[steve-atx-7600]

I’m still battling toward head posture myself. One thing that just astounds me is how many people at offices I’ve worked in will use their laptop as their primary workstation. It seems impossible to be able to work on a laptop (no external monitor, no stand for plus keyboard) without being in a terrible posture.

[asdff]

Ergonomics are only very recently hitting the office. When you think about it, the analog office experience was even worse. Reading and writing constantly with the neck craned far lower than even a keyboard would be placed. Exclusive use of one hand, no doubt introducing wear and fatigue in the writing side and atrophy in the side not being used at all really over the work day.

Maybe kids learning handwriting ought to be taught to write ambidextrously just to even out...

[Someone]

> Reading and writing constantly with the neck craned far lower than even a keyboard would be placed

I think desks in the pre-typewriter era were higher than keyboard desks. Professional desks may also have been standing desks.

Also, constantly? Writing on paper has frequent interruptions to grab a new sheet of paper/turn a page in a notebook, to dip one’s quill in an ink bottle, to wait for ink to dry before turning a page, likely also short walks to get new stuff to work on.

[asdff]

>Also, constantly? Writing on paper has frequent interruptions to grab a new sheet of paper/turn a page in a notebook, to dip one’s quill in an ink bottle, to wait for ink to dry before turning a page, likely also short walks to get new stuff to work on.

Even just being a full time student writing, hand cramps were pretty regular for me.

Some desks were more ergonomic like drafting tables, which were at standing height and able to be angled. But the standard business desk you can still find plenty of pre computer examples of in antique shops or photos of historical desks (e.g. einstein) and it is the same height as it is today.

[toast0]

> It seems impossible to be able to work on a laptop (no external monitor, no stand for plus keyboard) without being in a terrible posture.

Laptops are terrible for ergonomics. Having the keyboard and the screen so close in height is rarely appropriate. You have to reach over the touchpad to get to the keyboard. Etc. It's so much better to elevate the laptop, so the screen is at eye level, and use separate input devices. Most offices have reams of paper which are an easy way to lift a laptop or monitor and don't typically require a corporate requisition. Low cost input devices are out there, they're not sufficient for everyone's ergo needs, but they're better than the compromises of a laptop for most.