REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 19, 2012 — Logging
long hours at a computer is a bit like running a marathon, only it’s
your fingers and forearms that pound the proverbial pavement – and most
of us return to the starting line the very next day.
Like a marathon, all that typing can cause pain. Left unchecked
it can become a repetitive stress injury (RSI). So just as runners need
the right shoes, office workers need the right equipment to comfortably
grind out the miles.
Today, Microsoft Hardware announced the newest member of its
ergonomic lineup, the Windows 8-enabled Sculpt Comfort Keyboard. The
keyboard includes a number of ergonomic features designed for maximum
comfort and efficiency, including a contoured layout, a detachable
padded palm rest, and a split backspace-spacebar key.
Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000
September 19, 2012
Microsoft’s
Natural line of keyboards – the Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 (shown
here) and the Natural Ergonomic Desktop 4000 – significantly reduce
carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. They also reduce awkward posture, one
of the primary risk factors associated with common workplace injuries.
The Sculpt Comfort Keyboard is part of Microsoft Hardware’s
ongoing efforts to keep its customers comfortable as they spend
ever-increasing hours on their computers, says Suneel Goud, senior
product marketing manager in Microsoft Hardware.
“At the end of the day, we want our customers to have a great
computing experience,” Goud says. “And that comes from both the software
experience and the hardware peripherals used to interface with the
computer. Our lineup of keyboards and mice are designed to keep our
customers comfortable and to keep them healthy by helping to reduce the
risks associated with repetitive stress injuries.”
For businesses, ergonomics can have big economic implications. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that RSIs cost
employers US$15-20 billion a year, with employees missing an average of
12 days of work and making US$38,500 in worker’s comp claims.
Goud encourages everyone to take a look at Microsoft Hardware’s
ergonomic lineup and create a comfortable workstation for themselves.
Certified ergonomists help design, test and approve peripherals from
Microsoft Hardware, and the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard reflects a vast body
of research. For example, it’s the first Microsoft keyboard to feature a
split backspace-spacebar key. Internal research at Microsoft shows that
more than 90 percent of people hit the spacebar with their right thumb,
leaving the left side virtually untouched. (Go ahead, look at your
keyboard – you’ll probably notice a shiny spot on the right-hand side
where your thumb strikes.) That’s a lot of wasted real estate.
At the same time, the backspace key is the third-most used on the
keyboard – perhaps a comment on our collective typing skills – trailing
only the spacebar itself and the letter ‘e.’ These statistics led
Microsoft to split the spacebar and add optional backspace functionality
into the left-hand side. The result aims to improve both ergonomics and
typing efficiency.
(If all that change is overwhelming, don’t worry. The default mode
is the standard keyboard set up we’ve used for years; customers must
activate the split functionality.)
Microsoft also increased the actual size of the space bar, making
it easier to strike, since it’s the most frequently used key; included a
palm lift to straighten and support wrists; and added Windows 8 hot
keys so customers can quickly search, share, access device settings and
more with the tap of a finger.
Goud notes that RSIs are often the accumulation of smaller
injuries, and people often neglect the warning signs. He speaks from
experience. When Goud first joined Microsoft on the U.S. Retail team, he
noticed carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. He ignored them for a while,
then started taking frequent breaks. Finally he picked up the Microsoft
Natural Desktop Ergonomic 7000 keyboard.
The pain went away and never came back.
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