How do you manage a laptop while lying down?

[MEKoan]

If-love,

I think you were responding to SJ having a workable (nearly) situation and, maybe, got your pic.s mixed up. Of course, I may have everything ass upways, who knows. Whatever, we will wear any confusion we may feel with pride! I'm sure Fern doesn't mind one way or t'other who's got it sideways.

Yours in confusion,
k

 

[Sacajawea]

Lol

I added Fern's name to clear up that confusion...part of the trouble is when I hit reply to a post my memory of sorts disappears....gotta get better at this!

Thanks IF and Koan...still sitting up for now but if I don't get the hang of this particular keyboard I may have to upgrade.

SJ

 

[FernRhizome]

Hi folks:
Actually I am now confused by the thread! And it's fine that someone likes the name FernRhizome...that's what I feel like....dying down to nothing but that old rhiziome which keeps me going with CFS. Glad some of you could check out the photos I posted of the engineered recumbent workstation. Best FernRhizome

 

[FernRhizome]

PS:
If you'd like to see how I engineered my Honda Odyssey so I could be safely recumbent in my van check out the other thread about my Van set up with photo attachments. ~FernRhizome

 

[lemonflavor]

My wife found a laptop stand at Walgreens of all places for $20. I have this right next to the couch. I have two pillows under my head. I have to turn my head slightly but as long as I remember to relax my neck I'm fine. I have a wireless keyboard that goes on my thighs. Because of back problems I have a leg pad under my legs so this provides a nice angle for the keyboard. The advantage of this setup is I can get out fairly easily. Using a tray that goes over me would be a pain to get in an out of. I have to pee a lot. I also use an optical mouse (wired) when I'm only browsing. It works on anything--thigh, stomach, cat.

 

[gracenote]

a mouse and a cat

I also use an optical mouse (wired) when I'm only browsing. It works on anything--thigh, stomach, cat.

Hi lemonflavor,

Welcome to the forums.

So you use a MOUSE on your CAT?

Hmmm . . . very interesting!

What does your CAT think of THAT?

​

 

[lemonflavor]

Hi lemonflavor,

Welcome to the forums.

So you use a MOUSE on your CAT?

Hmmm . . . very interesting!

What does your CAT think of THAT?

​

Thank you for the welcome. I only tried the mouse on the cat once and suprisingly it worked. He's often on my chest. We bought a heated bed so he'd be on me a little less but it hasn't helped much yet. Although I love having him on me. He doesn't know it's a mouse because he can't see it.

I also used to use a Belkin cooling 'pad' which is angled. With my leg pad for my back and the computer pad backwards it would be at an OK angle. But it was still weight on my back and the pad make my legs hot even though it's a cooling pad.

 

[spindrift]

Just received the laptop laidback stand that Marie suggested. It is incredible!! I can lay in bed sooooooo comfy with my laptop instead of sitting at
the desk. This will leave me so much more energy for other things.

Besides functionality, I really love that fact that it comes apart and you can take it with you in a laptop case. Great for when I visit friends for
a few days. It is made very sturdy so I believe it will last forever.

Here is the link once more: www.laptop-laidback.com

 

[Sasha]

Hi all - I have just ordered the Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 voice recognition software because my arms get tired while typing and then just found this thread! I tried VRS ten years ago when it came preloaded with my laptop and it was rubbish. However, I saw really good reviews on Amazon (UK) and this impressive demo on YouTube. It's only 42 from UK Amazon and US$42 from US Amazon, which I think is good value for what it offers!

En route to becoming a brain in a jar, I was wondering about maybe a laptop projector so I could lie in bed, dictate text to Dragon and watch the words appear on the ceiling. However, projectors seem to be very expensive. Does anyone have any experience with them/know anything about them or know of a cheap model? Would one be good for the use I'm thinking of (i.e. lying flat in bed and reading text off the ceiling)?

 

[JT1024]

I asked someone who writes a blog while working and travelling constantly about his voice recognition software and this was his response:

Dragon Naturally Speaking is the standard and the one I bought. It not only does an amazing job of hitting 99% accuracy right out of the box, but also allows controlling Windows functions by voice (like using Words menu bar, navigating files, etc.) I know the military puts it on laptops for recovering soldiers who cant use their hands, giving them a way to use the PC, use e-mail, etc.

Sasha, looks like you made the right choice!

Regarding the projector for the laptop, I don't think I would go that route. Most laptops can connect to a TV. While the cords aren't cheap, they're a heck of a lot cheaper than a projector and the resolution is much better on today's HD TV's. I know my laptop has the ability to send the display to a TV through an HDMI cable but there are many different options/cables to do this. Granted, a TV is usually not on a ceiling but if that's what you wanted, I'm sure it could be done!

Hope this helps...I'm sure there are tech geeks on here that can elaborate on the display options!

~ JT

 

[creekfeet]

Aha! Just the thread I wanted. Thank you all.

I think I need an in-house geek, or at least a visiting geek to set things up for me. I have such a hard time figuring out how to select and hook up the simplest things. Soon as I get some disability money (hoping I do) I want to get that laptop laidback, and then maybe I can get my nephew to visit and help me work out a keyboard and mouse arrangement, hoping to find things that will work better for both me and my kid.

My bedridden kid makes do with laptop, pillows and wireless mouse, rejecting the tilting table I bought for about $20 because it just isn't adjustable enough.

 

[Sasha]

I'm writing this with my Dragon Naturally Speaking 10.0 software. I've probably used it for a total of about two hours and it's near perfect, although it does odd things sometimes like type "Gordon Brown" for "golden brown"! I'm really pleased with it, although it's not a complete solution to typing with ME/CFS because I find speaking quite tiring as well as typing, but this is certainly the easier of the two.

Initially, I tried lying down to use it, but it couldn't detect my voice, so I have to use it sitting up. Even so, I'm glad to save my arms! I would recommend it. I'm just amazed how accurate it is.