DAYBREAK - Microsoft Keyboard Beats Competition in Reducing Hand Pain

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1st appeared 10 June 1999

Microsoft Keyboard Beats Competition in Reducing Hand Pain

David Rempel After investigating several commercial keyboards marketed to reduce typing aches and pains, University of California researchers found that one -- the Microsoft Natural Keyboard -- performed significantly better than its rivals and cut hand pain by 50 percent over six months.

"The results were unexpected," said David Rempel, a UC Berkeley bioengineering professor and UC San Francisco associate professor of medicine. "We didn't expect a dramatic difference between keyboards." The researchers report their findings in the June issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

Besides the Microsoft product, Rempel's group examined the Apple Adjustable Keyboard, the Comfort Keyboard System and placebo keyboards in the first controlled, randomized workplace study to last more than a few weeks.

Links:

Full UC Berkeley press release

UCSF/UCB Ergonomics Program

Rempel biosketch

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Source: Kathleen Scalise, UC Berkeley Public Affairs

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Last Updated June 09, 1999.
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