[geeks] Compact keyboards

[nate at portents.com]

> Can anyone comment on using a small keyboard -- like the Happy Hacking
> Professional or Happy Hacking Lite 2 models -- as part of an effort to
> improve the ergonomics of my laptop Mac?

It depends on what kind of pain/stress injury you're trying to
alleviate/prevent.

At one point, I had both repetitive stress pains in my finger joints and
carpal tunnel in my wrists, and additional pains from using a mouse.  I
solved it by making sure that the machine I spend the most time typing at
has an ergo keyboard (split and angled), and learning to use a
mouse/trackball with my left hand, and I make sure I take breaks and
stretch.

At work I currently use an old MS Natural, at home I have a Belkin
ErgoBoard Pro which I don't use any more (keys are too mushy for my
tastes) and a couple of DataDesk SmartBoard Mac editions (one older ADB,
and one USB), which I used for a long time.  The newer SmartBoard USB I'm
not as happy with - they used a cheaper plastic and three of the keys
actually broke from normal use (after less use than my old ADB), and I'd
say the build quality overall was lower.  I emailed Datadesk, and to their
credit they sent me replacement keys free of charge, though they simply
put them in a little bubble-wrap envelope and when they arrived two of
them were cracked, presumably due to handling in the mail.  The cracks are
more cosmetic than functional, and you can't really see them unless you
look for them, so I haven't complained again, but I've since retired the
keyboard anyway since it took up a good amount of desk space and I don't
do as much typing as I used to at home (and for a while I was doing a lot
of typing on an iBook anyway).

The Belkin is one of the cheapest decent USB ergo keyboards out there, at
only $35, but I can't really recommend it unless you like mushy keys:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823154008

And keep in mind that on a Mac you'll have to use a utility to change the
keymap so that the Windows(Command) and Alt(Option) keys are swapped,
because the Mac has them in swapped positions.

The DataDesk SmartBoard is $100, and for the Mac version you don't have to
do any key remapping on a Mac.  It has a unique key layout that keeps all
the keys in columns that fan vertically, and while it did take a bit of
getting use to, I actually think it is a better way to arrange the keys:

http://www.datadesktech.com/desktop_base.html

Interestingly enough, there's another company that makes it in black with
the standard PC key arrangement for a little less (and I don't know about
the build quality, maybe it's better than DataDesk):

http://www.darwinkeyboards.com/smart_core.htm

Though I don't own it, for a Mac I think another good (and more
affordable) choice would be the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 for $50
or less, which comes with software to handle properly swapping command and
option and even control and caps lock (which I know some people on this
list would appreciate), as well as creating per-application key
assignments on the Mac:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823109148

Build quality seems very good on the MS as well.

Cheers,
Nate