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2) A nice desk, with a surface that breathes; you don't want glass or something else that will make you sweat when you make solid contact with it.

Someone else in this string suggested a lifting desk, here is a company that makes decently priced addons to other desks that enable sit/stand desks:

http://versadesk.com/

And Anthro makes really good desks including sit/stand desks:

http://www.anthro.com/solution...

3) Nice monitors: Don't be drawn in by the resolution; what you want is something easy to read so you don't get eyestrain. Use the TV standards: Looking straight on at any monitor, the size/ distance should allow you to see the whole thing.

I highly recommend IPS displays for this purpose, they are supposed to be better on the eyes and better color reproduction than TN, and aren't a huge premium over standard displays. I have two of these connected to my gaming machine, and have never had issues with eye strain when using them. My current ones were manufactured by ASUS and HP, but I had a previous one from Dell that worked until the plastic power button broke off. I would avoid TVs, as they tend to increase eye strain.

I bought a treadmill that was designed to handle running slowly all day long and which has a low profile to slide under my engineering workstation.

I run it at about 1.5 mph all day long and it's very easy to type at that speed after a few days of acclimation.
I imagine a job with quite a bit of mouse work would be a little more difficult, but my trackpad/wrist rest works fine.

It's much easier on my body walking all day as opposed to sitting or standing. The first week I wore my usual hiking boots and was in alot of pain, but switching to good running shoes that fit made all the difference.

My whole setup is:
An Anthro cart.
A Treaddesk treadmill.
A unicomp M4 keyboard.
An IOne Libra 35-T wristpad trackpad.
And Asics GT-2170 shoes.

Works great for me.

forgot to link it:

http://www.anthro.com/computer-furniture.aspx?desk=fit-console

My solution is to use a whole bunch of solutions:
- Instead of cable ties, we mostly strips of double-sided velcro. It's faster to reconfigure. (Hint: Buy "Velcro Plant Ties" instead of cable ties... it's the exact same stuff but much cheaper.)
- Also use cable ties and twist-ties liberally.
- CableDrop (or similar) when you want to hold a cable in position but be able to move/remove it frequently.
- AnthroCart cable management accessories. They are optimized to work with their line of desks, but some of the accessories are just generally useful for group cables.
- Medium-length runs of multiple cables can be grouped together using a split tube (e.g. this). Ikea used to sell some dirt-cheap split-tube for cable management, but I can't find it anymore (they do have these, though).
- For some runs, braided sleeving (or even just solid PVC tubing from any hardware store) can be useful. You can unplug all the cables from both ends, and move it as a unit to a new span.

So I guess my advice is to have a mixture of solutions on-hand. For any given task, use the one that feels right!

One thing worth looking into are the desks sold by AnthroCart. They can address some of the points you mentioned (power availability, ergonomics, ...).

AnthroCarts are not cheap, but they are solid, can carry substantial weight, and will last a long time. They are also modular: you can buy more pieces to extend them (adding shelves, etc.), or alter the height of shelves if necessary. Most of the pieces are on wheels (with locks) which is perfect for a workspace with constantly changing projects (need the wiring station in another room? Just roll it there.). You can also buy power bars that integrate directly to the Anthro desks/tables, so that all your equipment stays plugged in but is easy to move around. Many of the models also have adjustable-height work surfaces, which is great for adjusting keyboard height or moving the work surface as needed...

No, I don't work for them. Just a happy customer. The downsides are the cost and that assembly takes longer than other furniture (because they use things like actual screws instead of crappy quick-connect pieces).

Get some Anthro carts. Put some extensions on the top and attach a shelf where you can put books and a light. Mount your monitors on one of their monitor arm accessories. When you get tired of your first failed configuration, it's not permanent. Unlock the wheels and move things around. When you get kicked out of the office you thought you were going to stay in and have to move again, you push the carts down the hall and plug them in.

All posers bow down to me. For I have found the ultimate in code reclining comfort.

Behold - The Verte'

http://anthro.com/cpage.aspx?pid=220

It's not technically a lap desk, but I've been using one of these for a few years now.

It's sturdy enough to hold a 19" CRT, keyboard, and mouse, adjusts easily, and has wheels so you can just roll it wherever you want. Yeah, it's expensive, but it's worth it.

Chair: Steelcase Leap

IMHO, the Leap is better than the famous Herman Miller Aeron for most purposes. It may not be as sexy, but it is more adjustable and more comfortable in long term use. In particular, the lumbar support of the Aeron is poorly thought out and uncomfortable, whereas the Leap has extremely adjustable and well designed lower back support. The one advantage of the Aeron is the breathable mesh. Whether this is important or not depends on the air conditioning in your office, and maybe whether you are prone to a sweaty ass.

You can buy the Leap chair online, but I recommend finding a local dealer. You get to sit in the chair, you get more options, more color and fabric choices, and to my suprise it was actually cheaper (at OneWorkplace in Milpitas, CA).

