Desks

[greencreeper]

Or even a workstation. I'm sure there was a thread on this subject but I can't find it

Why are they not designed properly? Too small to fit the mouse next to the keyboard. Shelves for the mouse and keyboard - at different heights, so not ergonomic, and the keyboard shelf is on cheapo bearings, so one side seizes within a week and you have to use your foot to brace against the desk/workstation. Monitor at the wrong height and not adjustable. Useless shelf under the main shelf - meant to be for a printer but who wants to rummage in the dark under a desk/workstation to fit an ink cartridge? And the paper is ejected into your legs. Not sturdy enough, so when your Deskjet is at full tilt, on that useless shelf, the whole desk/workstation wobbles in time to the carriage head. Just a nightmare.

My last workstation/desk went in the bin because the keyboard shelf seized. The current one, an Ikea special, is way too small and has the useless shelf - which I don't use at all. Just holds dust at the moment. It has a couple of metal arms that are meant to strap the PC base unit to the side. This is fine except that the workstation/desk vibrates when I use the CD player. I've had to put the base unit on the floor. It was a nightmare to build too.

[Rob]

I just use a standard table.

[Stuart]

At work, we actually have custom designed desks. Basically, large tables with a hole to put the cables in. Absolutely awful. They look like bad Ikea clones.

At home, I bought a fairly heavy duty computer desk from Focus DIY. My only complaint with it is because of the awful shelving unit attached to the top (which I can't remove as it would weaken the unit too much), I don't have room for dual monitors.

[greencreeper]

Yeah - we have tables with holes at work. Very old and some have sagged a bit in the middle. They don't spend money on the staff so they're not likely to spend on furniture. Probably struggle to tell the difference anyway.

I just want a nice workstation - robust, room enough for keyboard and mouse but not too big, adjustable monitor shelf, and somewhere to put a full tower so it's not sucking in carpet fibres and dust.

---------- Post added at 18:58 ---------- Previous post was at 18:44 ----------

Just come across an Ikea workstation where the keyboard shelf slides under the desk BUT there isn't room for the keyboard. Presumably you just chuck it over the other side of the desk

[Timeless Stew]

http://www.furnitureatwork.co.uk/

I have the value line at home and work. Several places sell it. It's very strong!

[Ramrod]

Nice glass desk perhaps?

[greencreeper]

Ah yes - remember that thread. Where did you get it from - was it custom-built?

[Anonymouse]

I know exactly what you mean about not having enough space for the mouse on a desk. The desks you can buy are never, IMO, wide enough...so I built mine. It wouldn't win any design awards, the only (non-moving) shelf supports the monitor, and it's only made out of chipboard, screws and brackets...but it's about 20 years old and still serves me well enough at 3' wide.

In the pre-mouse days, when I had a Sharp MZ-700, the desk was plenty wide enough to hold the computer plus whatever hard copy I was referring to. When I got my Atari ST in 1988, I found it was still wide enough for the mouse on one side of the keyboard and papers on the other. Now I have a PC, and it's still wide enough...although the DVDs currently cluttering the desk are getting a bit out of hand.

Admittedly I don't have the printer on it; that lives on top of the base unit, which in turn lives on a metal shelf unit off to one side. I have had a mad plan in the back of my mind for some time now to build a wider, perhaps corner-based version, that would hold the monitor and the printer, but I never seem to get around to it.

[spiderplant]

Try ebay. I got an ex-drawing office desk for a fiver. It's huge - tower PC, 19" CRT screen, mouse, keyboard, speakers, printer and scanner all fit comfortably. Had to take the house apart to get it in though.

Our other computer table is a piece of cheap kitchen worktop supported on two Ikea trestles. Simple but does the job.

[greencreeper]

Hmmm. Might have to see what I can with a bit of old worktop and a couple of legs

[bopdude]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Hmmm. Might have to see what I can with a bit of old worktop and a couple of legs

LOL, I know your joking ( well half joking ) but I'm in a similar prediament, wanting a decent sized station and am seriously thinking of having a go at building it myself can't be too hard, can it

This is mine, liked it that much, I bought another for my son. It all adjusts to how u want it, and it's a solid build. we bought them about 5 years ago from Ikea (Warrington). mine currently holds a 17" and 19" monitor with plenty more room to spare.

I have a proper office desk that cost me £40 out of the local Ad Mag last year, it's got draws on either side, the desk space is amazing, there's enough space for my 17inch FLT monitor and my laser printer with loads of room to spare. I used to have a one with a slide out keyboard table but I was getting bad shoulders with there being no support for my arms.

[greencreeper]

Note: I've just woke up - struggling to get the second eye open.

Originally Posted by bopdude

LOL, I know your joking ( well half joking ) but I'm in a similar prediament, wanting a decent sized station and am seriously thinking of having a go at building it myself can't be too hard, can it

Amazing what you find in skips these days. Could make it with mannequin legs, for that designer look.

Originally Posted by Dodger444

This is mine, liked it that much, I bought another for my son. It all adjusts to how u want it, and it's a solid build. we bought them about 5 years ago from Ikea (Warrington). mine currently holds a 17" and 19" monitor with plenty more room to spare.

That's the Jerker range, or something like that. Will have to a have a look when I'm at Ikea next Wednesday. I think it's next Wednesday


Know what you mean about the keyboard support, nidge.

[skyblueheroes]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Nice glass desk perhaps?

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