Ergonomic Arrangement for Computers and Books?

An anonymous reader asks: "So here I am with yet another computer book (Network Programming with Perl) and a pending case of neck, back and eye strain as I try and juggle the book and the keyboard and try to keep an eye on what's on the monitor. I've tried all sorts of ways to try and wade through a book and type in the various examples but everything is a bit of a kludge. I'm hoping to learn what creative methods for integrating books and computers that folks have come up with. There has to be ways to keep the juggling acts and the assorted cramps and aches to a minimum."

Comments

So easy!

[Anonymous Coward]

Use your right eye to concentrate on the computer, and the left eye for reading. Works for me!

Call the Feds.

[Black Parrot]

Call your nearest Federal prison and ask about hiring some cheap trustee labor - and maybe they'll send Martha Stewart over to arrange everything for you.

Get yourself a big-ass desk

[xtal]

The solution to the problem is a huge, huge, huge desk. I use a heavy-duty kitchen table for development at home, and have an actual huge desk at work. I find that the typical cube arrangements aren't very good, so if you're stuck with one ..

The thing with a big table is you can shuffle stuff around fairly easily. I like to have the biggest monitor possible in front of me, with my notebook to the side of that. If you have the aforementioned LARGE desk, then there is enough room to put a book between you, the monitor, and the keyboard, in addition to having lots of papers and crap on whichever side your notebook isn't on.

If I need to do any more reading (in depth) I have a smaller table with a reading lamp.

Seriously, try an obscenely large desk. Just a flat table. Aim for 4-5 feet deep as a bare minium, at least 6 feet long. It makes things seem a lot easier to deal with. I usually have 2-3 references and a pile of trade rags open on top of all the computer junk.