Posted on 25th Jul 2011 @ 1:58 PM

Rarely is the perfect invention created all at once. Usually, the original product undergoes a series of tweaks before it becomes a household item. Early toilets were prone to leaks before Thomas Crapper (yep, that was his name) incorporated a water siphon system into the design. The first personal computers, which were DOS-based, were cumbersome and slow compared to today's Windows-based PCs. And do you remember the original cellular phones?

  "It's a cell phone! It's a doorstop! It's a weapon!"

That's also what happened with laptop computers. People thought they would replace the desktop computers because of their greater mobility and smaller size. But those who frequently used laptops began to notice a few problems: namely, poor posture, repetitive stress injuries, and carpal tunnel syndrome. That's because modern laptops, which have made great strides in processing speeds and memory capacity, are still not very ergonomically designed for humans. They’re generally not used by someone sitting at an ergonomic desk, in an ergonomic chair.

 "If I wanted a pain in the neck, I'd get a husband!"

 But, as with other inventions, companies are coming up with solutions to the innate problems which are present in the original laptop devices. Now, there are a host of offerings which can improve the ergonomics for individuals who spend a lot of time on their laptops. Here are five such products.

1. Mobile Mouse

That flat touch pad on most laptops was a nice idea, but it turned out to be inefficient and awkward to use. Most frequent laptop users now utilize some type of mobile wireless mouse, which offers all of the advantages found in any desktop computer mouse.

2. Riser

Bending over to use a laptop can get really uncomfortable, really fast. Adjustable risers can sit on a flat surface and raise a laptop up to the optimal level for maximum productivity without subjecting the user to stiffness or soreness. It also flattens and stores easily in any laptop bag.

3. Wireless headphones

Earbuds with wires may be fine for digital music players, but they don't cut the mustard for laptop computing. A pair of first-rate wireless headphones solves that problem by enabling the user to listen to high-quality audio without the intrusion of background noise or the hassle of not-long-enough wires.

4. Laptop speaker bar

A pair of clunky desktop speakers may not be convenient for laptop users who need better sound quality. A speaker bar clips to the top of a laptop screen and lets the user enjoy enhanced audio performance.

5. Speaker cushion

How about a laptop cushion and audio system all in one package? The speaker itself sits on the front side of the heat-resistant laptop pad, and a USB cable extends from the cushion's rear to connect to the laptop computer.

So if you use your laptop a lot, you should make the experience as simple, productive, and pain-free as you possibly can. These and other ergonomic laptop products may just allow you to toss out your desktop altogether!