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PCs in the Living Room?
mwebert asks: "OK. I figure a large number of my fellow Slashdot readers have encountered this same scenario, so please respond. Right now, we keep our Dell Inspiron notebook on the corner of our coffee table in the center of our living room, accessing our home wireless network, and allowing the user to see the TV and multitask their little heart out. (Yay, IMDB!) That said, sitting on the edge of the couch (or worse, the floor) is getting old fast. Of course, I could get a true desk, but I don't want it to face the wall or corner, and I don't want it to turn the decor of my living room into a dentist's office reception area. I'm looking for a handsome (yet unobtrusive and functional) rolling workstation, preferably with a shelf/drawer or two. I've checked out http://www.anthro.com/ - but their offerings look pretty utilitarian, don't they? Any other ideas?"
Meh. I've been using the end of the couch for 2 years. It works great with an optical mouse. :)
Duct tape, XML, democracy: Not doing the job? Use more.
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Prod uctDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=11 533&langId=-1&parentCats=10121*10390
Boom.
You could always just buy a laptop and use that instead, but of course, that's more expensive than just buying a rolling desk.
Really it all depends on how big your living room is, where the desk is going to be placed, and how big your computer is.
What I've been using for 2 years
You could recreate the bridge from the starship enterprise. Or nasa consoles.
I've got a pretty small living room, so no room for the rolling cart. I just recently ordered a TableMate folding table which slides under the couch when it's not in use. Hasn't arrived yet, so no review here, but there are some user reviews on the linked page.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
I have a couple "buffet" tables (the long brown kind with the folding legs that you see in office buildings) from OfficeMax. You can get them for about $40 each. I stuck them in my living room in front of the widescreen television - about where most people would put their sofa (I dont' have a sofa or loveseat or recliner or anything).
Then, I put my chair in front of the desk.
Then... I do my computer stuff at the desk. And I can watch TV at the same time.
As far as decor.. who cares. Are you Martha Stewart? Unless you're a millionaire, your home is never going to look like anything more than a cheap regular-people home with matching IKEA products. Go for spare. Go for sparse. Go for utilitarian.
I don't care that most people think it's weird that I have no dining table or seating of any sort (other than an office chair). I have a TV and a desk in the living room, because I like it and I can do everything I want (except sleep) in the same room.
As for drawers... just drop $40 on one of those plastic rubbermaid shelving units on rollers that you can get at Staples or OfficeMax. Put it next to yoru $40 buffet tables. Now you not only have tons of storage, but you can move it if you need to.
I have a pile of Dell Optiplex mini-tower machines in the living room. The pile of Beige G3 Macintoshes has been moved to the second bedroom (storage room). There's also a dual Pentium 3 Proliant server (rackmount version, kitchen chair mounting method) in the living room.
Isn't this Slashdot? What's with 'living room decor' type questions? The important question is wether the living room should have a raised floor or not.
resigned
Just make a table out of fedex boxes, the cable spool of the new millennium.
Ask me about my vow of silence!
At an "unfinished furniture" store, we (wife & I) found a coffee table where the "upper flat part" of the table is on spring-loaded hinges.
Thus, if you are sitting at the edge of the sofa, you lift up the top of the table, and it pivots up to you.
Very handy.
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
Y'all need a white trash coffee table, boy. Whoo-hoo! You c'n get 'em in a variety of styles an' prices, an' they look plum elegant in most any doublewide.
Interesting topic.
I am the bane of my family because I tend to build systems in the living room, with the intent of moving them elsewhere in the house, but they end up staying in the living room much longer than originally planned. In the past I made efforts to accomodate a PC into the main home entertainment area. I got a large monitor from government surplus that doubled as a computer/tv monitor and I could switch back and forth from the PC to the TV, but that didn't satisfy the need to run both. I've thought about a coffee table that might have a monitor buried underneath a glass top -- that sounds kind of cool, but I think the angle you'd have to arch your neck to see the monitor might cause some strain. So I end up with a monitor or a laptop on the coffee table. What I've done is put wheels on my coffee table so I can roll it close to the sofa if I want to mess with the PC while laying back, or sit on the floor at the foot of the sofa and work the tv and the computer. That has proven to be the most versatile setup for me so far.
