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iWorkstations?

YoDave writes "Have a slick new iMac and a boring old desk? This BBC report may be music to your eyes. John Treby from the University of Hertfordshire has designed the iDesk. It has space age styling with space for all your Apple goodies and not much else. Rain Design of San Francisco is shipping a similar stand called the iGo. PC users can prepare to drool with envy, again."

18 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. hmm by freedommatters · · Score: 5, Funny

    what about those of us with an old imac and a slick new desk?

    1. Re:hmm by The+Dobber · · Score: 4, Funny

      Queer Eye For The iMAc?

    2. Re:hmm by dipipanone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Its called the gayDesk, and it has a similiar gay and fruity design as the iMacs

      You're missing the point entirely (though this isn't at all surprising.)

      Guys who use Macs on desks like the one in the picture, get to go out with girls like the one on the picture.

      Guys who use an overclocked Athlon in an aluminum Lian Li or Coolermaster, stuck on top of an old door on bricks get to stay at home Saturday night and surf pr0n.

  2. But... by Averron · · Score: 4, Funny

    Where do I put all my coke cans...?

  3. useless by Gherald · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just look at all the air around that desk. Complete waste of space!

    Instead, get something like this.

    That's all the desk you should ever need.

  4. Huh? by md81544 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The desk is design to concieveable be placed within the Apple brand.

    Let's hope his design skills are better than his grammar...

    On a desk like that, where would I put the pizza and the stuffed Tux??

  5. Re:iWTF ? by Gherald · · Score: 5, Funny

    > iWhat's iUp iWith iAll iTeh iApple iGayness ?

    iDunno

  6. Looks great by Tim+C · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm all for eye-candy, but the desk looks to be unsuitable for my needs (ymmv, of course). At work, I generally have a couple of books close to hand, printouts of specs, a project plan or two, etc. The paperless office is a nice idea, but I don't see it happening any time soon...

    At home, my desk is a complete mess. CDs everywhere, a book or two, assorted junk that I really ought to put away but never quite get round to doing... There, a desk like this might actually make sense, as it would (hopefully!) force me to be a little tidier. For work, though, it's simply not practical.

    Looks utterly gorgeous, though.

    1. Re:Looks great by ampathee · · Score: 5, Interesting

      good point - there needs to be more room for *stuff*, while still encouraging tidiness..
      I reckon it could do with:
      * document-holder-clip-thing beside the monitor
      * cd-storage-stack-thing
      * a shelf for books + misc items
      * another one of those mousepad platforms, it looks about right for an open book
      my $0.02 anyway

  7. iRealityDistortionStations ??? by vnv · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's always interesting to see how Apple people create designs that contain severe ergonomic flaws, but because they are for Mac, they are hyped to be some sort of revolution.

    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.

    1. Re:iRealityDistortionStations ??? by squaretorus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The whole point of these things is less to make your workplace more efficient, more to make any guy/gal you invite over to your place want to have repeated sexual intercourse with you.

      Its about aesthetics and attention to detail. See a mac on this desk and you automatically assume the owner has a nice clean shower cube with none of that orange goo on the tiles, a well services toilet, plenty of paper, and bed sheets that get changed more than once a month.

      You also assume the owner makes full use of the shower cube on a daily basis - probably twice!

      Oh - and you assume they have a bucket of cash because it looks expensive. They don't call these things 'fucking expensive' for nothing!

  8. Desks made for computers hur my legs by tage · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why is it that almost all desks made specifically for computers have their legs exactly where I would like to put mine? I hate furniture that comes in my way when I try to use it. Why not just let the table have its legs far apart, with room for my legs in between?

    The pictures on the iGo page are hilarious. Can you see the way the woman has to sit in order to use the computer? More than 5 minutes at a time in that position and my back breaks. The designers obviously never tries to actually use the furniture they make.

  9. Where do I put my stuff? by evilempireinc · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Where the hell do I put stuff like reference meterials, notepad, or even, god forbid, a cup of coffee? At least the boring desk works

    --
    we can rebuild this sig. we have the technology
  10. My desk contents by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Lets see .. whats on my desk right now (from right to left, over about 6 linear feet)?

    80C51 Programmer that I finished building yesterday

    My scanner

    5 photos I have been scanning

    5 rolls of film for my camera

    Circular polarising filter for my camera.

    A copy of Mastering Linux (hardback edition circa 1988) that I use to prop up the screen from my notebook when it is on my desk.

    USB cable for my digital camera.

    A CD of the last film that I got processed.

    A box cutter

    My desktops monitor

    A pile of 20 receipts that I need to sort through

    My cheap as Epson printer

    Remains of photos that I am NOT going to scan

    Several PC cords for my film camera

    Last back up DVD from my desktop

    Pile of my business cards

    Photo loupe for looking at negatives

    More film for my camera

    Some floppies

    Pile of paperwork I have to sort through

    Small lightbox for viewing negatives

    A photo album

    Various negatives that I have been sorting through

    Various pens etc


    So remind me again. Why am I drooling over the apple-like desk that would have 90% of my stuff sitting in the floor???? Not to mention that I rest my arms on my desk whenever I am not typing.

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  11. Looks beautiful but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I recently ended a long and agonizing affair with "computer furniture." Over the years I've spent fairly large sums of money swapping out one arrangement for another with the belief that each new purchase was necessary -- to "finally" get comfortable, be more productive, make more efficient use of space, etc.

    What did I do? I started by refinishing an old pine dining room table. Instead of a "ledge," I have a "real" desk with plenty of space on which to read and write, pile books, and rest my elbows. My two 21" monitors are off to the side (an L-shaped arrangement) on a second table I built with a retractable keyboard tray. Underneath that table, the computers are kept in a sealed but vented cabinet. The rack equipment (including hissing modems, routers, etc.) I moved into a closet (also sealed and vented).

    Workstations may be fine for working if one defines working as doing nothing but staring at your monitor with your hands typing away at the keyboard. Past that, however, I find the entire concept as flawed and unworkable.

    Mind you, I do think the desks shown look nice, but I'd never trade horizontal space with the gimmicky extras and pseudo ergonomics that are part of all modern computer furniture design. Put another way, if I hand nothing else, I'd use a 6' utility table instead. Or hell, maybe even a door on supports -- at least you can decorate it with a plant or two.

  12. No, it all makes sense, just look at the pictures. by User+956 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It all makes sense when you look at the pictures of the desk "in action".

    Notice the woman in the picture is lounging around, in hip poses, looking stylish and "chic", but not actually getting any work done.

    They certainly have their target market nailed pretty well.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  13. Hrm by The-Bus · · Score: 5, Funny

    I got a table. Probably not very hip (nor expensive) but at least I don't look like some candy-ass who decided to steal something off of the set of Minority Report.

    --

    Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

  14. IKEA by Beetjebrak · · Score: 4, Funny

    No problem, they just change their name to iKea and become a Certified Apple Solution Provider.

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