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  • Contributing Editor James A. Martin offers tools, tips, and product recommendations to help you make the most of computing on the go.
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Mobile Computing: Put Outlook on Your Palm

James A. Martin

Notebooks & Accessories

News: Future IBM Notebooks Will Be More Ergonomic

Mobile professionals who awkwardly type on notebooks in cramped settings, only to suffer from a stiff neck, blurry eyes, and throbbing hands, take comfort: IBM feels your pain.

Big Blue recently showed prototypes of notebooks designed to reduce those ailments. One prototype, based on the current ThinkPad T40, includes a hinged display that can be elevated up to three inches and a keyboard that slides forward for more comfortable typing. The other prototype includes a detachable wireless keyboard and a display that can be elevated. No word yet on availability or pricing for either device.

Reader Response: Vertical Mouse Stands Tall

In a recent newsletter, I wrote about the importance of ergonomics for notebook users and suggested that, whenever possible, you should use keyboard shortcuts as well as external keyboards and input devices, such as trackballs. Marilyn, a newsletter reader (she declined to give her full name), wrote to recommend Evoluent's VerticalMouse. "Whether I'm using a laptop or desktop, the Evoluent mouse is the only one to completely eliminate the arm/wrist/hand pain that comes from using conventional mice or trackballs," she writes. (Marilyn promised me she has no affiliation whatsoever with Evoluent and is simply a satisfied consumer.)

PCWorld.com's Michael Lasky, in an October 2002 review, was bullish on the VerticalMouse, too. "Even if you have no physical problem using a regular mouse, the VerticalMouse is an excellent $50 investment in preventive, pain-free mousing," Lasky wrote.

News: 3D Without the Glasses

Sharp recently announced its first computer to feature a 3D screen. The PC-RD3D notebook, which can display objects in three dimensions without the need for special glasses, is aimed at CAD designers and other content developers. It's scheduled to be available in Japan and the United States by year's end, the company says. U.S. pricing and exact availability weren't available at press time.

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