Just get rid of the TV. Problem solved :)
If you don't mind using a touchpad, I strongly suggest getting a coolpad and just lap your laptop.
P A241U
http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=
The Coolpad is probably the best money I have spent on a product for my laptop usage. By positioning differently for different conditions. ie. laying down in bed, leaning on steering wheel while parked, or just on a desk).
JsD
I use my laptop in my living room just like you. My wife bought me this for Xmas and it works great for me. http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/S taplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051 &langId=-1&productId=101575&cmArea=SEARCH
Move the couch foward. Problem solved. Move it back when you're done. Not being sarcastic, just trying to save you a little money until you get a proper table...
...Lap desk. That's right, a lap desk. Allows you to use a laptop on your lap without the potential for groin burn.
Haec merda tauri est. Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
My company make these touchscreens for various government departments:
D 2_75_small.jpg
:D
:(
http://www.mrgsystems.co.uk/graphics/lcdsignage/C
They're lovely. I've got a HTPC setup in my lounge, with a server that has dual tuners and has icecast so I can listen to my tunes at work. I need to steal one of these screens for my playlist
Unforuntately it seems it's headed for a life of displaying meetings in a government building
I use one of these:
http://www.thehumansolution.com/45170.html
Which is a Balt Key-Rite keyboard stand. It's more than roomy enough for a large laptop.
A.
...bringing you cynical quips since 1998
This Balt Key-Rite passes the 'keep it simple, stupid' test. Seems just what the guy is looking for.
wasn't there some awful fold up "tv" tray that was advertised on TV that might work for something like this?
I know i ridiculed the slobs in the commercial when I saw it originally... but having my "lap" toasted by my laptop makes me think it's not such a bad idea after all
*shrug* Anyone remember the name to that as seen on TV doohickey
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
man you guys are way behind! I ran into this problem 5 years ago...did the laptop on the armrest thing until my back started growing sideways..All this time thinking of a simple solution to exactly the problem described above..I Had several temporary ideas set up..one snapped..one got in the way too much..and some that were just too plain ugly to keep around. This couch office is a functional prototype. It is by far a proper design. But it works..for hours a day i do my design work from this couch! http://www.xs4all.nl/~hharms/couchoff.htm Since then I have been working on a final design for this idea. The prototype is almost ready. The new version fits under any couch or sofa..Its far more compact..it's adjusable in more ways and has an easy to use wiring solution. Ikea here I come!..
Combine it all into one extreme setup: Twin DLP projectors mounted on the ceiling, projecting onto a custom curved surface ultra-wide screen (like a section from a huge torus - there is a company that makes these for theaters, but you could probably custom build it as well). The screen should extend from the ceiling down to around .5 meters or so off the ground. Build a dual-head video card media server to drive the projectors. Add an HDTV/video capture card to view and capture TV video with. Add surround sound.
For watching TV or working/playing, build some custom neutral posture reclined chairs with headrests. These should be placed near, but not uncomfortably near, the screen. Add a panel between the armrests that can be placed to allow the user type on a wireless keyboard and use the wireless mouse, or mount the halves of a wireless split keyboard on each armrest. A wireless remote and joysticks complete the system.
There is your system, on which you and your friends can work, play games, surf the internet, and watch/record TV in any way you want, on a huge dual projected screen that surrounds your senses in near media immersion. You could probably build this for under $10-15k. If you homebrewed everything (projectors, screen, everything), you could probably do it for under $2k (and a hella lot of work!)...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
Best regards,
DocIn a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. - George Orwell
Check if there's a custom cabinet shop in your area. They can probably build you something to your specs for a few hundred dollars. If you have them build it unfinished and finish it yourself you can save a bit. I had an A/V cabinet built a couple of years ago that fits right in with the rest of the house. Adjustable shelves, knockouts for cables hidden hardware; it looks like it came with the house.
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Actually, I used to use a laptop on the couch and in bed a bit and found that a "lapdesk" worked really well. They are cheap, protect you from burns, and (can be) quite comfortable.
t ml
Here are some ideas of what I am referring to:
http://www.organize-everything.com/lapdesks.html
http://www.organize-everything.com/laptraywhite.h
One note: The ones that have sides are more comfortable since they rest on the couch/bed and don't even touch you lap (depending on your size of course...)
