deskthority

Hey fellas! It's been a while... Making a comeback now, key by key

I don't think I've put any thought about having my keyboard(s) raised or flat on my desk. So I started wondering, for example, how does it impact on typing speed and accuracy, how does it relate to ergonomy... What's your cup of tea - raised or flat? Why?

Quoting http://www.rsiprevention.com/rsi_prevention.php:

Many people believe that, because cheap keyboards have a height adjustment at the rear of the keyboard, the back of the keyboard should be raised when typing.

This is not true.

The correct keyboard adjustment is one where the keyboard is flat and at or below elbow level. This position makes it easiest to type with your wrists in the neutral position. If you can't have the keyboard at the correct height, you should choose the adjustment which keeps your wrists as near to the neutral position as possible

A gaming focused (apparently?) forum made a poll:
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblo ... _id=261554

i usually switch between raised/flat/in lap keyboard positions, mostly it's raised - flat when i'm completely sunk in my seat and in lap when i'm in input-clerk mode; sometimes i do switch randomly just because... i can.

dondy wrote:i usually switch between raised/flat/in lap keyboard positions, mostly it's raised - flat when i'm completely sunk in my seat and in lap when i'm in input-clerk mode; sometimes i do switch randomly just because... i can.

Exactly. Just because. I haven't actually ever even tried using a keyboard in lap. I must try!

I can't really type but I prefer (rather) flat especially with the DSA caps and gaming.

This is not about flat or sculpted keycaps, but how inclined the keyboard is.

I prefer my keyboards to lay as flat as possible.
Back in the '90s when I predominantly used Amigas that had inclined keyboards built in, I always extended the rear legs when I used another keyboard. These days, I do the opposite: tuck the legs back in.

Findecanor wrote:This is not about flat or sculpted keycaps, but how inclined the keyboard is.

I know, what I meant was that with the DSA caps it's more important for me to have the keyboard flat that with "normal" caps.

I think your speed will not improve if you have your KB flat or raised, it will improve by aclimating to the way how it currently is. I prefere a flat keyboard with a wrist rest attached so that your joints are as strtaight as possible, unfortunately I don't have one on my keyboards but i came from a rubberdome with a wrist rest and it is the only thing I actually miss.

Quoting http://www.rsiprevention.com/rsi_prevention.php:

The correct keyboard adjustment is one where the keyboard is flat and at or below elbow level. This position makes it easiest to type with your wrists in the neutral position. If you can't have the keyboard at the correct height, you should choose the adjustment which keeps your wrists as near to the neutral position as possible

This is not true

the best prevention to RSI is to change often between positions. It's the same movement over and over which is harmful. But i can agree that angled wrists may hurt.

Always had my keyboards raised. Until I built a mod that required removing the leg on one side. Changed to all flat now and I like that too actually

of course always flat.
I hate cases like poker, pure and race that make the board higher without any needs.

If I would raise the board, the raiser should be under the CTRL, ALT Space side.

I've seen only *one* article that recommended raised position—it read that hunt'n'peck typists often can't see key legends on flat/negative-slope keyboard, thus raised keyboard feet should help them maintain good posture when typing.

I strongly prefer flat (or negative slope if possible) these days. Raised just at too high desks, because it forces me to keep my wrists straight (as in not bent like a mantis).

Well, you know, the traditional touch typing technique requires a flat keyboard at the right height and so on and so forth, or even inclined but still at a perfectly anatomical position.

But most real humans can't really always keep the keyboard at the perfect position - e.g. I have a book at its place at this moment - so ... anything goes.

Gilgam wrote:Quoting http://www.rsiprevention.com/rsi_prevention.php:

The correct keyboard adjustment is one where the keyboard is flat and at or below elbow level. This position makes it easiest to type with your wrists in the neutral position. If you can't have the keyboard at the correct height, you should choose the adjustment which keeps your wrists as near to the neutral position as possible

This is not true

the best prevention to RSI is to change often between positions. It's the same movement over and over which is harmful. But i can agree that angled wrists may hurt.

Best thing to prevent RSI or to cure it, is working out! Believe me, it works!

I think there is a misunderstanding. Best for touch typing might not be best anatomically. Well, at least according to some doctors.

What is certain is that traditional touch typing technique is definitely not the most relaxing for prolonged periods. e.g. resting my hands like a pig inefficiently is quite relaxing.

But of course, it might be very detrimental to typing speed and efficiency.

Model M is quite inclined even with feet closed. I guess if flat was really better overall, back in the day IBM would have made flat Model Ms, instead of having a curved metal plate inside the keyboard. A flat plate would have been cheaper to produce too, so there really must have been a reason if they chose the other way around.

Height is important, so there's no strain on the wrist. The flatness which is promoted by some RSI witches is counter effective. The curved keyboard is anti-rsi before it was called rsi. The HHKB based its curve on it. If the keyboard is flat, and, for example, you move a finger up from the home row, with a flat keyboard you have to reach with less comfort. If there's a slight upward curve, your finger falls naturally on the key.

The profile of the keycaps make the "slight upward curve" already. A raised keyboard is too much - for my feelings.

I have them all flat (ie I don't use the feet), but I prefer the key profile, or the key mount plate to be curved.

webwit wrote:your finger falls naturally on the key.

Is that original research? It sounds logical at first, but as far as I know the hands should play at least a small part in moving around, which is also one of the reasons hands should be hovering and not resting, making the fingertip movement more linear on the plane than stretching it with a stationary hand.

Besides, I personally physically can't reach the pinky keys without moving around.

Before we start confusing two things, I was referring to a curved board vs flat, not what position you like for the feet.

Hover or rest, it doesn't matter, with a flat keyboard, if you move your finger to a row above the home row, you have to move further down.

Of course, all keyboards except the Datahand are silly in that they persist in buttons placed all horizontally. That is another inheritance from a time when typewriter technology was restricted. The Datahand is the true reset, when you move your finger to what would have been a top row, you hit a vertical key.

After reading this thread, I changed my Filco at home from raised to flat. Not really noticed a difference at all, except that it looks weird :)

cookie wrote:Best thing to prevent RSI or to cure it, is working out! Believe me, it works!

What type of exercises would you recommend, and will these exercises require clearing my browser cache when I'm finished?

Not if you do it in incognito mode!

what helped me was, generall workout like simming, running, lifting some weights and gain streinght.
Pullups, pushups, dips, situps and stuff is nice too.

I actually love it when the keyboard lays flat, the problem is, not all of them do. For example HHKB Pro is always slightly angled. Realforce and Filco are flatter, although I prefer Realforce keys profile which is more comfortable than standard Filco keys. Speaking of keys profile, nothing beats IBM Model M and Unicomp keyboards. when laid down flat they have the most comfortable profile of all keyboards thanks to the curved plate.