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Archive-name: typing-injury-faq/software
Version: 2.4, 24th September 1994 URL: http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq/software.html See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Prologue
This FAQ may be cited as:
Donkin, Richard. (1995) "Typing Injury FAQ: Software Monitoring
Tools". http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq/furniture.html
World-Wide-Web users will find this available as hypertext:
* http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq/software.html
* (Dan Wallach's page) http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/
[This FAQ is maintained by Richard Donkin <richardd@cix.compulink.co.uk>. I
post it, along with the other FAQ stuff. If you have questions, you want to
send mail to Richard, not me. - dwallach]
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Software Tools to help with RSI
This file describes tools, primarily software, to help prevent or manage RSI.
This version now includes information on diverse tools such as calendar
programs and even digital watches, which tends to contradict the title
somewhat. It also includes information on software for pain-free use of mice
and keyboards - it draws the line at hardware, which is the subject of the
Keyboard Alternatives FAQ.
Some of the information in this FAQ is now quite out of date, so please send in
an update if you use one of these tools.
I am especially interested in getting reviews of these products from people who
have evaluated them or are using them. The major difficulty with all these
products is that when you are under pressure you tend to cancel out of the
break reminder almost automatically - any suggestions on how to avoid this
would be appreciated.
In this FAQ, CIX refers to the UK conferencing system, not the US Commercial
Internet Exchange.
Richard Donkin <richardd@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Acknowledgements:
* Amara Graps <agraps@netcom.com> for information on Coffee Break
* Charles Hsieh <charles@speedy.cs.wisc.edu> for information on Mac tools
* Jean Wilson <JEANW@CLEMSON.EDU> for information on Plug-In for Windows
Changes in this version:
* Added information on Coffee Break, Plug-In for Windows
* Newly available as WWW hypertext
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Typing management tools
Typing management tools aim to help you manage your keyboard use, by warning
you to take a break every so often. The better ones also include advice on
exercises, posture and workstation setup. A few use sound hardware to alert you
to a break, but the majority use beeps or screen messages.
Often, RSI appears only after many years of typing, and the pain has a delayed
action in the short term too: frequently you can be typing all day with little
problem and the pain gets worse in the evening. These tools act as an early
warning system: by listening to their warnings and taking breaks with
exercises, you don't have to wait for your body to give you a more serious and
painful warning - that is, getting RSI.
Activity Monitoring Program (commercial software)
Available from:
Anthony Steven
Office Automation Systems
7 Clarks Terrace
Heworth
YORK
YO3 0DQ
Phone & FAX:
+44 (904) 423622
Platforms
Windows
This product is specifically aimed at helping employers meet the
requirements of EC directive 90/270, so it is of most interest to European
users. It does not provide animations of exercises, instead providing them
in the manual - the rationale for this is that the EC directive requires
breaks to be taken away from the computer, so sitting at your keyboard
doing exercises is not allowed. In any case, it is better for you to
stretch your legs as well as arms, and rest your eyes by leaving the
computer, so this seems sensible. The program feels less intrusive than
some others as a result, it simply pops up a small window asking you to
take a break.
Unlike most other programs, you can set a hierarchy of some work then
micropause, longer work then short pause, and still longer work then a
long pause. This hierarchy is closer to medical recommendations than just
taking a break every N minutes.
Also, this program is only activated by keyboard or mouse activity, unlike
some other programs that pop up at a given time even if you are not at
your PC.
The program does not let you exit it or change the settings without a
password (though this protection is configurable) - ideal for companies
that want to discourage people from bypassing the program.
The latest version has some improvements: a TSR is supplied so that typing
in a DOS window will not affect the accuracy of the break times; the
program beeps three times before a break to let you stop typing before it
grabs control from the current window; and the minimised icon shows you
when the next break is due, changing periodically to cycle through all the
break times.
At Your Service (commercial software)
Available from
Bright Star
Phone
206-451-3697
Platforms
Mac (System 6.0.4), Windows
Provides calendar, keyboard watch, email watch, and system information.
Warns when to take a break (configurable). Has a few recommendations on
posture, and exercises. Sound-oriented, will probably work best with sound
card (PC) or with microphone (Mac). Should be possible to record your own
messages to warn of break.
