Most previous studies looked at computer use without differentiating between laptop and desktop. However, the current study investigated if MSS were associated with the type of computer used, and found that those who used both laptop and desktop were more likely to report an MSS than those who used either a laptop or a desktop only. This is in contrast to Hamilton et al. (2005) who found that the students who used both types of computer reported symptoms less frequently (69.4% of the time) compared to only desktop (80.6%) or laptop (90.9%). Part of the explanation for this may be found in terms of the duration of computer use, as the average daily computer usewas greater for those who used both compared to those who used only a laptop or a desktop computer. It is possible that the students in the Hamilton et al. (2005) study benefitted from a variation in posture when using a desktop and a laptop in a way that the participants in the current study did not. The higher laptop use in the current study may also account in part for the difference as laptop use has been shown to be associated with poorer posture than desktop use (Straker, Jones, & Miller, 1997). The posture of the students was not investigated here,
but this is a factor that may have contributed to MSS and as such is a topic that requires further investigation. A better understanding of laptop-related posture among students may be able to contribute to future guidelines on best practice for the prevention of computerrelated MSS in university students.