I’d been using voice rec for several years already when my clicky-finger (I guess that would be my right index finger, but you know what I mean) started feeling tingly and numb after a long day of mousing. A little online sleuthing brought me to the ergonomic mouse, and I have never looked back. Its design is simple: it’s basically a joystick with one button on top (left-click, for PC users) and one on the stick itself (right-click). A normal mouse basically makes me mash my wrist in order to click — the ergonomic variety leaves it nice and neutral. The literature calls it a “handshake” position, but I prefer to think of it as a “jet-piloting” one.
I’ve been jet-piloting for about three years now, and it has not only solved my clicky-finger problems, but also allowed me to integrate some typing back into my routine. The ergonomic mouse takes enough pressure off my carpal tunnels that I can type a bit without my wrists freaking out. Unlike my voice-rec software, it’s portable — I just plug it into whatever computer I’m using and I’m ready to go. And unlike voice-rec — which, let’s face it, is always going to be a little clunkier than typing — it’s just as good, if not better, than the non-ergonomic device it replaces. Bonus: it looks cool. Everybody who comes by my desk thinks I am a badass. And with my wrists all happy and pain-free, I’m in great shape for crime-fighting.
3M Ergonomic Mouse, $49.32, Amazon
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