Computer desk recommendations?

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Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
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I'm finding myself in the market for a new computer desk.
My arm, wrist, and fingers are showing their age as I approach 32 years old, and many years of key presses and mouse clicks. Some time ago, I switched from my beloved Logitech G500 mouse to a VerticalMouse4. The accuracy of it is godawful because the force needed to click runs parallel to a direction that you need to move the mouse. So it's necessary to freeze your arm and squeeze the mouse in order to click, otherwise your cursor is going to move. It ended up simply moving the dull aching to a different set of joints and muscles.
At work I've gone back to the G500, but I have my elbow at an angle, with the mouse in front of the keyboard. It's reasonably comfortable that way, and it keeps my wrist in a neutral position, though it is a little awkward.

So until someone finally gets the hell around to inventing a neural implant or a USB port that can be implanted into the back of my skull for controlling the computer, I'm figuring to get a similar setup at home, and welcome back the G500. The VM4 is a nice idea, but I really really miss the G500 and its many buttons, and its wonderful scrolling wheel.
(If there were a promising Kickstarter for the direct brain interface thing, I'd run the risk of going bankrupt.)



That's the backstory. Where I'm at now is that I'm looking for a new desk that's roomier than what I have now.
Current desk: 15+ years old. I got it before the 440BX chipset was released. A Pentium II 300MHz was high-end.
- It was made by M&M Industries, which is no longer around, and that's a damn shame.
- It is a corner desk, which I'd like to get again.
- The frame is entirely steel. The fasteners are steel screws. Some parts of it were even welded together.
- The only particleboard components are the desk surfaces.
- The particleboard is laminated with hard plastic on both sides, and the edges have vinyl trim. My only complaint there is that the vinyl trim has started to buckle away from the edge in one spot. The desk surface itself is still in excellent condition.




- Ikea is out. The closest one is 120 miles away, and I'm not going to buy a desk without being able to look at it an sit at it.

- I don't want crappy particleboard junk that's got thin woodgrain-looking paper glued to it, and is held together with wooden dowels that go into weakened wooden panels that break if they are forced to support anything more than the weight of the desk itself.



What stores have a decent selection of quality desks these days? I was to a nearby Staples recently to look for a chair. I also looked at their entire selection of desks: Both of them. o_O
They did at least have an adequate supply of chairs to choose from.


Would a regular furniture store be the place to go?
 

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
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To me a quality desk would come from a surplus office supply place, especially if you are in a large city. Next, would be new stuff from a commercial office supply company. At that same $800 to $1K level you can probably get a highly functional, but basic, desk custom made by a local wood shop.

Everyone has their own idea of what quality is though.
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,940
542
126
I'm finding myself in the market for a new computer desk.
My arm, wrist, and fingers are showing their age as I approach 32 years old, and many years of key presses and mouse clicks. Some time ago, I switched from my beloved Logitech G500 mouse to a VerticalMouse4. The accuracy of it is godawful because the force needed to click runs parallel to a direction that you need to move the mouse. So it's necessary to freeze your arm and squeeze the mouse in order to click, otherwise your cursor is going to move. It ended up simply moving the dull aching to a different set of joints and muscles.
At work I've gone back to the G500, but I have my elbow at an angle, with the mouse in front of the keyboard. It's reasonably comfortable that way, and it keeps my wrist in a neutral position, though it is a little awkward.
Odd. I used the original VerticalMouse for a long time many years ago and never really noticed unusual accuracy problems with its orientation. I even gamed with it, and I'm the type to get easily frustrated if I feel a tool is limiting my extraordinary natural talent. :sneaky:

I've used the G500 pretty much ever since that one, though, and I still don't have wrist pains like that which prompted my original VM purchase. Trust me, you don't know how bad it can really be. I started my quest for comfortable mousing using this one:
IMGP03151.jpg



:::shudder::: :':)thumbsdown:
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
It appears that this county is some kind of retail deadzone.

Closest Office Depot store: 73 miles.




To me a quality desk would come from a surplus office supply place, especially if you are in a large city. Next, would be new stuff from a commercial office supply company. At that same $800 to $1K level you can probably get a highly functional, but basic, desk custom made by a local wood shop.

Everyone has their own idea of what quality is though.
100k population.


I'll look around and see if there's a surplus office supply or commercial office supply place in town.
 
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