Are ergonomic keyboard really useful? What is your opinion on Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard?
I would really appreciate if you could share your experience.
Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
1–10 of 40 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#2I have a Natural 4000 and love it.
It all depends if you have suffered from RSI. I used to type on a normal laptop keyboard all the time. Then I got pains along the top of my forearms, i.e. RSI. I switched to an 4000 and I haven't had that pain since.
The most important thing to do is be aware of your body. If you get stiff or sore or pains or certain joints/muscles feel tired, that's your body trying to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Listen to your body, adjust how you do things.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#3I use a computer for most of the waking day, and started getting bad wrist pain last year. I replaced my work keyboard with the 4000 and the pain went away within days. If you look at how your hands sit when typing, they come in on an angle, and you bend them slightly to suit a rectangular keyboard, the ergonomic keyboards simply leave your wrists at their natural position.
They are very cheap, and a great investment.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#4The 4000 is the best ergonomic keyboard I've used. Microsoft don't get enough credit for their hardware division.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#5Wish there was something for distal finger joint pains...find myself typing with a stylus. Still in my early 20s.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#6I switched about a month ago to a SafeType keyboard[^1], which is a "vertical
keyboard". My first thoughts went to the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000, but
I could find a second-hand SafeType for slightly more than 1/10th of its price.
So I really could not say no. The experience is that I don't need to take
"wrist breaks", i.e. breaks I took every 10 minutes when I was furiously typing
(like I do now), but I only stop every 50 minutes or so.
Of course a vertical keyboard is way better for you wrists than (almost) any other keyboard, but still anything ergonomic is way better than anything not ergonomic.
[^1]: http://safetype.com/
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#7I use a computer for most of the waking day, and started getting bad wrist pain last year. I replaced my work keyboard with the 4000 and the pain went away within days. If you look at how your hands sit when typing, they come in on an angle, and you bend them slightly to suit a rectangular keyboard, the ergonomic keyboards simply leave your wrists at their natural position. They are very cheap, and a great investment…
+1 for the 4000. Replaced my old stock keyboard at work about 6 months ago, and I will never go back.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#8I have had two Microsoft Natural Keyboards (the 4000 and its predecessor). I chose to go with an ergonomic keyboard even though I dont have RSI(thankfully) and i have to say that an ergonomic keyboard is the one of the best things ever. The keyboard allowed me to naturally sit and use a keyboard properly. Furthermore I stopped having to worry about what to do about my elbows and just left them be. I have also found that after extensive use of an ergonomic keyboard, I feel uncomfortable if I switch to a normal keyboard which tells me that the normal keyboard is putting to much strain on my hands.
In the end I would echo rmc's advice which is to be aware of your body and to adjust accordingly.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#9I really like the kinesis advantage. It made the pain I had in my fingers hurt a little less.
Re: Ask HN: Are ergonomic keyboards really useful?
#10I have a Natural 4000 and love it. It all depends if you have suffered from RSI. I used to type on a normal laptop keyboard all the time. Then I got pains along the top of my forearms, i.e. RSI. I switched to an 4000 and I haven't had that pain since. The most important thing to do is be aware of your body. If you get stiff or sore or pains or certain joints/muscles feel tired, that's your body trying to tell you tha…
Thanks for sharing, For the past week,i feel slight pain on finger joints; so being a bit cautious, as it can be related to RSI. If i stop using keyboard for sometime it goes away. but will be back after typing for sometime.