Coffee Break (shareware)
Available via anonymous ftp
+ ftp://sumex.stanford.edu
+ (mirror of Stanford) ftp://ftp.hawaii.edu
+ (author's site) ftp://thomas_mac.wustl.edu
Platforms
Macintosh
Price
$5 registration fee
"This locks you out of your program for X minutes every Y minutes. The X
and Y are set by you. You can always see how many minutes you have to go
till your break by looking at the digital countdown clock in the corner of
your screen. You can also set a warning message to be displayed Z minutes
before the break starts, to give yourself an added reminder. The program
seems very stable, it's never crashed my computer (and I have a loaded
system- always > 4 programs running in memory in addition to the 20 or so
CDEVs and INITs), and it even lets serial file transfers run in the
background while it's locked you out (if you were transferring a large
file over the modem, say). I think the author, Thomas Reed, has done an
excellent job, and I urge you to send in your shareware fee, if you are
using this program." - Amara Graps
Comments
Some people like to be completely locked out of their computer when
the break occurs, other people would hate this. Still, since Coffee
Break is shareware you can see how you feel about it in practice
before you pay for it.
Computer Health Break (commercial software)
Available from
Escape Ergonomics, Inc
1111 W. El Camino Real
Suite 109
Mailstop 403
Sunnyvale, CA
Phone
408-730-8410
Platforms
DOS
Cost
$79.95; quantity discounts, site licenses.
Aimed at preventing RSI, this program warns you to take breaks after a
configurable interval, based on clock time, or after a set number of
keystrokes - whichever is earlier. It gives you 3 exercises to do each
time, randomly selected from a set of 70. Exercises are apparently tuned
to the type of work you do - data entry, word processing, information
processing. Exercises are illustrated and include quite a lot of text on
how to do the exercise and on what exactly the exercise does.
CHB includes hypertext information on RSI that you can use to learn more
about RSI and how to prevent it. Other information on non-RSI topics can
be plugged into this hypertext viewer. A full glossary of medical terms
and jargon is included.
CHB can be run in a DOS box under Windows, but does not then warn you when
to take a break; it does not therefore appear useful when used with
Windows.
Comments
The keystroke-counting approach looks good: it seems better to
measure the activity that is causing you problems than to measure
clock time or even typing time. The marketing stuff is very good and
includes some summaries of research papers, as well as lots of
arguments you can use to get your company to pay up for RSI
management tools.
DOS Stretch (commercial software)
Available from
John Fricker Software
PO Box 1289
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone
503-488-5699
E-Mail
71054.261@compuserve.com
Platforms
DOS (Hercules, EGA, VGA)
Cost
$27.00
Demo (VGA only, single exercise)
CompuServe: Health and Fitness Forum, Issues At Work section, file
DSDEMO.EXE
This break reminder program includes exercises but no ergonomic
information. It includes 11 exercises, taking about four minutes. They are
animated using a cartoon figure. The demo includes a hand exercise that
seems useful; the full program includes a reminder TSR.
Exercise Break [formerly StressFree] (shareware)
Available from
Hopkins Technology (distributors)
421 Hazel Lane
Hopkins, MN 55343-7116
Phone
612-931-9376
FAX
612-931-9377
E-Mail
70412.727@compuserve.com (Ignacio Valdes, the developer)
Demos (working program but reduced functions)
CompuServe
Windows Advanced Forum, New Uploads section, or Health and
Fitness Forum, Issues At Work section. (Windows and Mac versions
in latter)
Anonymous FTP
ftp://ftp.cica.indiana.edu (and mirroring sites)
CIX
rsi conference
Platforms
Windows (3.0/3.1), Mac System 6.0.5 or higher, DOS version soon
Cost
$29.95 if supported via CompuServe or Internet, otherwise $39.95.
Site license for 3 or more copies is $20.00 each.
Aimed at preventing RSI, this program warns you to take breaks after a
configurable interval (or at fixed times). Displays descriptions and
pictures of exercises - pictures are animated and program paces you to
help you do exercises at the correct rate. Quite a few exercises, can
configure which ones are included to a large extent. One useful feature is
that when it is running minimised it shows the time to the next break,
helping you plan your work to the next break rather than it coming as an
interruption.
