"How to get the most from your home pc"

Carl Mcleod is a new writer for Virtuality. He'll be giving us  computer tips in this column each month and will answer questions you send to him.

How well does your computer adapt to you?  Or does that seem like a silly question? Computers are just barely becoming an extension of our own capabilities. In order for them to reach that important role the industry had to have some standardization.  And the reason they are now affordable is this industry standardization.  Kind of a one size fits all approach.  Oh, there are improvements in software every few months.  And there are improvements in hardware as well.  But computers aren’t really adapting as much as trying to appeal to consumers.  An affordable monitor still has a flat screen, a keyboard is still usually the QWERTY design, and the mouse is still something you push around on the desk. 

My wife has PD so this has become an important area for me.  We communicate now with many more people, in more places around the world.  We talk (literally), play card games like Euchre, collaborate on PLWP projects, exchange photos, plan vacations, and other activities.  We don’t want to give up the benefits as her capabilities change. So what are the alternatives?

 

Try a track ball.  These mouse alternatives have been around for a while and they’re inexpensive, about $30 US.  The body of the track ball stays in one place and a large ball is used to move the pointer.  There are buttons just like on a mouse.  Here’s a photo of one I just bought for a friend in Canada.  As you can see it will work for right and left hands.

( Click on the mouse to the left for more information on it )

 

I’ve been interested in them for a long time but the mouse worked fine so I didn’t try one.  However, my wrist started giving me problems at work and I decided it was time.  I now use a mouse at work and a track ball at home.  It varies my hand movements enough that I no longer have a problem.  Here’s the one I use.

( Click on this mouse to read about it )   

 

When I suggested a track ball to a friend who has dyskenesia, she tried one and pointed out another benefit.  Using a mouse, she got the pointer to the right spot on the page and it would move again while she tried to press the button.  With the track ball the pointer stays where you leave it and you can press the button as a separate movement. Separating the two operations was a big benefit for her.

  

There are many designs to choose from.  Microsoft has a track ball; Logitech and Kensington also have several products.  There’s even a finger mouse that a PLWP member told me about that you can hold in your hand.  It’s small and light weight, but it may be hard to find. In any case, don’t wait.  There’s no reason your computer can’t adapt to you in this small way. 

Carl Mcleod

cmcleod@one.net

 

 
 

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