Ergonomics

I've spent the bulk of the last 13 hours working on my laptop.

And I have to say, that ergonomically speaking, laptops suck. Universally.

The problem with laptop computers is that the screen is right at the same level as the keyboard, which means that you're always looking down at the screen. At least, unless you've got the computer sitting on something at shoulder-level, which is generally impractical, not to mention uncomfortable.

I find that if I spend extended periods looking down, my neck gets sore. I find the most comfortable placement for the monitor puts the center of it right at nose-height. I'm most comfortable if I can look straight ahead at it.

I know that traditional ergonomic wisdom says that you should be looking down at a slight angle at your screen. Yeah, well, traditional ergonomic wisdom is wrong. At least, in my case, and I know of a few people who agree with me.

For keyboard placement, I prefer to work with my forearms level, just far enough away that my upper arms are slightly away from vertical, and my wrists are resting on the surface of the desktop. Or better yet, my laptop. Having the surface of the tops of the keys in the same plane as the wrist rest lets me keep my wrists straight, increasing comfort. 'Course, it means that you can look at my laptop and see where the heels of my hands are wearing at the plastic of my wrist-rest.