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I swear by my Pilot Vanishing Point Pens. I have a set of 3 of them.

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=category=8-1073%7Clevel=2-3%7Cpageid=1761

I know this is not my wife, since I don't even think she knows that slashdot exists. I do have a 10 month old, and a 5 year old. Anyway, here is my vote for the chair I want:

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=11-833%7CLevel=2-3%7Cpageid=5973%7CLink=Img&cm_re=1.0-_-Products-_-Bomber%20Jacket%20Desk%20Chair%20w/%20Neck%20Support

Perhaps I'm the only person who's actually bought a lapdesk... I bought the Laplander from Levenger.

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/PRODIDPG.ASP?Params=Category=5-344%7CPageID=1859%7CLevel=2-3

I really like it for home use.

I've used this lap desk from Levenger for years. Works great.

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=5-344%7CLevel=2-3%7Cpageid=614%7CLink=Img

Thirded!

Levenger makes a great product, we've got several floating around the house, pretty much one in every room where people are supposed to be lounging (ie, no bathroom or kitchen).

Here's the Laplander, the one I prefer, that I imagine the above are probably referring to: Laplander by Levenger

I personally have a ze2000 HP laptop (as I bought it when a budget mattered, but it's held up just fine) so I have a smaller XGA laptop. But the wife uses one of the newer Compaq 15.4" widescreen models, and she uses her mouse with it all the time. Natch I use my mouse all the time too, as it's too tiresome when the laptop is less than six inches away to put your hand on your belly all the time to use the touchpad. Saying that to say, don't dis' using the mouse on the lapdesk till you've tried it without.

I really haven't purchased too many other products from them, other than these, but I bought one because I knew someone who had one. As a matter of fact, we've also used them for gifts. Of course, oblig Levenger.com

Thirded!

Levenger makes a great product, we've got several floating around the house, pretty much one in every room where people are supposed to be lounging (ie, no bathroom or kitchen).

Here's the Laplander, the one I prefer, that I imagine the above are probably referring to: Laplander by Levenger

I personally have a ze2000 HP laptop (as I bought it when a budget mattered, but it's held up just fine) so I have a smaller XGA laptop. But the wife uses one of the newer Compaq 15.4" widescreen models, and she uses her mouse with it all the time. Natch I use my mouse all the time too, as it's too tiresome when the laptop is less than six inches away to put your hand on your belly all the time to use the touchpad. Saying that to say, don't dis' using the mouse on the lapdesk till you've tried it without.

I really haven't purchased too many other products from them, other than these, but I bought one because I knew someone who had one. As a matter of fact, we've also used them for gifts. Of course, oblig Levenger.com

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=5-344%7CPageID=3567%7CLevel=2-3%7CLink=PT%7Cspecial=search%7CID=SearchClicked%7Ci=1/

Levenger "Laplander Lap Desk"

24" wide, so plenty of space to put 17" notebook, with ample mousing space (no pad needed for my MX Revolution!). The pad is REMOVABLE (Velcro), which is sometimes warm for me. The Lapdesk.com desks do not have removable pads. The others are too narrow, and aren't wide enough to span my knees when sitting Indian style.

AND it's nice, comfortable wood.

I've had a Scooter for a couple of years. It's great - comfortable, adjustable, light.
I use it all the time.

Laplander. I've been jonesing for one of these for a few years. It's not a lap desk per se, but it's the best option for ergonomics that I've found, since I am also a slouch on the sofa person.

There are desks that are fully height adjustable, such as this very expensive one, to a line of cheaper ones at ErgoBoy (caution some only move a few inches to adgust for taller people sitting). I find that the old biology class slate tables I had in high school work best though. Lots of room to spread stuff out and very stable.

You sound like you use the tool correctly and are a well organized person. This probably makes you the exception that proves the rule.

I, OTOH, prefer paper and pen for meetings and lectures. I'm a far faster writer than typist, and use that unless there's something that absolutely requires the machine. Scribbling on the handouts is better, if they're provided, but for the most part I do it the 19th century way. (Only with gel ink!) Good paper is a must, though - I get mine from Levenger.

I've been using one of these for years. Works well, and even impresses the occasional PDA-jaded client. I sometimes still carry my old Palm Pilot (so old it still says "US Robotics" on the front), but I never really found an app that let me draw and annotate diagrams the way I can with pen and paper. The Palm wins when it comes time to play Asteroids, though... ;)

Here at Levenger is a nice solution. It does not have any shelves or drawers, but it is designed to hold a laptop (or books/papers, etc) for working on a couch or chair. Very nice quality stuff at Levenger.

Here at Levenger is a nice solution. It does not have any shelves or drawers, but it is designed to hold a laptop (or books/papers, etc) for working on a couch or chair. Very nice quality stuff at Levenger.

I usually have the same feeling, but after seeing this http://www.levenger.com/Pagetemplates/Product/More Photos.asp I relized that for me it was just a function problem, most wooden desks are very tradional looking and not really desined for a computer so the computer looks out of place. If a desk is really designed for its purpose it will, IMHO, look right.

I got a Laplander for a gift. It is available from Levenger. One of the best tech related gifts I have ever gotten. No nut burning going on here.

• Conservation of energy. i.e. Laziness as a virtue, not a vice.
• Computers are toys to be played with.

Now, with that in mind I can think of some MUCH better uses of that $120 per month.

First things first, hop on over to levenger for some book storage. When I'm through with you you'll turn off that idiot-box altogether! Well, except for quality DVDs and TV shows (which are becoming all the more scarcer by the moment, don't even get me started on that topic!)!

