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Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

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Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#91
post #64

Divvy for a window manager, quicksearchbar for shortcutting, and the vimium chrome extension or conkeror browser are super handy. I prefer quicksearchbar to quicksilver. I wrote about how to set up divvy shortcuts here: http://infovegan.com/2010/08/18/manage-pixels-not-monitors As a paying user of both divvy and sizeup, I have to say I'm bummed about my initial expenditure on Sizeup. Divvy is far more customizable.

+1 for divvy, especially if you switch back and forth between an external monitor and the laptop display at different resolutions. I have a ton of app-hotkeys setup to resize everything to the aspect ratio I like after swapping resolutions.

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#92

I'm a ruby/php developer who works on a Macbook Pro 9 hours a day and I've learned to work w/o a mouse. Took a while to get used to, but now I keep my mouse in my desk drawer and only pull it out if someone borrows my computer. First it starts with the setup. At work I have an external monitor and keyboard. I keep my MBP to the right so I can use the touch pad here and there when I can't use the keyboard for certain…

I'm not trying to besnarky, but why even use a MAC. It seems like Linux is a better fit and less expensive. MAC is really about the UI, and if you don't take advantage of that you are just left with an almost Unix environment.

I think "MAC" is a kind of makeup: http://www.maccosmetics.com/

The computer is capitalized "Mac": http://www.apple.com/mac/

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#93
There's a lot of excellent advice here. Beyond keyboard shortcuts, there's a universe of options to help combat RSI. Here are some of the things I do:

1) Posture. You want your eyes to be on the same plane as your screen so your back and neck are straight. You want your elbows to be be bent at around a 90-degree angle--that helps keep your wrists straight. And you want your shoulders to be relaxed, not hunched.

2) Breaks. Both long and short. I used to use software for this, specifically AntiRSI for Mac. I think I did an 8 minute break every 52 minutes and a 30 second break 5 minutes or so. Now that I've built up better habits I don't use this software anymore.

3) A good chair. My favorite is the Swopper. It's quite expensive, though--around $600 I think. Right now I have standing desk and no chair. I like this set up even better than sitting on an ergonomic chair.

4) A good keyboard. I like "clicky" keyboards in the vein of the old IBM Model M. I use a DAS Keyboard. Costs around $100. It's not ergonomic per se, but the mechanical keyswitches provide great feedback so you can reduce your keystroke pressure to just the right level.

5) Physical therapy aids. I use Theraputty during my microbreaks. It's like silly putty, only it comes in various levels of resistance. I like green, which is medium-firm. Costs like $5 on Amazon. Some people also use the colored rubber bands, but that's more for elbow and shoulder work and my RSI is all in the wrist/hand.

6) Other activities. Rock climbing has very nearly cured my RSI. When I climb regularly my hands, wrists, and forearms are strong enough that keyboarding can't touch them.

I suspect fighting RSI is like fighting obesity (though I only have the former so I can't be sure): it's all about building good habits. There's no magic bullet and you can't simply cure it and be done. It's an always on-going process. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#94
post #72
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is Cmd-` (~ would require a Shift) And after Cmd-Tab, Cmd-~ takes you backwards in the list of apps. So if you Cmd-Tab too many times, Cmd-~ takes you back instead of having to cycle through. Likewise, in Safari Cmd-} (aka Cmd-Shift-]) and Cmd-{ take you forward and backward through the tabs. This also works in Terminal. Cmd-L puts the focus on the location bar in Safari if you want to type in a URL (or tab over…

Only had a MBP for a few days (first Mac), but isn't Safari tab-cycling also via Ctrl-Tab, and Ctrl-Shift-Tab to go in reverse? At least on the laptop keyboard, involving the square brackets would necessitate a fairly long stretch, or using both hands? Being new to the Mac, I'd be happy to hear more shortcuts!

It seems you haven’t noticed that there is a Command key both to the left and to the right of the keyboard, so Command-[ and -] are pretty easy to do one-handed if you use the Command key on the right. I think Ctrl-Tab is just there for compatibility with Windows browsers that use that as their main tab-switching shortcut.

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#98
post #93

There's a lot of excellent advice here. Beyond keyboard shortcuts, there's a universe of options to help combat RSI. Here are some of the things I do: 1) Posture. You want your eyes to be on the same plane as your screen so your back and neck are straight. You want your elbows to be be bent at around a 90-degree angle--that helps keep your wrists straight. And you want your shoulders to be relaxed, not hunched. 2) Br…

I second climbing. I have been climbing consistently for over two years and have never had a bout of wrist tendonitis like I used to. My wrists sometimes get uncomfortable if I am stuck in an awkward position for long (e.g. typing like a bunny) but I generally have no more pain.

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#99
post #90
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clipboard history is a hidden gem on Quicksilver. Just enable on Triggers, I set Shift-Ctrl-Cmd-V, and then I can use 1-9 to paste any of the 9 most recent clipboard items. I can use the mouse to select any of the most recent 250 clipboard items.

Check out jumpcut too. It has a mode to pop up a bezel where you can keyboard your way through the various copy/paste buffers you've used. I use quicksilver, but I also run jumpcut just for its paste buffers.

+1 for Jumpcut - I tried Quicksilver clipboard history and found it slowed my whole machine down. Jumpcut has really good keyboard shortcut support, too.

Re: Ask HN: tips for working with Mac OS X without using the mouse? (RSI)

#100
Surprisingly no one has mentioned Namely (http://amarsagoo.info/namely/). Its a free alternative to QS and Launchbar, although simpler.

+1 for FF + Vimperator, Screen + Vim.

I also use vifm for a filemanager, alpine/mutt for emails, Gmail with keyboard shortcuts enabled.

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