It seems that once again, DreymaR said it first. I'm not so sure I buy the concept of typists being more professional about their profession.  To summarize my own opinion, the phrase "disregarding other relevant factors" comes to mind. Circumstances were different, and it is possible than many instances were simply not reported. Heck even telegraphists got RSI (telegraphists wrist), not that you ever hear anyone mention it.

Still if you want to try the typewriter route, IBM Model M's are supposed to be similar to the Selectric typewriters and can be had for pretty cheap. My personal favorite though, The USB Typewriter Keyboard Conversion Kit. I have a old 'power assist' typewriter that I miss dearly. Not the keyboard itself, but that constant heavy, tug boat-esque, Chug-Chug-Chug-Chug. The solid TWACK when letters were put to the page. The ding warning at the end of the line. Somehow, none of the digital sound effects ever quite get it right.

In the old times RSI awareness was not raised, and the number of typists was not many.

Now in this computer era, almost anyone use computers, and internet helps to increase RSI awareness, so many people with RSI are found and many RSI cases are studied.

Unlike old typewriters, many computer keyboards are flat and compact, so we tend to use wrist tendon to move fingers instead of using the whole hands, so more chance for RSI.

This book may be helpful to you:

Complete Guide to Repetitive Strain Injury, Emil Pascarelli, PhD
https://vivaa.ca/download/doc_download/ … njury.html

Some excerpts

Computer keyboards

No other piece of computer equipment has had more design research and gone through more style changes than the computer keyboard. Research has focused on key placement, size, adjustability, touch, key pressure, and technical design. Still, the keyboard that suits everyone has not yet appeared.

What kind of keyboard should you buy? Choosing a keyboard can be confusing, as there are so many available at a wide range of prices. When you buy a new computer, it comes with a standard keyboard, and if it is not comfortable or is causing you pain, you will want to get one that suits your needs better. As mentioned in chapter 2, the elbow carrying angle, which varies from person to person, will affect the way you place your handsas you hit the keys. The greater your carrying angle, the greater the likelihood that you will need a split keyboard. In any case, I believe a split keyboard is generally a good choice for everyone.

Virtually all keyboards now on the market have the cheaper-to-manufacture membrane cushioning for keys, rather than the more desirable individual spring loading for each key, which is best for good touch feedback. Basically, three types of keyboards are available: traditional, fixed split, and adjustable split.

The traditional keyboard is supplied with most home computers and is usually what you will find at your workstation. Some are available with a number pad on the right side, while others are alphanumeric or have a separate number keyboard.

The fixed split keyboard has a split at an angle of about twenty-four degrees and a slight downward taper on each end, which takes the hand slightly out of the palms-down position. The number pad, on the right side, is flat. The palm apron along the front edge of these keyboards is not ergonomically sound—don’t rely on it to support your palms. Small legs that prop up the far end of the keyboard should not be used, since they encourage extending your wrist, as when pushing a door open, a harmful posture. If you purchase this type of keyboard, make sure you have the right size of pullout tray.

There are several varieties of adjustable keyboards. These keyboards can be placed in the traditional position, angled, and even tented so the hands are no longer in the palms-down position but are held somewhere between palms up and palms down.

According to Dr. Alan Hedge, an ergonomics researcher at Cornell University, keying with the palms in a vertical position, as in playing an accordion, allows the forearm tendons, which move the fingers, to work more easily. Since you cannot see the keys in this position, it is difficult or impossible for a nontouch typist to use one, so vertical mirrors are installed on each side.

Many of the people who feel uncomfortable in the palms-down position at the keyboard have tight forearm pronator and supinator muscles, which need to be stretched. By placing the adjustable keyboard at a tented angle of approximately thirty degrees they might feel more comfortable during their retraining. See chapter 6 for details on exercises.

Those split keyboards that maintain the wrong row stagger on the left hand make me want to curl up and sob silently...

There's another reason why RSI would be more prevalent these days.

People are making much more intensive use of the mouse.

I've been trying to cut back on my mouse usage in the past 18 months or so, and I've found it's been the single most beneficial change I've made in terms of wrist and forearm discomfort.

I'd personally like to go totally mouseless, but sadly there is far too much software out there whose keyboard support is incompetent at best and outright malicious at worst. For example, there is one program I have used that actually disables Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V for cut, copy and paste.

Depends how your extended layer works and how the program was written in the first place. Even so, Ctrl+X/C/V are built into the operating system, so disabling them would need you to write extra code to intercept the keystrokes concerned. It's not difficult to do, but borderline malicious and almost certainly a violation of numerous accessibility laws as well.

No, it wouldn't be broken at all. The Ctrl+XCV shortcuts wouldn't be touched in any way!

Okay, try to wrap your head around what I'm saying here now although it's a bit techy:

• Ctrl+XCV are shortcuts in many programs, usually leading to cutting/copying/pasting-type behavior. But it's up to the program.
• The Cut/Copy/Paste key events are used by Multimedia-type keyboards to send special Cut/Copy/Paste key codes.
• These keys do not send the Ctrl+XCV keystrokes to the program at all, but the multimedia-type key strokes.
• Those commands usually result in cutting/copying/pasting-type behavior
• They tend to work a little more consistently too... provided the program in question uses the Windows API correctly.
• Most programs do these days.
• I'm using Caps+XCV to send the multimedia-type key events to the OS' input stream. I'm not touching Ctrl+XCV at all.
• Under Windows (using PKL or AutoHotKey directly), that works for me nearly all the time I'm happy to say.

Hope that's clearer to you! :)

I see that James' mistake was to either not read closely enough when I wrote 'Caps' or misread me in another way to construe some sort of Ctrl+XCV-wrecking behavior on my behalf. I guess I'll have to challenge him to a waterpistol duel or something to uphold my honor... ;)