So, unless you already have an AMPLE solution (meaning a decent bookcase with lots of pictures, carded star wars figures, hummels or whatever the heck you may be into) you're gonna NEED some first rate book-stashage! :D

Not that there's anything at all with grabbing a bit-torrent of something that's not yet out on DVD. And in my mind Netflix is a perfectly fine solution! Just more convenient than torrenting, less brain cycles that could be devoted to reading. If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend treating yourself to Lain and to Cowboy BeBop, as well as City of Lost Children.

But if you're a coder, I really honestly feel that developing fascility with Assembly is a good move. I am only part way through a great book from No Starch called [CAUTION:PDF] the "Art of Assembly" that (in the short time I've been reading it) has allowed me to tighten up my C++ code a bit! I cant wait to see the result when I am finished! I also planning to read another book I have on Assembly, but this one is so good I'm not sure how much I'll need it! I'll probably read that second book anyway though. The author contends that no matter WHAT the language in question, be it C, C++, Java, Perl, Ruby, Python, or Lisp, your coding will benefit.

I accidentally ran into the president of No Starch at the last 2600 conference. His name is Bill, and he's a really mellow very nice dude! I've been emailing him back and forth and he was nice enough to email me sample chapters from the upcoming title "Enterprise Linux Clustering". Honestly I haven't given them a thorough read, just a perusal but it seems top notch so far! I honeslty believe that No Starch is developing into the "New O'Reilly". Not in every sense of course, because O'Reilly's website is far more developed in the form of information and online instructive articles and news. Not even to mention that I have yet to be disappointed by an O'Reilly release! But NS is DEFINETLY an admirable up and commer!

Once you're through a good set of skill building in Assmebler, you can reinforce your mad skillz by moving onto what will eventually be a 3 part series specifically written for people wo like their High languages like C++ or Perl or whatever called "Writing Great Code" by the same author as the Assembly book. I understand the series to focus mostly on machine archictecture, rather than assembly which will benefit every coder from Assember on up to C or maybe even VB. From there you can move onto some more interesting uses for your newfound knowledge (sorry if I'm incorrectly assuming you to not be a veteran Assembly yoda). What's the fun of writing ANY language if all you get to write is "Hello World" shite? So you can move on to cool and useful things like how to crackpro

I'm looking for a nice leather portfolio for it at the moment, that would make things even better

Check Levenger's. They have lots of folio type stuff. I've been satisfied by their products.

I like Levengers bottled ink. Flows well, dries on the page quickly, doesn't clog the nibs of my (US$5) Cross fountain pens after months of non-use. Great colors, bold without getting deeper when lines cross. I like Namiki bottled ink for my daily use pens, it dries even faster on the page (as a lefty, this is important to me) and is a nice deep black.

I started using fountain pens in graduate school when I was taking so many notes that my hand would cramp up. I found that my problem was I tend not to press down hard enough (as well as writing small). So a fountain pen was perfect for me because it can handle a light hand as well as a medium hand. I required pen (instead of my previous favorite pencil) because of how it lasts over time and one cannot erase mistakes (important in recording data).

However, if you have a heavy hand, it may not be right for you. My advisor would borrow the pen and could not make it work, and I always was afraid he'd spread the nib too much. He preferred ballpoints. There are nice pens which are crosses with roller balls and ballpoints which are perfect for that.

Consider if you like a heavy pen or a light pen (this makes a difference for weight on the paper, hand strength, and length of writing). Medium tip or fine. These are all individual wants. I have friends that love the Levenger True Writer (Levenger.com has a lot of cheaper fountain pens now), but the nib is too wide for me. Consider also if you lose pens, if you torture pens, and if you have friends and colleagues who steal pens. Then you can either learn how to not lose pens, get cheaper pens, or if torture is an issue, buy a pen that is better with leaks. Rotring has pens that can withstand tough conditions (and are hexagonal and do not roll off a desk), and are great to use (I have a friend who has one, and uses nothing else.) The Rotring Initial has a "APC" system which prevents drips and leaks, even up in a plane. Sensa makes a fountain pen if grip matters.

A previous poster said that one could refill cartridges with a syringe. All fountain pens I've used come with a "converter" that allows one to dip the nib of the pen into a bottle of ink for refilling. If the pen does not come with a converter, most places allow one to order a converter.

As you can tell, I'm a fountain pen fan. It's helped my terrible handwriting, as well as my hands and wrists. Good luck finding your pen.

The original poster asked about finding ink for Lamy's Swift, an aluminum pen that absolutely rocks. I've had one for five years now, and it writes wonderfully. Levenger is where I order my refills from.

Want good pens? Look at Levenger. It's a catalog/web store dedicated to writers and readers. Their pen selection can be found here.

Want good pens? Look at Levenger. It's a catalog/web store dedicated to writers and readers. Their pen selection can be found here.

Me too. I have used the Lap Desk for years. The Scooter is also nice if you want a stand with legs.

Me too. I have used the Lap Desk for years. The Scooter is also nice if you want a stand with legs.

FYI, here is the desk that you mean.

Unfortunately, everything Hermann Miller makes is kinda on the expensive side, so this fancy keyboard tray costs $299. See Levenger if you want to order one. (I'd have posted a more specific link, except that their stupid website uses a frameset. Just search for scooter.)

Levenger's has one in cherry, they used to have a matching mouse too. Check it out under "More" -> "Personal Electronics" -> "Executive Suite II"

I have one on my desk from IKEA ($59 USD). It works great, and adjusts to my constantly changing angles. Downside -- no mouse area, so I keep the mouse on the desk.
IKEA Keyboard Tray

If you feel the need to go all out, try this $249 unit from Levenger
Levenger Keyboard Tray