Anybody else do this with mice?

[Beeblequix]

So I'm getting friggin tendonitis in my right hand fingers.

Owie.

I figured it's the way I'm always using mice (I highlight text as I read websites in no real pattern...nervous habit; and gaming; and level designing....).

So I went out and bought me a Microsoft Trackball http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouse/tbo_info.asp . I like it and I think it may help my fingers out.

And then for the hell of it I plugged in Microsoft Optical Wheelmouse in a USB port...

...and of course they both work, even at the same time.

I figured I could alternate between them so I'm not always using the same method.

Anyone else use multiple pointing devices like this? Anyone else have carpal tunnel/ tendonitis?

ßeeßleitis

[crossedup]

dont have trouble yet, no but i figured you might like this as well

http://trimmerz.safeshopper.com/198/7472.htm?992

not condoning this site, its just the first on i found with a picture

this mouse is wonderful, you can lean back in your chair with your arms hanging down at your sides and use it just fine. kind of relaxing. :D

if i can just find a keyboard to match :r

edit : i picked up mine at wally world for $19.95

[Cpl_Squirrel]

Originally posted by Beeblequix
I figured I could alternate between them so I'm not always using the same method.

Anyone else use multiple pointing devices like this?
I don't keep both plugged in at once, but I do switch pointing devices between a mouse and a nice trackball whenever I start getting pain in my hand.

It helps a LOT. (though I haven't had a problem since I've stopped gaming all the time...hmm :p)

[KenKeith]

I have not experienced, but have heard that two pointing devices configured as you have indicated will function independantly as long as there isn't an interrupt conflict. My comment to the poster with two pointing devices was now he can compete his righthand with his lefthand in a game. I rec'd no answer:( .

[ukulele]

That sounds like a good idea to me. I get wrist pain too at times. I just switch to a graphics tablet with a pen which is always on.

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by Beeblequix
Anyone else use multiple pointing devices like this? Anyone else have carpal tunnel/ tendonitis?

yes Wireless in PS/2 and wired in Serial

Wireless Mouse for normal use

and Wired Serial mouse (both logitech), in Serial to play games

cuz.... some games requires you to hold down the button for looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oong time

and when you do that, the battery drains super fast, cuz the Infrared wireless uses hell lot of battery too :D

:t

[cdroman]

I have an wireless optical mouse that I use left handed for a while and switch to right handed for a while. I have the pointer accelerated so very little movement is needed.

[Dracas]

I keep an Aiptek HyperPen Digital tablet on my desk because its often easier on the wrist and requires pressing less buttons (to click or double click an icon, you simply tap the stylus on the tablet) I found this has helped an incredible amount when doing extended photoshops or just general mousing, because it puts the wrist in a more comfortable (as though you were going to write something) position, which is more natural.

Generally speaking I alternate between the tablet and the mouse, using the Mouse for gaming in Quake/UT, the tablet for most of my coloring and browsing, etc..

Using a tablet also has advantages for 3D art, digital signatures, etc..etc.., between all available Human interface devices I thought these two would make the best combination to help keep pain down (was developing wrist problems about a year ago, haven't had any since, aside on my mousing wrist, but its localized and intermittent, in which case I just switch to using the pen tablet and it goes away)

Hope thats been helpful, you can take a look at Aipteks products by going to www.aiptek.com or look at the specifics of the tablet I'm personally using here:

http://www.aiptek.com/products/pctablets/8000u.htm

:t

Edit:

Fair warning, Aiptek's line of digital tablets DO NOT work on VIA's USB implementation. It seems to work flawlessly on Intel, AMD, SiS, and nVidia chipsets though. Via opted out of implementing a cooperative version of USB and it shows with a broad (but mostly unobserved) incompatability with USB products that have stringent bus requirements (Such as the Aiptek HyperPen's, Canon CanoScan LiDE scanners, and some USB Digital Webcams, all of which have a host of incompatabilities when installed on a VIA chipset) so keep that in mind when shopping if you use a Via based mainboard. As far as Digital Tablets go, the (very) pricey Wacom Digital Tablets seem to work okay (not perfectly) on Via mainboards. Hope that was helpful too :)

[gjimene2]

I'm one of the many that gets wrist painsl.

I have Two optical mice, both are five button. Then I also have a P5 glove plugged in. I game with it, and I use it as a mouse, your arm tends to get a bit tired once in a while though from using it, but it's **** fun.

I had a Logitec Trackball, cost me $79 at Best Buy when they came out, loved it. After a year and a half to two years later of use I lost the ball :(


But I got another trackball that hooks up to the serial port, but don't use it anymore, unhooked it so that I can have my UPS hooked up to my pc for monitoring.

That and I also had the tendency to put the trackball on the floor and browser the web with my foot, LOL. :)

[Cpl_Squirrel]

Remind me never to borrow your trackball. :eek:

[gjimene2]

lol, hey my feet are clean and it's fun :D

[KenKeith]

Carpal tunnel/tendonitis syndrome usually applies to heavy (8 hr day) keypunching and typing users. Difficult to envision the same problem existing for users of pointing devices!

[Dracas]

KK:

When I'm not at work punching away at keys or doing digital graphics (professional), I'm at home punching away and doing digital graphics (personal). All in all I spend probably around 85% of my day on the computer, combined, between about four of them. Its not exactly a standard role for a computer system, but if you do a lot of digital art, chatting, etc.. even using a pointing device for too long (at the wrong angle, mind you) can cause a carp' load (punpunpun) of pain, and persuade other problems to occur, so that statements isn't exactly true,it does and will effect pointing device users, even if you don't have a keyboard and use voice-translations software and a mouse combined :p

[bassman]

A good ergonomic mouse helps a lot, but hand and finger exercise is half the way to go:

http://collkey.swpco.com/PDFs/RG13.pdf

[KenKeith]

Ergonomics for the mouse user who has pain caused by repetitive strain injury: http://www.collhealth.com/ergo_fol/office_ergo/swivet.html

[Beeblequix]

Carpal tunnel/tendonitis syndrome usually applies to heavy (8 hr day) keypunching and typing users. Difficult to envision the same problem existing for users of pointing devices!

Combining 3-6 solid hours of (nervous) surfing (ocd--what can I say? i know it's silly but can't stop), then doing 4 hours of level design, then hours of keyboarding....it all catches up.

I did think about those little finger mice trackballs, but I think it may be just as bad for my fingers.

I'll definately check out those links for excercises. Thanks guys. And so far I LOVE the trackball. I think I've even noticed a difference in the affected fingers in just one week's time. Plus my gaming skills have vaulted (still getting my *** kicked but I'll get better).

And now that I think about it I can set up my optical mouse on my left hand with the buttons and wheel assigned to keys on the keyboard. Tré bien!

ß

[eFrisky]

My personal experience was that the only time I've ever (thankfully) had some hand/wrist/arm pain it was definitely due to a poorly designed Compaq mouse; one of the cheap supplied-with-system older ones. I only used it for a couple of weeks and suddenly had pain. Swapped it for another mouse and no more problems.
This particular Compaq mouse had a very exaggerated 'dip' on the left mouse button and I think it just didn't work well for my index finger! Try swapping devices if you start to have problems - don't just ignore the pain.