Posted on 25th Jul 2011 @ 1:46 PM

Remember the "dark ages" of personal computers? Everything was DOS-based, which meant that you had to use the cursor and ENTER keys on the keyboard in order to select an option and navigate from place to place. How cumbersome! (And if you do remember this, then we know how old you really are.)

This is what the dinosaurs used.

Then came Windows-based operating systems, and the ingenious navigational aid known as the mouse. Suddenly, all you had to do was put your hand on a mouse, pivot your wrist and navigate an onscreen pointer to a chosen spot on the screen, and click a button under your finger to select it. Computing quickly became fast, convenient, and easy.

But it also produced pain and discomfort in some people. That's because the mouse wasn’t exactly ergonomic. The repetitive movements of the wrist that operated the mouse began wearing down the muscles and joints of computer users. This led to carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition characterized by soreness, tenderness, numbness, and pain in the wrist, fingers, and hands.

Wouldn't it be great if technology advanced to the point where we no longer needed the mouse to work on a computer?

It might happen sooner than you think.

Last month, Microsoft announced its plans to adapt its Kinect camera system to the personal computer. Kinect is actually a motion capture device that translates human movements into onscreen responses. This allows people to enhance their gaming experience by using lifelike body motions to play video games.

 And look really silly while doing it.

Microsoft says that it has released a software development kit (SDK) so that developers can create Windows-based applications that utilize the Kinect concept in a variety of programming languages. The hope is that programmers will take the SDK and come up with a host of Kinect apps, which consumers can incorporate into their daily computing activities.

If all goes as planned for Microsoft, we may start seeing software programs and platforms that allow computer users to

• move their finger in front of their screen to guide the pointer to the desired destination, then either press a keyboard button or make a "poking" gesture at the screen to select an option
• use their fingers to quickly move, cut, copy, and/or paste text and images within a document, or between one program and another
• use their fingers to easily create shapes, lines, and other drawings in artistic software programs
• manipulate three-dimensional images on a screen with their hands as part of CAD software applications

So Kinect-style personal computing would mark the end of carpal tunnel syndrome and other similar conditions. Right?

Not necessarily. Depending on how these apps are created, the repetitive motions might just be shifted from one area of the body to another - like the shoulders, finger joints, or non-dominant hand. After all, in the rush to get these new applications to market, it's hard to expect developers to "carpal tunnel-proof" their products before releasing them to consumers.

Tom Cruise suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. Really.

So don't expect carpal tunnel syndrome to follow the path of rubella, polio, and other ailments which have become virtually nonexistent in this country. That's bad news for computer users - but good news for makers of ergonomic products.