The new release, 3.0, is renamed Exercise Break, supports Mac and Windows
and should include a DOS version. I have been trying out a beta version
and it has some useful features, including Typewatch (no relation to the
freeware program ...), which graphs your typing rate over time, with
optional warnings to slow down and export facilities for spreadsheet
analysis. It also includes a full ergonomic checklist online to help set
up your workstation, and a picture of correct posture and workstation
adjustment.
An unusual feature is the ability to include your own exercises in the
program, providing you have access to a Windows SDK, without programming.
Comments
This is the only tool I know of with a redistributable demo that is
not just a slide show, so if you do get the demo, post it on your
local bulletin boards, FTP servers or BITNET servers! Includes the
ability to step backward in the exercise sequence, which is good for
repeating the most helpful exercises. Hopefully a number of add-on
exercise modules will become available now that it is possible to add
exercises.
EyerCise (commercial software)
Available from
RAN Enterprises
One Woodland Park Dr.
Haverhill, MA 01830, US
Phone
800-451-4487 or 508-521-4487
Platforms
Windows (3.0/3.1), OS/2 PM (1.3/2.0) [Not DOS]
Cost
$69.95 including shipping and handling, quantity discounts for
resellers. Free demo ($5 outside US).
Aimed at preventing RSI and eye strain, this program warns you to take
breaks after a configurable interval (or at fixed times). Optionally
displays descriptions and pictures of exercises - pictures are animated
and program beeps you to help you do exercises at the correct rate.
Includes 19 stretches and 4 visual training exercises, can configure which
are included and how many repetitions you do - breaks last from 3 to 7
minutes. Also includes online help on workplace ergonomics.
Quote from their literature
EyerCise is a Windows program that breaks up your day with periodic
sets of stretches and visual training exercises. The stretches work
all parts of your body, relieving tension and helping to prevent
Repetitive Strain Injury. The visual training exercises will improve
your peripheral vision and help to relieve eye strain. Together these
help you to become more relaxed and productive.
"The package includes the book Computers & Visual Stress by Edward C.
Godnig, O.D. and John S. Hacunda, which describes the ergonomic setup
for a computer workstation and provides procedures and exercises to
promote healthy and efficient computer use.
Comments
I have a copy of this, and it works as advertised: I would say it is
better for RSI prevention than RSI management, because it does not
allow breaks at periods less than 30 minutes. Also, it interrupts you
based on clock time rather than typing time, which is not so helpful
unless you use the keyboard all day. Worked OK on Windows 3.0 though
it did occasionally crash with a UAE - not sure why. Also refused to
work with the space bar on one PC, and has one window without window
controls. Very useable though, and does not require any sound
hardware.
Lifeguard (commercial software)
Available from
Visionary Software
P.O. Box 69447
Portland, OR 97201
Tel
503-246-6200
Platforms
Mac, DOS (Windows version underway)
Aimed at preventing RSI. Warns you to take a break with dialog box and
sound. Includes a list of exercises to do during breaks, and information
on configuring your workstation in an ergonomic manner. Price: $59;
quantity discounts and site licenses. The DOS product is bought in from
another company, apparently; not sure how equivalent this is to the Mac
version.
The Mac version got a good review in Desktop Publisher Magazine (Feb
1991). Good marketing stuff with useful 2-page summaries of RSI problems
and solutions, with references.
PC-FIT User-Saver (commercial software, free slideshow demo)
Available from
Human-ware
Burggasse 88/16
A-1070 Wien
Austria
Phone
+43 222/526 02880
FAX
+43 222/526 02889
Demo (slideshow) available
CompuServe: Health and Fitness Forum, Issues At Work section, file
PCFITD.EXE
Platforms
DOS 3.1 or higher, Windows (3.0/3.1), Macintosh System 7.0.1 or
higher
Cost
???
This program warns you to take breaks, provides exercises for the muscles
and for the eyes, and includes information on ergonomics. Exercises are
animations based on photos of a model (mime artist?), which together with
cartoons elsewhere lend a light-weight feeling to this package, as far as
I can tell from the demo. Orientated to EC 90/270.
