Correct angle for keyboard

Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a regular
keyboard? One web page says this:

------------------ BEGIN QUOTE -----------------
"angle of the keyboard relative to the angle of the wrist. Most
keyboards slope upwards from front to back, and this means that users
bend their hands upwards when they are typing on the keyboard. This
posture is called wrist extension, and we know that it is a source of
injury risk for the wrist. Once the hand is extended beyond about a 15°
upward angle, there is a very significant increase in the compression on
the median nerve and other structures inside the wrist. So it is
extremely important to type with the hands as flat as possible.

From http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/ckd.htm
------------------ END QUOTE --------------------

Which I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees. But my Compaq keyboard
permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees
(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.

"Archie" wrote in message ...
Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a regular
keyboard? One web page says this:

------------------ BEGIN QUOTE -----------------
"angle of the keyboard relative to the angle of the wrist. Most
keyboards slope upwards from front to back, and this means that users
bend their hands upwards when they are typing on the keyboard. This
posture is called wrist extension, and we know that it is a source of
injury risk for the wrist. Once the hand is extended beyond about a 15°
upward angle, there is a very significant increase in the compression on
the median nerve and other structures inside the wrist. So it is
extremely important to type with the hands as flat as possible.

From http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/ckd.htm
------------------ END QUOTE --------------------

Which I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees. But my Compaq keyboard
permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees

That's the best option, unless you usually use a computer
while you're kicked back in a chair, or otherwise extended
away from a desk/keyboard.

(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.

See above :-)

Archie wrote:

Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a regular keyboard?

Nope.

One web page says this:

------------------ BEGIN QUOTE -----------------
"angle of the keyboard relative to the angle of the wrist. Most
keyboards slope upwards from front to back, and this means that
users bend their hands upwards when they are typing on the keyboard.

Nope, the hands just move over the keyboard with the arms doing that instead.

This posture is called wrist extension, and we
know that it is a source of injury risk for the wrist.

No we dont. In spades when the arms are what moves.

Once the hand is extended beyond about a 15° upward angle,

Pity that doesnt happen.

there is a very significant increase in the compression
on the median nerve and other structures inside the wrist.

Wrong again.

So it is extremely important to type with the hands as flat as possible.

Wrong again.

From http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/ckd.htm
------------------ END QUOTE --------------------

Which I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees.

Nope, they are clearly saying that last that zero is best. They are wrong.

But my Compaq keyboard permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees
(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.

I doubt you type enough to matter.

How on earth did those typists manage with three hights of keys, no wrist
pads and having to put even force behind the key's.

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 Trev wrote:


How on earth did those typists manage with three hights of keys, no wrist
pads and having to put even force behind the key's.


How on earth do organists manage with up to six or so keyboards stacked
one above the other?
--
Thoss

"Trev" trevbowdenHATdsl.pipex.com.invalid wrote in message
...

How on earth did those typists manage with three hights of keys, no wrist
pads and having to put even force behind the key's.



They were girls and as we know they can multi-task, so moving hands and
fingers to different heights while depressing keys with enough force to
matter is natural to them. All whilst slagging off their boyfriend to the
typist next door, drinking coffee and answering the phone to said boyfriend.

hth


strange lad
--
Nothing is so simple it can't go wr0ng

"Strange lad" wrote:
"Trev" wrote:

How on earth did those typists manage with three hights of keys, no
wrist
pads and having to put even force behind the key's.


They were girls and as we know they can multi-task, so moving hands and
fingers to different heights while depressing keys with enough force to
matter is natural to them. All whilst slagging off their boyfriend to the
typist next door, drinking coffee and answering the phone to said
boyfriend.

And while fending off drunken advances from the boss after his three martini
lunch.

Jon

Archie wrote:

Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a
regular keyboard?

... I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees. But my Compaq
keyboard permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees
(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.

If you can manage it, the best thing for repetitive strain injury
(RSI) is speech recognition. NaturallySpeaking is the only viable
program currently (version 8 uses pesky product activation, and
forget about ViaVoice which is no longer being developed). The
professional version of NaturallySpeaking also allows command and
control of your computer.

Have fun.






--
I dictated this post without a single error.

Troll


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From: "Rod Speed" rod.speed.aaa gmail.com
Newsgroups: uk.comp.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardw are.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Correct angle for keyboard
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 19:49:46 +1000
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Archie no com.com wrote:

Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a regular keyboard?

Nope.

One web page says this:

------------------ BEGIN QUOTE -----------------
"angle of the keyboard relative to the angle of the wrist. Most
keyboards slope upwards from front to back, and this means that
users bend their hands upwards when they are typing on the keyboard.

Nope, the hands just move over the keyboard with the arms doing that instead.

This posture is called wrist extension, and we
know that it is a source of injury risk for the wrist.

No we dont. In spades when the arms are what moves.

Once the hand is extended beyond about a 15° upward angle,

Pity that doesnt happen.

there is a very significant increase in the compression
on the median nerve and other structures inside the wrist.

Wrong again.

So it is extremely important to type with the hands as flat as possible.

Wrong again.

From http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/ckd.htm
------------------ END QUOTE --------------------

Which I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees.

Nope, they are clearly saying that last that zero is best. They are wrong.

But my Compaq keyboard permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees
(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.

I doubt you type enough to matter.

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:15:40 +0100, Archie
wrote:

Is there a generally-accepted best angle for the slope of a regular
keyboard? One web page says this:

------------------ BEGIN QUOTE -----------------
"angle of the keyboard relative to the angle of the wrist. Most
keyboards slope upwards from front to back, and this means that users
bend their hands upwards when they are typing on the keyboard. This
posture is called wrist extension, and we know that it is a source of
injury risk for the wrist. Once the hand is extended beyond about a 15°
upward angle, there is a very significant increase in the compression on
the median nerve and other structures inside the wrist. So it is
extremely important to type with the hands as flat as possible.

From http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/ckd.htm
------------------ END QUOTE --------------------

Which I interpret as being zero to 15 degrees. But my Compaq keyboard
permits either:

(1) flat or maybe 5 degrees
(2) about 30 to 35 degrees.


1) Keyboard tilt is mostly to help those who can't type and
need to see the keys best. The normal keyboard position is
almost flat for someone who can type.

2) The issue is not keyboard tilt at all (not to do it) but
rather, keyboard height. Sitting straight in the chair with
arms at near parallel to the floor, wrists should bend
downward slightly, that is where the keyboard should be. If
it isn't, the table/desk/whatever needs changed.

So you want #1 above, but it's not as important as the
correct keyboard (table) height, OR the correct chair height
to match the keyboard height BUT there are other issues for
chair height like proper ergonomics for your upper legs so
it is typical to adjust table height to the correct level
for a properly fitting chair (to the user), not adjust chair
height.