From: Benjamin Koh (benkoh_at_stanford.edu)
Date: Mon Feb 19 2001 - 05:28:04 EST
Sven Utcke wrote:
>
> An interesting observation: Most modern computers have the keyboard at
> the back instead of the front, where it used to be, and put a touchpad
> up front. Probably quite usefull for a click and surf person under
> Windows, but, in my experience, a bit of a problem when typing...
The keyboard was moved back by Apple in response to the RSI lawsuits
that were coming out. With the keyboard farther back the front became
a wrist rest which conveniently held the trackball as well. Today the
touchpad has replaced the trackball but the wrist rest idea remains
the same. Everyone else promptly copied these innovations from Apple,
so that today's laptops look very much alike in terms of
keyboard/touchpad placement.
> Of course this isn't just Thinkpads, but pretty much every laptop
> manufacturer, so you might not have much choice
Most laptops are thick enough that if the keyboard was at the front
you would strain your wrists trying to rest them and type at the same
time, or your wrists would be floating in the air without support. The
only laptop I've used where the keyboard was at the front is the HP
Omnibook 800, and that one ia thin enough that I can rest my wrists
comfortably on the table and still type.
The only typing problem I could foresee with a keyboard at the back
would be thumbs touching the touchpad and moving the cursor by
accident... which is impossible with the Thinkpad's Trackpoint. I love
the Trackpoint.
Benjamin
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