Plug-In for Windows (shareware), version 2.11
Available from
Plannet Crafters, Inc.
E-Mail
73040.334@compuserve.com
dmandell@aol.com
Phone
404-740-9821
Platforms
Windows
Cost
$20, three week free trial
This is a Program Manager extension with lots of features, including the
ability to display a message box with a message of your own composition,
at a configurable time interval. (Presumably based on time elapsed rather
than time spent timing).
Typewatch (freeware), version 3.11 (September 1993)
Available from
Anonymous ftp
ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/typing-injury/software/typewatch.shar
CIX
sco and rsi conferences
Email
richardd@cix.compulink.co.uk
Platforms
UNIX (tested on SCO, SunOS, Mach; character and X Window mode)
This is a shell script that runs in the background and warns you to stop
typing, based on how long you have been continuously typing. It does not
provide exercises, but it does check that you really do take a break, and
tells you when you can start typing again.
Typewatch now tells you how many minutes you have been typing today, each
time it warns you, which is useful so you know how much you *really* type.
It also logs information to a file that you can analyse or simply print
out. The warning message appears on your screen (in character mode), in a
pop-up window (for X Windows), or as a Zephyr message (for those with
Athena stuff). Tim Freeman <tsf@cs.cmu.edu> has put in a lot of bug fixes,
extra features and support for X, Zephyr and Mach.
Various calendar / batch queue programs
Available from
Various sources
Platforms
Various
Any calendar/reminder program that warns you of an upcoming appointment
can be turned into an ad hoc RSI management tool. Alternatively, use any
batch queue submission program that lets you submit a program to run at a
specific time to display a message to the screen.
Using Windows as an example: create a Calendar file, and include this
filename in your WIN.INI's 'load=' line so you get it on every startup of
Windows. Suppose you want to have breaks every 30 minutes, starting from 9
am. Press F7 (Special Time...) to enter an appointment, enter 9:30, hit
Enter, and type some text in saying what the break is for. Then press F5
to set an alarm on this entry, and repeat for the next appointment. By
using Windows Recorder, you can record the keystrokes that set up breaks
throughout a day in a .REC file. Put this file on your 'run=' line, as
above, and you will then, with a single keypress, be able to set up your
daily appointments with RSI exercises.
The above method should be adaptable to most calendar programs. An example
using batch jobs would be to submit a simple job that runs at 9:30 am and
warns you to take a break; this will depend a lot on your operating
system.
On Windows 3.x, you can use Barclock 2.2 or above - this gives you a clock
in the current window title bar, and also lets you type in a message to be
popped up every hour (or even more frequently if you set multiple alarms).
Not intended for this purpose but simple and effective, Barclock is
available on many BBSs as BARCLK22.ZIP.
While these approaches are not ideal, they are a good way of forcing
yourself to take a break if you can't get hold of a suitable RSI
management tool. If you are into programming you might want to write a
version of Typewatch (see above) for your operating system, using batch
jobs or whatever fits best.
Digital watches with count-down timers
Available from
Various sources, e.g. Casio BP-100.
Many digital watches have timers that count down from a settable number of
minutes; they usually reset easily to that number, either manually or
automatically.
While these are a very basic tool, they are very useful if you are
writing, reading, driving, or doing anything away from a computer which
can still cause or aggravate RSI. The great advantage is that they remind
you to break from whatever you are doing.
Comments
My own experience was that cutting down a lot on my typing led to my
writing a lot more, and still reading as much as ever, which actually
aggravated the RSI in my right arm though the left arm improved.
Getting a count-down timer watch has been very useful on some
occasions where I write a lot in a day.
I have tried an old fashioned hour-glass type egg timer, but these
are not much good because they do not give an audible warning of the
end of the time period!
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Keyboard and mouse control tools
Keyboard control tools enable you to change your keyboard mapping so you can
type with one hand, or with a different two-handed layout. One-handed typing
tools may help, but be VERY careful about how you use them - if you keep the
same overall typing workload you are doubling your hand use for the hand that
you use for typing, and may therefore simply cause your remaining "good"
hand/arm to deteriorate rapidly. There is probably a large number of people who
have worsened their RSI in this way and regret it.
