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The LEGO Desk
It's a prety amazing sight to see. Check out how a full size desk is made of LEGOs - complete with drawers, and holes for wires. 35,000+ blocks of joy, and a lot of glue. Yum.
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This guy has also built a Lego Tux.
:)
Any question of the coolness of Lego is now removed.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
Tyco made some blocks several years ago that were very similar (and cheaper). The dimensions were right (plus a few different specialized pieces) but true the finish was different. While I didn't like them as much (I guess I was spoiled), they were good structural elements. I usually used them where they couldn't be seen and built "veneers" out of original legos.
"Dogs and cats, living together...it's mass hysteria!"
Build a house and that'll impress me :)
Seems the site is *really* bad right now, Might have something to do with the fact that they are serving all of their pictures through a cgi script ?. Oh well.
Mirrored HERE
Here's a Canadian Newspaper article that came out a few days ago about this. It includes some interesting information from a LEGO representative.
(the article isn't online so it's a scan)
http://people.netscape.com/toms/c ubicl e/computer/m l
'http://www.hard ocp.com/news_images/2000/january_2000/1-15-00b.ht
etc. I think the idea of a lego case has been dead-horsed around here before too, but I am too lazy this Sunday to look it up.
-- Sig? Filthy habit.
The main reason Lego bricks are more expensive than their imitation counterparts is the molding process. Lego spent a great deal of time and money perfecting their molding process. The plastic used is much stronger and holds color better than those plastics used by the imitators. In addition, Lego molds their product to a seemingly absurd tolerance (.0005 cm, I believe). It isn't as crazy as it sounds. If you start building a complex model, you'll be thankful for the accuracy and strength of Lego bricks. The other companies do attempt to make their bricks the same size. However, they cut back on costs in the molding process. As a result, the pieces don't fit as well. They are cheaper; they just aren't nearly as good.
From its earliest days making wooden toys, the Lego company prided itself on quality. Every toy got three coats of paint. One line of ducks was actually recalled in order to have the third coat applied. Lego might cost more, but you get a much better product. And of course, Lego offers a much larger variety of pieces than any of its competitors (especially Technic pieces).
"I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy." -Richard Feynman
Okay, I really want to know. Who was it that actually got this? This person must have been massively in demand. I bet he's out there reading /. right now! Who are you, we want to know! Someone else must know as well, the HR department, someone at the compnay, someone must be able to leak the information! I'm looking forward to finding out. ;)
Joshua
They are also dogamtic about the use of the LEGO trademark on websites- Hemos, take note, assuming you ever bother to read posts... I know this was covered well last time Lego was mentioned but, one more time, from the above linked page:
I suppose it is too much to ask that this is the last time we'll ever see the LEGOs word on /.
.. yeah, and that the case itself could interlock onto the desk surface.
Having lego drinking glasses and other such things would do wonders for desk neatness.. nothing could tip over!
The guy who built this stuff is my new hero.
-Jeff
. . . writting on one of these things. Holy crap! Why do I keep getting these little holes in my paper!?
Ethan Jewett
E-mail: Now what spa I mean e-mail site does Microsoft run again?
I'm pretty sure if I were to get a lego desk, I wouldn't want a smooth top either. The fun you could have just building stuff stuck on top of your desk...
Writing (by hand, you know; I think some people still do this) wouldn't be a problem with one of those desk-protector/calendar underlay thingys, but I'm sure the impression patterns from the dots on arms (and elbows, ouch!) aren't going to be much fun. Of course, there's always going to be the problem of cleaning it...
It's only software!
How the hell does this guy write on anything?
With the stylus that clips onto the side of the screen of course.
Could you perhaps build me a lego car, complete with working components? What it might cost a couple grand? Sounds good to me...I'll just drive it home! Parts are easy to replace aswell...just rebuild em!
"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gautier
I think you would have to be certifiable in the first place to want to program in visual basic!
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Yes, if there are any LEGO Group employees listening, I would like to see your blocks made out of carbon fiber or space-age ceramics or something. Then we could build actual tools and machines from them, as they'd be quite strong.
There are added benefits:
whatever material you choose will revolutionize that material's place in the world. The volume of LEGO production is so immense (are you up to billions per year yet? per week, maybe?) that the infrastructure needed to supply this material will get a big boost and drive prices down in all industries using this material (palm and laptop cases, auto components, etc) This will be good for everyone.
With cheap and simple gluing techniques and immensly sturdy brick materials, people could build actual structures and drive the building supplies home in a compact car. This is good for Europe in particular, but maybe also in places like Siberia, Africa and Bangaladesh for all sorts of natural disaster/infrastructure reasons.
Let me add that I am assuming another LEGO form factor would be developed, with full sized structures in mind. I'm thinking in the 40-60cm range.
:)Fudboy
:)Fudboy
I guess I'm only a Fudboy, looking for that real Transmeta
when will we have what we all deserve?
it would leave an interesting pattern, but still...
i've looked at love from both sides now. from win and lose, and still somehow...
More stuff I gotta buy now.
Sucks to be an impulse buyer.
But I sure have a lotta kewl toys! =)
Vote Naked 2000
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Of course, this is what comes from having a market where anyone with real skills is a prime target for headhunters. I bet the reason the person who gets the desk made that really cool request is to insure that they would never have to leave the job they were on, then someone agreed to all their terms. Amazing. I would really love to know what the owner of that cool desk does for a living.
And, just think, someone could actually put a lego computer case on that lego desk...
One heck of a profession!
Maybe LEGO should come up with certification or something:
LCBB - LEGO Certified Block Builder
Good idea aside, how often do *you* take your desk apart for modularity? I never have yet. You'd give up a lot of sturdiness by the Lego desk modular, unfortunately.