Desk: Ikea Jerker

The Jerker is a cheap ripoff of the fantastically expensive AnthroBench style technical workbenches. Either one provides flexible, configurable workspaces with space for everything you need in easy reach. They also let you choose your desk height for better ergonomics, even standing height if that's what you prefer. If you're spending your own money, the Jerker I believe has a much better price/performance ratio. It's cheap but well designed and well built. It holds up to office use. Of course we'll see what I think after the next earthquake.

Check this page out to see how various people have pimped out their Jerker desks:

http://adam.pra.to/content/jerker/

Martin

I'm guessing someone exceeded their bandwidth so I didn't get to read the article or see what this thing actually looked like. But I did enjoy the responses. If you're looking for options to what's out there try http://www.anthro.com/.

... oh, and it looks like the utility unit I mentioned above is on sale right now. You could buy the basic carts at this sale price and add to it to get to the configuration you need.

Anthro makes some excellent products that could probably be configured to meet your needs. I use an Anthro fit System Standard unit as my primary desk, and I absolutely love it. I think their utility cart would probably suit you well. They also do quantity discounts based on the dollar value of your order.

Good luck.

Anthro makes some excellent products that could probably be configured to meet your needs. I use an Anthro fit System Standard unit as my primary desk, and I absolutely love it. I think their utility cart would probably suit you well. They also do quantity discounts based on the dollar value of your order.

Good luck.

Anthro makes some excellent products that could probably be configured to meet your needs. I use an Anthro fit System Standard unit as my primary desk, and I absolutely love it. I think their utility cart would probably suit you well. They also do quantity discounts based on the dollar value of your order.

Good luck.

Anthro Corporation has some of the best components to make A/V and general computer carts around. You can make a pretty pricey cart, but you can also get by with a reasonably priced cart. The best part is that you can configure the cart exactly the way that you need it. The carts are extremely sturdy and well built.

Look out for their sales. The April sale was 35% off on phone orders

Good call on Anthro: They already have an iCart.

Check out the iCart II from Anthro.

For either of the linked iRealityDistortionStations, there is no place to put CD's, papers, a drawing pad, or any other tools. Much less a drink. Or for the Mac crowd, their reality distortion equipment.

If you want a good workstation desk, check out the following companies. They make excellent systems for a variety of uses, including video and music production.

Biomorph Interactive Desks

Anthro Workstations

Many of the big companies (such as Steelcase, Herman Miller, etc.) that make office furniture also make high quality workstation systems. With all the leftover dotcom equipment lingering about, you can often find tremendous discounts if you dig around at used office furniture and dotcom liquidation companies.

I've moved a couple of times with this desk, and yes you will have to disassemble it to get it through doors, however they're designed to survive repeated breakdowns without losing any structural integrity (unlike, say, prefab bookshelves). No nails or screw threads biting into wood.

The people at Anthro are great to work with, and their corporate values are in the right place too -- they're a consistent contributor to Public Broadcasting. Spend some time looking at their options -- you can build an Anthrocart almost any way you like -- and you won't be disappointed with the results.

Chuckle. Yes indeed, you can never move. Well you can, but it's a big pain. I have one of the biggest Anthro carts and have moved twice with it. Functionally, it is the best piece of furniture (for any use) I have even owned. It also it truly indestructable, and has survived two moves without a single dent or ding.

Downsides: Yup, it's really, really heavy. I took a long time to assemble this when I bought it (you assemble this piece upside down) and almost killed myself trying to right it when complete. Also, the supplied allen srewdriver tools are of low quality. Sort of a one-use deal. I'd like it if they supplied a higher quality tool. That would make it easier to move, since people are discouraged from disassembling the piece.

Somewhere in my filing cabinet I have a diagram of the method we used to get the Anthro into our home office, for when we end up moving again.

I'd never get anything from IKEA. IKEA's stuff is low quality. I have a few desks from Anthro. It's not cheap but it's the sturdiest, best built office furniture I've seen.

Oh, and it is almost worth buying something just to see their packaging: 2 inch thick corrugated cardboard!

For the record, I don't work for Anthro and have no relatives or friends who do, I just own one of their desks and like it very much.

The Anthrocart costs from $719 for a 13U rack. It can also be configured as a 9U rack with some shelves on top. There are versions up to 29U. Here are some pictures, and here's the main product page.

The Anthrocart costs from $719 for a 13U rack. It can also be configured as a 9U rack with some shelves on top. There are versions up to 29U. Here are some pictures, and here's the main product page.

Giving up the chance to moderate to make an obeservation.

www.anthro.com

check out Anthro Carts. They've got upright racks up to 29U high, one that's as small as 37" high (probably about 15-20U), and a couple of slant racks made for home use, from 20" high to 41" high. Those would be great for smaller applications, and they're made specifically for home office use.

This is a great topic, one I've been meaning to post myself.

What I have been looking for specifically is a wrap-around sort of desk, like in Zero Effect or the Matrix, that would comfortably and spaciously hold 3 21" monitors and a large laptop. It looks like its possible to construct something pretty neat from anthro, but they dont seem to want to return my emails...

Does anyone out there have any experience or suggestions?

thanks,

chris