My Stopgap Ergonomics Setup
Well, you can’t really call it Ugandan style if it involves a stack of 4 eeePC boxes, admittedly, and I’m not actually going to use this as my permanent setup. But I thought it would be entertaining to share this with you. Most days I’m too lazy to set up the entire stack – I only do it when I’m doing a LOT of typing, and/or my tendonitis has already flared up.
It’s basically my stack of eeePC boxes, with an open binderbox being used as a keyboard tray, and the laptop on top. The top three eeePC boxes are raising the laptop to eye level and counterbalancing the keyboard so that it is stable while I am typing. There’s a fourth underneath (not visible) that lifts the keyboard a little off the chair so that the keyboard is a little below elbow level and such that I can sort of fit my knees under it. I’m using my goldtouch keyboard and a small portable usb mouse, connected to a 4 port usb 2.0 hub.
I’ve wandered all around looking for actual keyboard trays, and everyone looks at me a little blankly. Hah. But I finally found a store that actually sells computer desks for $70-$100 with built-in keyboard slider trays and adjustable “secretary chairs” for about $100. Expensive, especially by Ugandan standards, so I’ll have to think about it pretty seriously, but ergonomics and RSI is serious, yeah?
My other theory is to hire a carpenter to build a wooden keyboard tray into the desk pictured on the right of the picture. Or to see if I can find a small waist-high table to fit under the desk. I think I’ve been too spoiled by keyboard trays that can be tilted in every-which direction and fully adjustable. Strange to have to find a way to cope out here…
