By Colin Fisher-McAllum...
I spend hours working at my keyboard, especially while producing AtariPhile. Being a graphics intensive publication the mouse is in continuos use. In recent months my wrist has become very tender by the end of each work session. Well, I have come across a range of products made by an American company called Fellows that seem to be just what the doctor ordered... or may have ordered, if I kept on with the bad work practice.
The products came to my attention while I was looking for a cheap item to take my "Viking Direct" [office supplies] order up a few pounds so I could take advantage of their free next day delivey. There is not much you can buy for £4 and I bought some pens last time! Because my wrist ached I was flexing my right hand at the same time as scanning the catalogue when the Gel Exerciser caught my eye. The current 'sale' price is just £3.99 [full price £4.95] so I thought, why not?
My parcel full of
goodies including the gel exerciser arrived, as expected, next day.
Measuring about 12cm in length by 16cm maximum circumference, it is
simply a cloth covered blob of gel. To exercise, all you do is
squeeze! I must say that over the last couple of weeks this blob has
become like a set of 'worry beads' - hard to put down. Because it's
gel, it take the shape of your hand and I find the pressure it applies
on the palm while squeezing with the fingers to be rather therapeutic.
Realising I needed another DM25 to C50 cable [for Iomega Zip drive number two... this one for 42BBS], I felt another call to Viking Direct was due. They really do sell some computer, and stationary, products at excellent prices - it's worth getting their catalogue [free delivery on pre VAT orders over £30 - 0800-424444]. So anyway, I digress...
I also needed a new
mouse mat and noticed that Fellows make a "Mouse Pad and Gel Wrist
Pad" - sale price £10.99 [usual price £11.95]. This item has
proved to be a really superb purchase. There is a plastic base
measuring 16cm by 25cm that is pre formed to take a mouse mat and a
gel pad. The mat itself measures 15cm by a maximum 16cm and when used
with a reasonably high resolution mouse this is plenty big enough. The
pad stands some 2cm higher than the mat and gives excellent wrist
support. If you wish, both the mat and pad can be taken off the base
and used direct on the desk. I prefer to leave the set complete
because the base is firm enough to use on my lap when I sit back from
the desk to work. The light grey base has four rubber feet to keep it
nicely in place on the desk.
I have noticed that a "Gel Wrist Rest", for use in front of the keyboard, is also available. This is definitely next on my shopping list from the "Fellows ergonomic gel accessories range". The Viking Direct catalogue describes the range thus... "Soft yet firm gel both supports and cushions your wrist and so helps to prevent RSI [repetitive strain injury]" Whether this is true or not I don't know. However the products I have bought so far have certainly made my time at the computer much more comfortable.