VIP addresses laptop health hazard

Four in five people may have nerve damage from using laptops

Components distributor VIP Computer Centre has announced a signing that it claims will help system builders ease a pain point in business.

Thermaltake is to offer a docking station, which is designed to stop people injuring their backs.
Docking stations are in increasing demand as sales of laptops exceed PC sales and become the tool of choice for business users.

The rise of laptops is causing increasing health problems, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
According to its research, four in five patients may have chronic nerve damage caused by working on portable PCs.

Emma Scorer, a Kingston-based practitioner and member of the institute, said: “Your eyes should be level with the screen. If your screen is at desk level, you are hunched over and that can cause strain on your back.”
Laptops used at work have not been subject to the same health and safety regulations as desktop computers, but awareness is being raised.

The problem of laptop-related pain, once examined by the Health and Safety Executive, could stimulate demand for sales of docking stations, said VIP.
Thermaltake’s BlacX A supports 2.5in notebooks and 3.5in desktop SATA hard drives up to one terabyte. Their main selling point will be hot-swap capability for fast access to internal hard drives. Power consumption may be another selling point, as the docking station positions the hard drive upright for maximum heat dissipation.

Victoria Davies, VIP’s product manager, said: “It is expected to be a good mover if the number of requests is any guideline,” she said.
Growing demand and dropping prices in the hard drive market supported Thermaltake’s decision to launch the BlacX A, argued Jerry Lee, Thermaltake’s marketing manager.

“Research house GfK found that hard-disk drive sales have increased 40 per cent over the past 12 months, so now is the time to enter this lucrative market,” he said.