[plug] mice

[Denis Brown]

At 08:58 8/10/2003 +0800, Adam Hewitt wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>After working with computers for the last 15 years and working with
>computers for 7, I have really started having problems with RSI in my
>mouse hand. This has recently been compunded further by the purchase of
>my awesome iBook and the use of its trackpad.
>
>My question for the list is, what mice do you guys use or recommend that
>are ergonomic enough to reduce the damage I am doing to my hand? I guess
>the ultimate mouse I am looking for would have to also be portable so
>that I can take it with my ibook, but not as important as comfort.


Adam,

Not sure if it is iBook-friendly but the 3M company do something called the 
Renaisance (sp?) Mouse.   Looks for all the world like a cross between a 
joystick and a mouse.   Idea is that the normal wrist motion for moving the 
mouse translates into a whole-arm motion (yes, the mind boggles!) and the 
finger motion for the buttons becomes a thumb rocking motion.   You have to 
see one to know what I mean.

Anyway, one of my people had RSI bigtime including a touch of carpal tunnel 
IIRC, tried using the normal mouse with his opposite hand, got RSI in that 
one too.   3M's product worked well for him FOR A WHILE (like, 6 months, a 
year) then he found it necessary to go back to the conventional mouse 
again.   He'd tried a trackball but his problem was in the fingers more 
than the wrist so the TB was not much benefit to him.

Useful place to visit is the Independent Living Centre, used to be near 
Hollywood Repartiation Hospital but I think they've moved.  White Pages 
should give you a lead.   My fellow visited their physiotherapists - free 
consult - and they showed him several alternatives incl. the 3M jobby.

Good luck,
Denis



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