there is so much 
resistance on the keystroke that you have to force the key all the way 
down until you hit bottom hard.  At least, that's the way it feels to my 
fingers.

> 	Of course, even desktop keyboards aren't designed properly -- using
> the tilt-feet gives a usable slope on the keys, but also changes the
> angle of the keys... Instead of pushing the key vertically, one now has
> to push them "away"...

yeah, given a choice, I would push most keyboards away.

> 
> 	And does anyone remember when key caps were double-injection molded,
> rather than dry-transfer lettering?

I might even still have a couple in the basement.  some of the keys 
don't work but they still go clack-clack-clack when you drop them.

---eric