What kind of mouse and keyboard is best for a large handed programmer?

Question

I am 6'6" (2meters) and of course have fairly large hands. I have read through the various mouse and keyboard posts here but none of them suggest hand size as a factor(on the large side).

Are there any other LARGE programmers out there and what mouse and keyboard have you found suitable. I have a LogiTech MX 5000 and it has started giving my hand serious cramps and sore wrists on the keyboard.

I know this will probably get closed but this is a programming related question for me and where else can I ask this kind of thing and get fellow programmers perspective? I tried Googling but the few I found were gaming oriented.

Answer 1

I would actually suggest using a pen tablet instead of a mouse. It is much more ergonomic and it should work just fine with large hands.

Answer 2

For your mouse, have you considered a Trackball? Hand-size should be less of an issue with that.

I am not familiar with a larger spaced keyboard although a Google search reveals a patent in the US for a keyboard with adjustable spacing between the keys, so there is hope.

Answer 3

Hi,

I use the evoluent vertical mouse and microsofts natural ergonomic keyboard, both of which afford more hand-space than i've seen elsewhere. They take some getting used to at first, and I wouldn't recommend the keyboard if you don't touch type.

Answer 4

I'd recommend the Microsoft Natural Keyboard or other such layouts. The split in the middle plus the angle of the two halves really helped me out. See Here for details. Note that I'm more a fan of the original version where the 4 arrow keys are an inverted 'T' as opposed to the '+' configuration you find now a days.

Answer 5

You know what they say about programmers with large hands?

They have large keyboards.

Answer 6

I used to like the largest Microsoft Explorer mice, but lately I have gone off them as their shape has changed. Currently I am using the Kensington Ci20 which fits my large hands rather well.

Answer 7

I'm almost, but not quite (only 6'4"), as tall as you and I have large hands even for my height. I've found the split keyboards such as the Microsoft Natural (and others like it) offer me a little more "breathing room" even though the keys themselves aren't any farther apart. The separation between hands is worth something by itself.

As for the mouse... stop using it as much as possible! Use shortcut keys wherever you can. I switched to a trackball for a while but it didn't really help much. Most mice make my hand cramp, and even the best I've used aren't good. Leave the mouse as an occasional thing is a huge win ergonomically. If you're a UNIX guy at all then try Firefox with Vimperator. ;-)

Answer 8

For the mouse portion I would recommend the Logitech MX Revolution mouse. It has a good weight and feels a little larger than some other mice out there. They can be a little pricey, but I have gotten a refurbished one for about 40 dollars shipped before.

As for the keyboard, I second the split keyboard choice, Or here is a whole page of Large key keyboards.