I agree. My Samsonite backpack (they call it a lifestyle bag or something like that, but it's a laptop backpack) has done me great service over more than two years and about 100,000 kilometers. It'd be too hard to explain why I had to more or less drag the bag with my 15" PowerBook and a ThinkPad through a puddle, for instance, but both came out dry and clean--and fully functional.
But perhaps the most important thing: it doesn't look like a laptop bag. Your average laptop bag carries the words STEAL ME scrawled across its side, in large letters printed with ink visible only to other people. A nice, colourful backpack doesn't.
MS has been working on the XML side for some time now, so that shouldn't really come as a surprise.
As for C# being "like Java," see my (now probably outdated) impressions of the language based on a Dr. Dobb's article.
First off, be sure of the diagnosis! If you are suffering from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), please note that CTS is only one of the possible underlying symptoms that apparently is easily misdiagnosed.
According to one book I've read, there are some 15 different physical syndromes usually associated with RSI, and most sufferers actually have combinations of these. The same book said that CTS was for a long time the most well-known of these, but was actually found to be among the rarer ones. Nevertheless, repetitive strain-related injuries were generally pigeon-holed as CTS.
What this boils down to is, that if your problem is really RSI, chances (statistically, based on what the book said) are slightly against your having CTS--and heavily against your having *only* CTS.
Before you consider anything radical like surgery, be damned sure the diagnosis is correct because surgery might do anything from fixing the problem permanently to giving only temporary relief, or even making things worse. Get a doctor who specializes in RSI; he/she may eg. treat a lot of musicians (who tend to get the same kinds of injuries).
Get your workplace analyzed for proper attitude, keyboard etc; don't expect to be able to walk into a shop and buy a magic device that solves your problem. What works for one person may make things worse for another.
Little things that helped myself and others were things like drinking less coffee (today's programmers drink water instead!:), not smoking, and staying away from Windows.
I'm serious about that last bit. I've drawn up a long, long list of features _specific to Windows_ that aggravate these injuries. In some cases they almost seem designed for that express purpose.
I've never had a problem in more than 15 years of programming with the weirdest keyboards and in the most reckless positions, but the first trouble I had was after a few months' use of Windows. For the first few months after that, even heavy computer use at home caused me no problems, even when at work I was in agony.
Finally, try to keep some rest. Keeping those wrists absolutely still probably is no good (it's the hidden tension and controlled, nimble movements like typing that hurt most), but relaxation is. Never type for long periods or ignore minor pains.
Mainly, remember that YMMV. RSI symptoms can be very different from person to person. Don't be put down by doctors expecting you to match any narrow set of symptoms!
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But perhaps the most important thing: it doesn't look like a laptop bag. Your average laptop bag carries the words STEAL ME scrawled across its side, in large letters printed with ink visible only to other people. A nice, colourful backpack doesn't.
Most Internet cafes have all their machines' browsers permanently set up to go to MSN/Hotmail as the default page.
What's more, if you type in a different URL before it gets there, IE usually erases what you typed and goes to MSN anyway.
MS has been working on the XML side for some time now, so that shouldn't really come as a surprise. As for C# being "like Java," see my (now probably outdated) impressions of the language based on a Dr. Dobb's article.
First off, be sure of the diagnosis! If you are suffering from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), please note that CTS is only one of the possible underlying symptoms that apparently is easily misdiagnosed.
:), not smoking, and staying away from Windows.
According to one book I've read, there are some 15 different physical syndromes usually associated with RSI, and most sufferers actually have combinations of these. The same book said that CTS was for a long time the most well-known of these, but was actually found to be among the rarer ones. Nevertheless, repetitive strain-related injuries were generally pigeon-holed as CTS.
What this boils down to is, that if your problem is really RSI, chances (statistically, based on what the book said) are slightly against your having CTS--and heavily against your having *only* CTS.
Before you consider anything radical like surgery, be damned sure the diagnosis is correct because surgery might do anything from fixing the problem permanently to giving only temporary relief, or even making things worse. Get a doctor who specializes in RSI; he/she may eg. treat a lot of musicians (who tend to get the same kinds of injuries).
Get your workplace analyzed for proper attitude, keyboard etc; don't expect to be able to walk into a shop and buy a magic device that solves your problem. What works for one person may make things worse for another.
Little things that helped myself and others were things like drinking less coffee (today's programmers drink water instead!
I'm serious about that last bit. I've drawn up a long, long list of features _specific to Windows_ that aggravate these injuries. In some cases they almost seem designed for that express purpose.
I've never had a problem in more than 15 years of programming with the weirdest keyboards and in the most reckless positions, but the first trouble I had was after a few months' use of Windows. For the first few months after that, even heavy computer use at home caused me no problems, even when at work I was in agony.
Finally, try to keep some rest. Keeping those wrists absolutely still probably is no good (it's the hidden tension and controlled, nimble movements like typing that hurt most), but relaxation is. Never type for long periods or ignore minor pains.
Mainly, remember that YMMV. RSI symptoms can be very different from person to person. Don't be put down by doctors expecting you to match any narrow set of symptoms!