In case you’ve been asleep over the last two days, the big technology news has surrounded the launch of Apple’s new iPad. There seems to be a great deal of debate at the moment as to whether it will be as successful as some of Apple’s previous products (such as the iphone and itouch) – but if it’s even half as popular, it will mean a lot more people will be using a tablet based product rather than traditional books, newspapers and magazines. So is the ipad good or bad news for ergonomics? And will it be better for your back than, say, a netbook?
At Posture People we are always interested in the release of new technology. During our lifetimes we have seen a movement within society from general ignorance (i.e. a large proportion of people not even knowing how to turn on a personal computer), to a much more widespread embracing of technology in the home. In fact, the majority of homes will now have the obligatory PC or Mac in the corner of the living room. The adoption of all this new technology has also had a profound effect on our bodies, with more people than ever suffering with back issues.
Just in case you don’t know much about the ipad
If we look at the dimensions of the ipad, it’s slightly smaller than an A4 piece of paper, about as thick as a notepad, and flat. It is being described by Apple as the best way to view web, email, photos, books and magazines. But is it good for our backs?
Ipad vs the traditional book
We believe that one of the applications the ipad will become most popularly used for is as an electronic reading device. Because the ipad device is very flat, and if people use it flat on a desk to read, then the posture adopted would become largely hunched. Look at the two photos below, and the comparative postures; when reading a book at a tipped angle, the angled book encourages a straight spine,
Reading a book at an angle
Image from telegraph.co.uk
whereas the flat book, as though reading from a flat surface, encourages a ‘C shaped’ spine, placing increased pressure on the upper spine as it holds the weight of the head in a forward angle.
Posture created by reading a book on a flat surface
Image from fanpop.com
So how easy will it be to maintain holding the ipad at a tipped angle? It will weigh 0.68 kg for the version that includes wi-fi – considerably heavier than a paperback. So will the temptation be there to sit over it rather than tip it up?
What can help?
There are a number of products designed primarily for laptops that would work equally well for improving the ergonomics of the ipad. If the ipad was being used as a reading device, then a laptop stand such as the cricket would be great. The cricket laptop stand is highly adjustable, so the user could set a shallow angle to establish a good reading position. Another product, the Posture Pouch, would also work well, and would provide additional protection for your ipad, by wrapping round the ipad (see image below).
The benefit of the Posture Pouch over the Cricket Laptop stand is that the Posture Pouch can also provide a solid and appropriately angled platform upon which to write upon the ipad’s screen. So it could compensate for the downward slope of your legs, and it would avoid the need to sit cross legged to keep the ipad from slipping off your knee.
Ipad v’s Netbook
At Posture People we are not big fans of netbooks unless they are being used for very short periods of time. The combination of a small screen and a small keyboard are, ergonomically, a recipe for disaster, as you have to bend down considerably to use the screen and the keyboard together. So, the ipad is a marginal improvement as the screen is a little bigger, however, to create a really good ergonomic posture you will still need to raise the screen, and plug in a separate keyboard and mouse if using it for applications such as email. And remember, investigate ways of angling the screen if you are using it as a reading device.
We cannot resist the unstoppable march of new technology, but somewhere along the journey we’d like all manufacturers to investigate ways of helping their users to maintain better posture when using their devices. One thing is for sure – the ipad is here to stay, and in the future we will undoubtedly be reading more of our words from screens rather than paper. Hopefully though, we’ll be able to do so at an angle that’s kind to our necks.
More interesting reading:
What the ipad and ibookstore means for publishers by Semantico
Tags: apple ipad, apple tablet, Ergonomics, ipad, kindle
