Hacker News Reader

Comment by jcadam | Hacker News Reader

I've used mechanical keyboards at home for years and love them. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with a mushy OEM keyboard at work (not allowed to bring in your own stuff here). Same deal with mice (I prefer trackballs).

View on HN

I've found that "what are you going to do about it?" goes a long way with this stuff. My previous job banned vertical monitors and I'd often come back to my desk with mine turned back to landscape and a post-it note from the IT guy, and I'd just throw it away and put it back. Nothing past that ever happened. My current job has one approved text editor, EditPlus [1], and one approved config with a non-fixed-width font, which sucks. I use Atom and Sublime anyway and just have to deal with the IT guy trying to lecture me about "we don't know that a / in Atom is the same as a / in EditPlus. You can't prove that it is." anytime he walks past my desk.

I'd give anything to work somewhere without an IT staff, but in my experience as long as you get quality work done you can do it how you want.

> My previous job banned vertical monitors

Wow. I get a "don't plug random stuff into your machine's USB ports" policy, but "don't rotate your monitor"? "one approved config with a non-fixed-width font"?

I can't imagine a sane rationale for this. Do they force lefties to write with their right hand, too?

Depending where you are, your employer might actually be making themselves liable for your physical health. Everyone's bodies are different; IMO it's not ethical to prevent your employees from choosing their own input devices.

I use my own peripherals at work. Multiple keyboards and mice actually.

Do you work at a nuclear plant or what?

Are you not allowed to bring your own?

I always bring my: keyboard, mouse, monitor, chair.

I worked at a software company where you were not officially allowed to bring your own keyboard/mouse, but the unofficial policy was that they would look the other way. However they would not support you or help you install it - that was much harder than it sounds, it took me 20 minutes to route the cable.

I would switch job for that. Using ergodox with colemak layout.

I have to admit I'm curious as to why you prefer trackball, from my experience there is no actual benefit to it over laser, expect perhaps if you prefer heavier mouses

I think he means the type where your hand manipulates the ball, not a mouse with a ball.

This got me thinking. A modern ball mouse utilizing some kind of optical tracking on the ball could be very accurate. Of course, probably less accurate than tracking on the desk itself, but would be fun as a "retro-style" novelty.

That's how modern trackballs work. Optical mice are cheaper to produce and more reliable than those with balls, and trackballs are the same in that regard.

I do believe Microsoft and Logitech have built mice that had optical tracking of the ball but went to direct tracking of the surface because of cost, cleaning, and accuracy.

When I notice an onset of RSI I switch to a thumb operated trackball for a couple of days. Also when I produce music and haven't enough space left besides my controllers on my desk for operating a conventional mouse.

If you're having to switch to hold it off it might actually be being caused by another ergonomic problem with your space.

I kept having to change things/switch out things to hold it back until I one day adjusted my chair/armrest height to above my desk and I haven't had an issue at all in 6 years since doing that.

I use a trackball so I don’t have to move my arm or stress my wrist. I use a Logitech trackball that only requires moving my thumb.

I love my old-school TrackMan Marble Wheel. It's even better than the modern Logitech trackball.

That's the one I use. I even bought some extra since I hear the wireless isn't quite as crisp.

I use a trackball because it takes up less desk space and doesn't need a mouse pad.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com