Is it really better to have your notebook 'tilted'?

Just bought a cooler and well it's 'tilted' apparently to allow for 'easier typing'. Is that really a fact? I've had my laptop tilted a few times, I don't notice the difference much.. As long as the laptop is balanced anyway.. i.e. not resting on 2 cheap differently sized objects to crudely decrease heat.

Hope it doesn't make a difference in gaming. Anyone else here use their laptop tilted and think it's better? I know external keyboards allow you to tilt them, cant say I've ever adjusted them so they are though.. I just use them the way they are when I got there.

 

Its personal preference in terms of comfort but most likely isnt ergonomic. If you dont know what your doing typing (aka professional or took typing courses) it is a common mistake that you bend your wrists typing while it is tilted.

This can lead to carpel tunnel syndrome. Keeping it flat people still bend their wrists without say a wrist rest but its less than if its tilted. Note that almost every notebook cooler has a tilt and claims its good for you. The main reason for the tilt besides how it has to be tilted to work is that it raises the screen = closer to eye level and is considered ergonomic the key thing is just something else they can write on the box

 

I much prefer slightly tilted keyboards for typing. I've never tilted a laptop though, as I usually use an external keyboard on a desk if I'm doing any serious quantity of typing.

 

i ONLY use my laptop with a tilt, either from my cryo LX (at home) or one of my many portable solutions (x-stand, cool balls, etc). if u are like me and use yur laptop for extended periods of time then u will definitely feel the difference, with and without tilt.

as mentioned, the tilt will help lift your monitor closer to eye level. this reduces strain on your whole body cuz u don't have to be in a hunched over, downward-looking posture. that specific posture is horrible for your back, neck, and shoulders.

as for the "wrist bend" thing x2p is talking about, i'm not too sure on that as i am not a professional typist. for me, the tilt helps keep my wrist nicely rested on my laptop. i've never had any fatigue or typing problems with any of my tilts.

 

If you're sat in front of it for extended periods of time, it's much better to use an external keyboard and put the laptop up on something so the screen is at the proper level.

Or type on the laptop and use an external screen in the right position, which comes to the same thing.

Tilting the whole laptop will only slightly mitigate these problems; laptops are not very nice to use on a desk for extended periods.

 

Tilting a laptop puts additional stress on the bearings of any rotating components like HDDs or fans.

keyword: precession

 

What lol? Tilting does NOT put any extra stress on the fans or bearings ..?

Getting an external keyboard and then raising my laptop on the cooler might be an awesome idea actually.. thanks to both for popping that suggestion.

Either way I have scoliosis so I cant be saved... it feels like my wrist is getting hurt at least 10x faster now with my laptop slightly (unevenly, crudely cooked) so I'm thinking about pushing it back, raising the laptop on the cooler, getting an external keyboard and buying some sort of a wrist cushion.. though I think it's also to do with my chair...

Ugh.

 

Edit: Ended up with this: Laptop cooling stand - 3 fans USB connection - LEDs on eBay (end time 18-Mar-11 00:37:55 GMT)

I think I should really short out being more ergonomic once and for all, which is why I made the thread. Sort of getting sick and tired waking up every morning with 2 huge cricks in my neck.

 

No, it doesn't. Moving the laptop while the hard drives or fans are spinning can damage them because of the inertial resistance to rotation, but just running them askew is no difference in wear.

That said, moving a laptop drive while it's spinning is much less dangerous than moving a desktop drive or one of those 3.5" external drives, because they're designed to hold up in those cases, and most laptops have a drive protect function built in that parks the head if it feels it's dropping. Anecdote time: I simply close my laptop screen and walk with it to meetings all the time, and have done so for years with many different laptops, and none of the drives have died on me.

 

But pitabred how do you have yoru laptop? Tilted or normal?

 

Depends. I use it both ways. The main thing I try to do while typing is not rest my palms on the keyboard or palmrests because that's what can lead to and exacerbate carpal tunnel. Honestly, I just dock my laptop and use a USB keyboard whenever I can.

Issues with typing don't occur instantly... it's one of those "been typing for years and all of a sudden my arms hurt" issues.

Really, just use whatever is most comfortable to you. If typing at an angle is uncomfortable, don't do it. Everyone's anatomy is slightly different, and what works for me may not work for you. Try to avoid long-term pressure of the carpal tunnel, so take your hands off the keyboard from time to time or try to lift your palms when typing a lot, and just go with it

 

We use Workrave at work to reduce chances of injuries. If you do a lot of typing i suggest using this program.

 

great advice. i lol'd when i read debguy's first post.

i went back and reread the OP's posts and he mentioned he had a less than adequate chair. i would definitely put a proper task/office chair on the top of your "to buy list". it wouldn't really matter if u had all the proper equipment to make your environment egonomical, and u'r sitting on a stool. know what i mean?

 

Tbh, I'm looking at computer chairs now. About to order one. Time to start feeling well again, honestly chairs make such a difference. I had one 10th of the pain back home in Australia with my old chair.. been working out employment here but all of this is a bit long put off. Time to work it out now.