The one I had (from Bed, Bath, and Beyond IIRC) was wooden, pleasant looking, and had a surface that would raise/tilt which made it great for reading books also.
Hope this helps.
here's what I'd do if I were you: I'd get a nice piece of wood that's fairly thin (1/4", 3/8" thickness), polish it both sides, and cut it to a width of your laptop plus about 8". Then put the laptop on the board and the board on your lap. You'll even have room for the external mouse. Or, maybe cheaper and simpler, a $15 external PS/2 keyboard from RiteAid with a 6' cord, so you can put the keyboard on your knees, the mouse on the couch and not have to be on the edge of the couch. Only trouble is the distance to the screen of your laptop, but it works great for me.
---- I am certain of only one thing : I know nothing else.
I thought you said:
You could recreate the fridge from the tarship Enterprise.
Must be bored. Or up too late.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
I know its simple but.... how about just replacing your television with a computer... reduces your daily intake of hypnosis and makes for great conversation (now that your having one)...
Gravity!... It's not just a good idea... It's the Law!
...put it on your frekin lap.
Well, the Ikea stuff is only "just okay" in my book; they are pretty vanilla. Also, limited room for external HDs, speakers, etc. Also, I'm dedicated to using my laptop on a surface. My awfully-toasty Inspiron 8500 would leave me hairless (let alone sterile). So here's what I'm considering:
1 24060528/ref=sr_2_3/602-7908088-6117466?_encoding= UTF8&asin=B0000YJ0GG
...and a $39 (on sale) chair option:1 24060602/ref=sr_2_2/602-7908088-6117466?_encoding= UTF8&asin=B0006Z42GW
1) Target has a $99 desk option:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-3/qid=1
2)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-2/qid=1
I'll keep you posted. Maybe pics.
Thanks to all of you who took this thread seriously.
graphic designer, jazz saxophonist, horror movie devotee
I just sold off an HTPC and a file server. Just this desktop now, and I'm considering hocking it and my two 20" LCDs and getting a solid, yet affordable notebook.
I just realized that I was missing a lot of life during the last couple of years while I was busy timeshifting TV programs, ripping DVDs, and serving worthless web pages nobody visited.
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.
Like pi? Try 10,000 digits.
Get a wireless keyboard and a recliner. Recline. Keyboard fits in lap well. If the recliner has big cushy arms like mine does, the keyboard and other remotes fit there as well.
Don't use a mouse; use a trackball. You wont need a mousepad, and, much more importantly, you wont need a place to PUT a mousepad either.
I actually have 2 keyboard and 2 mice; 2 wired, 2 wireless. I use my wired trackball and my wireless keyboard, but if the trackball breaks I use the wireless mouse and set up a tiny sidetable ("plant stand") about the size of a mousepad.
Also, i have an IRMAN infrared receiver, a Home Theater MX500 remote control, and Girder installed. So I can also move my mouse pointer around with my universal remote, as well as hit arrow keys, ESC, enter, Alt-F4, Windows-key, tab, shift-tab, etc. (all programmed into my learning remote and assocaited with girder).
It works out well. I can be passed out on a couch 15 feet away, see an IM blinking, pick up my remote and see what the message is. Or I can actually put the keyboard in my lap and type an email. It's a 21'x19' room and the text on my 36" tv is pretty much readable anywhere in the room.
ATI tv out rules!
-Clio
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Seriously, get a tablet PC. They're as powerful as most laptops and much more comfortable to use while lounging on a sofa.
I got mine 6 months ago instead of getting a 2nd desktop and have never looked back. I no longer buy newspapers to read on weekends. I have the cradle set up and connected to the (LCD) TV so if I want to watch video or read on a bigger screen I just pop the tablet into the cradle and navigate with a wireless mouse.
They're also very comfortable for anyone to pick up and use. We've had non-techy friends over who've happily passed around the tablet PC to check out websites/photos... people who otherwise would never think of discussing anything screen-based in a social situation.
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