The point or having a keyboard without the keypad is that it would
allow me to move my right arm closer to the keyboard (when resting). I
think that this might help with my right shoulder problem (strain).
Okay, I get it now. I actually dislocated my right shoulder about 30
times between age 17 and 29, and had surgery when I was 29. I can see
what a good job the guy did since I have no trouble with the mouse to
the right of the full size keyboard.
I use a left handed mouse on the left.
But now you've lost me on your situation. I do more my arm to the
right for the mouse, but for the keys, my hands are in front of the
keyboard and never go to the numeric keys (except once a month or so
when I have more than 20 numbers in a row and I use them.)
A tray could not be fitted even if I wanted one. There is a
crossmember under the table.
This sounds like my specialty. Loosen the cross member from the table
and slip some L or C shaped piece of flat metal in to hold the tray.
Then retighten the cross member.
WRT not seeing teh keys, I don't understand where that came from.
Even with a tray, the tray comes out and one can see the keys just
fine. I don't know what keeps the tray from retreating when you rest
the heels of your hands on the keyboard front, however.
I tried raising myself by using a cushion. But I was not comfortable.
I lacked the support of the chair.
I hate cushions. Hate hate hate. Sometimes I try to let them stay
there when I sit on someone's sofa, but within a few seconds I have to
get rid of them. Cushions to sit on are bad too, except for the
originally designed permanent cushion. Cushions are bad because they
are are hard to spell, too. Cution, cusion, ... why do you need an s
*and* a t, for gosh sakes. Why isn't it like motion or caution?
I am looking for the simplest solution. I use the table for both
computing activites and for reading/writing. Hence, I don't want to be
constantly moving the monitor (back and forth).
How do you relax your arms when not typing?
My desk chair broke a couple weeks ago. It had armrests and I think I
used them a lot. Now I'm using the standard metal folding card table
chair, the kind with the curved, depressed back and the depressed
seat, and the round pipes. The most common design.
I've never had a keyboard tray. I have a fancy wooden desk with a
middle drawer and three drawers on each side that my friend found
discarded on the curb a few blocks from Wall Street, about 30 years
ago. He called me, then stood by the desk until I got there with my
convertible and took it home. Unfortuantely the plate glass cover had
been broken, but otherwise it was good.
I rest the keyboard on the middle drawer of the desk, which is only
about an inch lower than the desktop, which is standard height.
Sometimes I slouch in the chair then I rest my my wrists on my
recently big belly. Whether I slouch or not, i rest my hand heels on
the front part of the keyboard (right now I'm using a standard
Microsoft Multi-media keyboard with a slightly rounded front. I use
it just because it has volume, mute, and sleep buttons that I like,
but I've used several other keyboards the same way. I'm not in love
with microsoft. I buy whatever I find cheap at hamfests. )
My forearms go down 4 or 5 inches to my elbows and my hands bend at
the wrist to make my hands almost horizontal.
Hmmm it might be even easier without the armrests, because when I move
my arm to reach the arrow keys, I wonder if the armrest was in the
way. But I'm going to replace the folding chair with a reclining,
revolving, armed desk chair soon, even though the folding chair is
pretty comfortable.
Our bodies may be different so I don't know if any of this helps you.
