Standing ovation

As of this week, it's been 10 months since I've been working from home, due to the pandemic. It has had its ups and downs (I can get into that another time). One of the biggest adjustments was where at home I would work. While I had a desk, it was pretty small, and not all that comfortable. I've had issues with my lower back for a while, and I was better off working on the couch or bed, even though those aren't as great as they seem as first (it's kinda hard to type while laying down). It took way too long, but I finally decided to have a halfway-decent home office.

Standing desk setup

One of the things I truly missed about my last job was their standing desks. It was great being able to stand up and give my back a break from sitting down. While I wanted to buy a regular standing desk, I had a hard time finding any for sale, that would ship in a reasonable timeframe (in less than a month). I caved in, and bought a regular 55-inch desk. It was comfortable enough for use, but I really wanted to be able to stand. I managed to order a desk riser to use with my new desk, that allows me to sit or stand at my desk. It isn't the most ideal setup, but it does exactly what I wanted to do - raise my keyboard and display to a comfortable height. That, and if you already have a desk, a riser is much cheaper than a new standing desk. Both are easy to find online at places like Amazon (but if you're opposed to buying there, you can find these at most office supply stores, Wayfair, or eBay).

Aside from the desk riser, I also bought a new display, because working on a laptop screen for the forseeable future was not my idea of fun. I bought a 32-inch display, and it is fantastic for work. It's great being able to have two files open side by side, for keeping documentation and code open at the same time. I have to admit that coming from a Surface Pro and some Apple devices, the text isn't as crisp as either, but it's not distracting enough to be a downside.

When using my laptop (a Thinkpad T470 running Windows 10), I use a USB-C dock over Thunderbolt. It connects my display, keyboard, and ethernet connection. Yes, I do have a traditional Thinkpad dock, but it doesn't work all that well for some reason. But it's there if I need more than the 7-8 USB ports available.

Speaking of keyboards, I decided to jump to a mechanical keyboard. At first, I didn't know what I wanted, as the keyboard I was most used to was my Thinkpad's (and the one before it). I know Lenovo makes a keyboard that meets my needs, but with the amount of typing that I've been doing, I thought a keyboard with mechanical switches would work better. I learned about the Yoda keyboard, and it was quite appealing, but I've never had luck with 60% keyboards (tenkeyless is about as small as I'd go). They're also sold out pretty often. And yes, it's almost $300. I then learned about their other keyboard, the Shinobi. It is actually much closer to the layout of an older Thinkpad, with seven rows of keys and a big wrist rest. I went with Cherry MX Brown switches, because I like the tactile feedback of blue switches, but not the volume (seriously, they're kinda loud). I'm happy with my choice, and so are my hands. After a day of work anymore, my hands feel much less tired than before. Honestly, I feel more tired after 30 minutes of typing this post on my Surface than I did after work. And it feels great not having to constantly reach for a mouse!

The couch/bed setup

In short, laptop on my lap, backrest pillow on my back. Not the most ergonomic solution, but far better than just sitting there unsupported. I don't do this very often, because standing is my most comfortable position.