Placing and using the Easychair Workstation:

Pointing Devices:

Logitech Marble Ergonomic Trackball

I have tried many different mice and pointing devices. The best mouse & pad combination is shown above with a Microsoft Intellimouse & the GEL Pad. I have now switched to the Logitech Trackman Marble trackball pointing device. This uses an optical system which looks at spots on the trackball to detect its movement. This completely eliminates that annoying skipping when regular trackballs or mice get dirty. Your hand rests naturally on the Trackman Marble your fingers on the buttons, and your thumb on the trackball. It is a little strange at first to get used to moving the trackball with your thumb, but just like riding a bike it becomes second nature quickly. I now have one on both my home and business computers.

What Do I do with all of the Cables?

The tangle of cables are a fact of life with computers. A few feet of a product called "loom tubing", and several assorted cable clamps an ties really helps dress things up. The loom tubing is a flexible corrugated plastic slit along its length for easy installation over cables. This lets you collect the CRT power & video, and speaker cables in a single umbilical cord. It gives the back of the monitor a much cleaner organized appearance.

What about Video extenson Cables?

Use High Performance multi coaxial VGA extension cable: Depending on how you arrange your computer and the length of your monitor's cable, you may or may not need an extension cable for your monitor. If you do, be wary of standard 15 pin extension cables. The high frequency video signals of today's SVGA monitors can have shadows and extra interference lines using "standard" cables. This product has separate individual coaxial cores for each of the color signal lines. This will give you the best display with the least amount of interference.

What About the Speakers?

While some new monitors have the speakers built in, most do not. The can be mounted on the side of the monitor with velcro, or one of the many available kits. The speakers show here are attached to a strip of DIN rail or other strip of material and suspended across the monitor. Computer speakers are all shielded so they do not affect the display. I personally like the Cambridge Soundworks speakers because first they have great sound, and they have a separate volume control which connects back the subwoofer box(placed behind the Chair). The two satellite speakers are very small and only have thin audio cables to connect to them. The speakers come with Velcro strips to mount them to the sides or top of the monitor, and Velcro to mount the remote volume control to the side of the Monitor Jack™ column.

This mouse pad is the best I have ever used for a standard mouse. It is very well suited for use as part of the EasyChair WorkStation in that it has a rigid base supporting the mouse pad area, and a GEL wrist support cushion. It is shown here on the arm of my own EasyChair. Using a mouse this way is very comfortable in the chairs arm supports you forearm and elbow, and the GEL wrist pad supports your wrist at a very natural arm position.

• • extend the arm beyond the Legs
  • move the arm away from the front arc
  • put your fingers in or around the scissors extension area = they could be pinched
  • lean or put extra weight on the monitor
  • overload the monitor arm- see
  • pinch or over extend the cables

• • move the monitor and arm by grasping the arm under the monitor, not the monitor itself
  • move the arm slowly and smoothly instead of quick jerky motions
  • fully retract the arm when not in use
  • keep all bolts and nuts tight, they can loosen over time with use.
  • Use a rigid mouse pad
  • tether the mouse cord so it cannot fall accidentally to the floor

Here are some links to other ergonomic product sites. Some have products which would probably be competitors, but they all have some excellent articles on the ergonomic use of computer equipment.

http://www.ctdnews.com/ --Workplace health information