Ergonomic Keyboard Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 saved my writing career.  I write full-time online, and received this ergonomic keyboard as a gift from my mother - she's astounding (thanks, ma!).  I'm glad she did, my wrists and fingers were killing me.

When I say, "I write full-time," read: "I write over-time." I write about 80-100 hours a week.

I'm building a network of profitable websites online, on top of freelancing as JamestheJust on Elance.  When I'm done with client work, I'm writing something else for my own use.

That's not a smart thing to do without using an ergonomic keyboard!  I had a shiny, lovely Compaq notebook laptop, and love it - but there is no ergonomic value built-in to most laptops (if any?).

It took about 3 months of writing 20-30 hours a week, part-time, for my wrists to begin to degrade.  Then, slowly, I began to feel numbness in my fingertips.  Great.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Come to find out, it was more like, "Repetitive Stress Injury," or RSI as it's called - this was a new term to me, but Wikipedia has a great article on it.  Here is a Carpal Tunnel article from WebMD.

If you write for any length of time in a day, as a habit or career, you really need to consider getting an ergonomic keyboard.  I've found the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 to help my RSI dramatically be reduced.

                Buy the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000

I really don't like to hand out 5 star ratings unless I really find the product deserves it, so I did give this a 4.5-star rating.  It isn't perfect: the space bar feels a bit stiff at first - but that goes away the more you use it.  It's also more difficult to clean than a flat keyboard - but I couldn't care less about that, really - I just don't eat near my keyboard.

(Still trying to tell my younger kids this, but that's another Hub altogether.)

To be honest with you, the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 - which includes an ergonomic mouse - is something I look forward to using every day.

The downside is that I can no longer fathom using anything else to type with!  Using regular keyboards simply burns too badly - but that's why I needed this in the first place.

My hand pain and forearm pain was such that I would feel the pain at night, and wake up to take some Ibuprofen (800 mg). I'm not a slouch when it comes to pain, either - I used to work in construction, so this is pretty bad pain for me. I'm not a pill-popper, either, unless I really need it.

I know there are other solutions out there, the sidebar has some fine examples (thank you for shopping through my links, I do receive a small compensation and every little bit helps). But this is the first, possibly last ergonomic keyboard I'll need.

Features of the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 7000 Model

Note: I have a picture below that spells out some clear benefits and features.

• Wireless Technology - Unfortunately, I have the wired version, so can't tell you how long the batteries last, but I imagine it depends on the manufacturer you choose.
• 14-Degree Slope to Keyboard, or "Gable"
  This helps your wrists from being unnaturally sloped downward, called "pronation," and I find this is extremely comfortable, even after developing "the tinglies."
• 12-Degree Split, Natural Arc
  This takes a bit of getting used to - but the split-style keyboard is only seen in more advanced ergonomic keyboards. Many are only curved, or only split - this keyboard looks like someone left it in the microwave too long, it looks melted and warped. BUT the feeling? Super comfortable!
  
• 7-Degree Decline (Reversed Slope)
  This feature is optional, you can lift the keyboard so that your wrist seats more naturally. Again, I find it to be very comfy.

==>    Buy The Ergonomic Keyboard I Gave 4.5 Stars And Save $50!

The benefit of buying the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 is that you receive an ergonomic mouse as well.

I've included some links to the right so you can buy them separately if you need a second - we needed another mouse for our second laptop. Have you noticed the mouse pad on laptops hurts your fingers after a while?

It's a square, touch pad on most PC's and Macs - and it hurts me just to look at it! Those included mouse pads are death to your wrist and finger position. After a few hours, day after day, you might find that using the mouse pad causes you pain.

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*** If you don't use your PC or Mac enough that this is an issue yet - don't wait! ***

Waiting to take proactive measures to prevent RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is like waiting for a car accident before wearing a seat-belt.

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The great thing about this package - if you were doing your math (adding the prices of the ergonomic keyboards above with the cost of the ergonomic mouse selections) - you can see the value of a combination.

Normally, this package costs $149 - Amazon saves you $50 off the price. 

For me, this was a necessary purchase.  Mind you, if you have Dragon Naturally Speaking or a similar program (speech to text software: you speak into the mic, it types for you) then you will likely not need this combination.

The benefit to buying the Microsoft Ergonomic Desktop 7000 is that you can use it in noisy environments, or where silence is the order of the day.

In my case, we have a houseful of kids, and I work from home.  I can't use Dragon Naturally Speaking.  Also, if you work in an office environment where you need to be hush-hush, or you are dealing with confidential issues that need to be typed, a speech-to-text program won't work.

Otherwise, I'd LOVE to have Dragon Naturally Speaking (I'm considering duct tape with my kids, but I love those little turkeys).  I have writing friends and colleagues that keep telling me this is THE solution (DNS), but they don't have 1/3 the kids I have.

If you have any pain in your fingers that doesn't go away with shaking your hands, or taking a break - then you might have nerve damage, and you might need to consider surgery.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is nothing to shake a stick at - and getting an ergonomic mouse and keyboard is something you want to do as soon as possible, before you realize you need it.

Besides CTS, there is also RSI as I indicated above - and again: you don't want to take a chance with this.  I find that simple things, such as shaking hands or working with my hands (which I used to do for a living) is too painful on most days.

After getting this keyboard and mouse combination, my pain has been dramatically reduced, but I waited too long - I'll need surgery at this point.

So why am I telling you all this?  Because this hurts - seriously.  Take action before you do damage that requires drastic measures.  Get the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 or a similar package (Dragon Naturally Speaking, etc.).  If you write for a living, or a passionate hobby, take measures now to prevent this.

If you're an HR manager, or if you outsource to writers some of your tasks - consider this as a Christmas present, or bonus, or otherwise as a way to dramatically increase your up-time.  RSI and CTS are two of the most common causes for loss of productivity in office settings, according to WebMD.

To treat CTS from home, read this.  But don't wait, whatever you do: if you know you'll be writing repeatedly, look at some ergonomic keyboards like this Microsoft ergonomic keyboard.