I want my kitchen island made out of Lego...
Mr. Ska
I would have thought one of the "cool" things about a lego desk would be the ability to reconfigure it. Gluing them all together makes that kind of hard.
I would have thought that you could design it such that the normal locking action of the pieces was strong enough to keep it together.
Anyway, you don't get the full scope of the desk until you check out the pictu res.
He doesn't say how much he was paid, but he says that it was "worth [his] time."
Two Words:
Very Impressive.
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon? :P)
(If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't.
Don't let me mislead you, I love lego as much as the next 20 year old guy, but come on, do we have to make everything into lego then post it on Slashdot? A couple of weeks ago it was a lego train (but that was really cool). And also, what's the point of a lego desk if it's glued together? Might as well be a wood desk with a lego top.
Let's say for example I built myself a lego building. Would I glue it? No, because if I glued it together then I wouldn't be able to reshape the building on a whim, which would defeat the purpose of lego. Taking it apart and putting it back together (but let's ignore the fact that it'd probably break easily without glue)
--- I used to moderate, then I read the -1 articles and decided having to filter through them was not worth it.
So you're saying that anything that costs a lot of money and isn't entirely necessary is unreasonable? By this logic, if I get a raise and decide to buy a new sports car, in spite of the fact that my current car is in perfect working order, it is unreasonable for me to by the sports car. I should, instead, donate my extra money to charity. Is that what you're saying?
I say: If you've got extra money, spend it on whatever the hell you want.
--
After looking at all of those pictures, I've come to the conclusion that there's no way this guy could have any kids. I couldn't even get close to a tub of legos with my 2 year old running around.
--
*Condense fact from the vapor of nuance*
25: ten.knilrevlis@wkcuhc
*Condense fact from the vapor of nuance*
Add to that a couple of mindstorm modules and you could have a desk that detects when you enter your office, then turns on your computer, welcomes you and even follows you throughout your house if you ask him too.
Wow... I want one
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear"
One word: Capitalism.
Seeing what the guy did with the desk border (a repeating pattern of 1x1 bricks in red, blue, yellow, and white) something occured to me...
With such a large surface and so many 1x1 bricks the guy could have actually made an image. All someone would have to do is open a nice desktop image (like some wallpaper of a nature scene or a space scene or hell, render something cool) and then convert it to a 2-bit (4 color) image. Scale to the size of your LEGO desktop.
For example, if the total desktop is 640 x 480 LEGO units in size, that's more than enough resolution for a very impressive image.
Damn, if I ever built my own lego desk, I definitely think that's the way to go. Maybe this is the next step in LEGO? Lego dithered art?
-- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
Actually, what the original poster was refering to was not a computer CASE made out of LEGO blocks, but, a computer made out of LEGO blocks.
The computer in question was a mechanical computer made of Tinker Toys. If it's indeed the one that I'm thinking of, it's a very task specific 'computer' that does one thing - play Tic Tac Toe. It's a pretty interersting contraption to look at - damned complex.
I would toss a link to the original /. article here, but, I can't find it anymore :-/
Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr - looking for something to read? Check out my three free novels at MidnightRyder.org
I'd be laughing my ass off now if I were him. Come on man, have some fun!
-=God Hates Me=-
Also if the entire desk is actually several components, then shipping becomes easier.
A more impressive design would combine the computer and the desk, but until I get the money, time, and skill to do it, I guess I should just sit back and be impressed.
This is not the way to build a lasting empire.
Building some Lego Mindstorms into the thing would open more posibilities.
How about adjusting height/tilt of the table top for different types of work with the touch of a button? Code locking the drawers, remote controlling stuff, automatically rearanging the desk (moving mousepad, phone etc for lefthand/righthand users) emptying the pencil sharpener when it's full and so on... Hey, it might even remote controll a small robot to carry out the trash and bringing your favourite refreshment for you!
---
This message has been ROT-13 encrypted twice for higher security.
The site is under stress, so if you just want to see a big picture without going thru the intermediate page, here' s a link.
"If I have seen further than other men, it is by stepping on their glasses." - Michael Swaine
Given how expensive LEGO is and how simple the APIs are (pretty much raised dots spaced X on blocks shaped Y) you'd think there'd be a host of generic clone/competitors. But there aren't. MegaBlox come close, but if you've tried to mix and match LEGO and any of the look-alikes, you'll find that the substitutes don't fit well and are made from a different plastic with different surface finish and color. Kids reject these imposters every time.
Why is this? Does LEGO sue anyone who makes an exact clone? Surely any patent expired long ago (plenty of other people make raised-dot-and-hole building blocks). Can you copyright *dimensions*?
I know the brand is the big thing, but as a parent with LEGO-hungry kids (actually they're into Duplo, the toddler-size blocks, which are obscenely expensive) I'd happily buy a no-name if it worked. But there's nothing out there that does. Is this market failure or something more sinister from LEGO HQ?
Some physicists are in the habit of using Legos for making small adjustments in optics. This is because the studs have high enough friction that you can tweak two blocks relative to one another and they'll stay in the position you set them at. it stays bent. My freshman physics prof gave a demonstration on interferometry this way; he had a mirror mounted on a stack of legos (IIRC), which he could tweak by hand until it was at the right position.
I have a positive modifier on Troll. When I mod someone Troll their karma should go UP!
Actually. Lego does sell in bulk. It was on /. a while back.
h tml
http://slashdot.org/articles/00/06/14/1242242.s
The link to the site is....
http://www.lego.com/bulk
--And sektor spoke and said unto the people. Hey, buttwipe hand me the cheezeos.