I have owned rMB for a month now. I really enjoy it and use it everyday. One problem I have noticed is the way the keyboard is shaped my hands feel cramped and it gets painful. Anyone else notice this? Any suggestions on using the MacBook in a better way? thanks.
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Hands cramped on RMB
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You may be hitting the keys too hard. Since the keyboard has so little travel, the trick is to pretend it is a touchscreen and tap with little force. That may be what writers such as Jason Snell and Marco Arment, who both complained about the keyboard, need to adjust to most if they are to get used to it.
There is no place to rest the hands/wrist and I hover above the keyboard. I am trying to get used to it.
If you are getting pain after a month of usage then I'd stop using the machine as you should have adjusted by now.
No computer or gadget is worth suffering pain over!
No computer or gadget is worth suffering pain over!
I understand the concern but people really shouldn't be surprised by this. A smaller machine = less surface area for wrists. This should be obvious. No, there is nothing that can be done aside from buying a different machine.
Yes, the keyboard is exactly the same size. The keys are larger (which is why the edges are closer to each other)
I assume the posters mean that the metal below the keyboard isn't big enough to rest the wrists on.
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It's fine for for me, but maybe with really big hands it's no good.
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In fact it feels perfect to me, like a keyboard should be. When I go back to my rMBP 15" now, it feels like I'm sitting at some big mixing desk. Or that I've brought my desk along with me, as well as a notebook.
A very subjective thing I guess.
But the area surround the keyboard is smaller meaning less space to rest your hands which might cause discomfort for some.
Thanks, read the article but still a bit confused.
How can holding your hands in the air be good (put load on the shoulders) and resting the hands be bad?
Basically any unnatural wrist angle can put pressure on the median nerve causing CTS over time. This happens when the angle inhibits nerve gliding and cause damage and scarring and can eventually lead to the nerve adhering to the tissue around it restricting movement of teh nerve in the tunnel and causing pain.
The article is correct. Resting the wrist is very bad for RSI, especially resting them on a hard surface. I've had personal experience with this, many years ago my wrists were very painful but once I stopped resting my wrists they improved significantly.
I too had cramps around the wrist area after prolonged use of the new rMB, but I realized I was typing with my hands in ll position rather than /\ position that I would do on my previous rMBP 15". I've changed to a more /\ shape and now I can type 5+ hours without any cramps.