Mouse control tools change the way your mouse works to avoid or modify
operations that are painful - mouse dragging is a common problem.
hsh (public domain)
Available via anonymous ftp
ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/typing-injury/software/hsh.shar
Platforms
UNIX (don't know which ones)
Allows one-handed typing and other general keyboard remappings. Only works
through tty's (so you can use it with a terminal or an xterm, but not most
X programs).
Dvorak keyboard tools (various)
Available tools
X window system software, via anonymous ftp
ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/typing-injury/software/xdvorak.c
Microsoft systems
Standard in Microsoft Windows, Windows for Workgroups and
Windows NT Available as a free add-on for MS-DOS
To quote the Microsoft documentation
Dvorak keyboard layouts are based on designs created by August
Dvorak, a professor at the University of Washington during the 1930s
and 1940s. Dr. Dvorak studied the way people type standard English,
and determined the most common letter combinations. He then designed
new keyboard layouts to speed up typing and reduce fatigue. These
layouts, now called Dvorak or simplified keyboards, were initially
developed for two-handed typists. Following World War II, Dvorak
layouts were developed for typists who use the right or left hand
alone.
It is doubtful that switching to Dvorak will have a major impact on RSI,
but it may be helpful in preventing RSI. If you do switch, your typing
rate will go down a lot initially, which will help!
Microsoft Windows products support Dvorak as a standard keyboard layout -
look in the International setup in the Control panel.
MS-DOS supports this via the MS-DOS Supplemental Disk, available from
Microsoft, which includes standard and one-handed Dvorak layouts. These
layouts are available for Windows in Application Note GA0650, available
from Microsoft or from various online services as GA0650.ZIP.
In the US, training and keycap stickers for the Dvorak layout are
available from:
KEYTIME
4516 NE 54th St.
Seattle, WA 98105-2933
Phone: 206-324-7219 (voice and fax)
If you are also looking at alternative keyboards, you might also like to
look at the Maltron layout, which is claimed to be more efficient than
Dvorak. See the alternative keyboard FAQ for supplier details.
AccessDOS, Access Pack for Windows (free commercial software)
Available from
Microsoft, CompuServe, Genie, Microsoft Online, Microsoft Download
Service, BBSs
Platforms
DOS, Windows
AccessDOS has a range of keyboard and mouse control features that may be
useful, such as sticky shift keys to avoid stretching to hold down shift
at same time as other keys, and using the keyboard for mouse functions. It
also allows serial- line interfacing of alternative keyboards and other
devices. AccessDOS is available from Microsoft on the MS-DOS Supplemental
Disk.
Access Pack for Windows has roughly the same features but in a Windows
environment. The mouse functions of Access Pack for Windows are useful for
people who find using the mouse painful. You can use the numeric keypad,
with Num Lock off, to do operations like drag and drop without holding
down a mouse button or a key on the keyboard. You can also do double click
from the keyboard by pressing a single key just once. You can use cursor
control keys for all mouse movements, though this is rather slow, as you
might expect. The mouse functions probably work best if you can use some
kind of ergonomic mouse or trackball and just avoid double click and drag
operations as described. You can work entirely without a mouse - if you
want to use a real mouse as well as Access Pack functions, it must be
Microsoft Mouse compatible.
PowerClicks, Mouse2 (shareware)
Available via anonymous ftp
o ftp://sumex.stanford.edu/info-mac/cfg/
(PowerClicks)
o ftp://sumex.stanford.edu/info-mac/cfg/ (Mouse2)
Platforms
Macintosh
Cost
PowerClicks is $3
"PowerClicks is a cdev that can replace mouse click and mouse
click-holding with self-defined keyboard combinations. For example, I use
my right hand to move the mouse around, and use my left hand to press F1
for mouse click, and F2 for mouse click- holding." - Charles Hsieh
Mouse2 makes the mouse move twice as fast, so that your hand doesn't have
to move as far.
--
Dan Wallach Princeton University, Computer Science Department
dwallach@cs.princeton.edu http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/ PGP Ready
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