Networked Tables?

[herm0016]

nics are imperative for people who actually do more than push around emails and word docs all day.

tables with network ports and power are all over the place in most places i have been.

 

[Scarpozzi]

It's a niche market. Not too many companies will be installing more than a handful per year.
Here's another.

http://franzconferencetables.com/

 

[seepy83]

quite honestly, any decent board/conference room table is going to have power and RJ6 jacks in them. Not cheap by any means, but pretty standard nowadays.

This. There are also power/data boxes that you can purchase separate from a table and then use a template to cut the appropriate hole and install it in an existing table.

This stuff has been around for a very long time.

It's a niche market. Not too many companies will be installing more than a handful per year.
Here's another.

Niche market? I would debate what exactly you consider niche. Most medium sized businesses and larger have conference rooms with tables like this. You pay a premium to buy a table that comes with this stuff, but you can buy kits to retrofit existing tables.

 

[Homerboy]

It's a niche market. Not too many companies will be installing more than a handful per year.
Here's another.

http://franzconferencetables.com/

False.

 

[olds]

What about this? http://www.knoll.com/product/propeller-conference-table?section=Design

Thanks

 

[Red Squirrel]

If laptops would just use common 12V inputs, you could actually put a beefy PSU into the table, and have retractable cables.
But of course, that's just a pipe dream.
It's imperative that 9.6V, 11.2V, 14.8V and whatever else is used.
Yes, it might make battery design a bit more difficult, but some external connectors already have enough power to run most ultrabooks. (USB 3.1: 60W)

Yeah I hate how everyone has to make their own "standards". Would be nice if laptops used 10-14v so they could be plugged into typical 12v systems (13.5v float voltage being typical)

As for those tables, it would probably not be very hard to just put in a bunch of outlets in the top of a normal table. You'd probably want to add a small raised area in case someone spills coffee.

 

[inf1nity]

correctamundo

correctamundoed.

 

[Phoenix86]

IIRC you modify existing tables with the various boxes, you don't really buy a table like that. Although I'm sure some company is selling full solutions but what they are doing is basically the same, just adding a box to an existing table.

Getting the wiring TO the table can be tricky, usually you are going through concrete...

http://www.cableorganizer.com/desk-outlet/

Here's a simple one I'm about to setup. http://www.cableorganizer.com/byrne/ellora/

It's configurable with various keystone style ports. I have a port for RJ-11, RJ-45 and HDMI, with 3 power outlets. RJ-11 is for the polycom phone, RJ-45 probably won't get used much since most laptops in a conference room will be wireless. HDMI for the smart board/projector.

 

[Phoenix86]

Executive status symbol. You'd still have power bricks sitting all over the table and most iproducts don't even have ethernet anymore.

Personally I'd hack some Ikea tables to hide power strips and make sure the room had excellent WiFi coverage.

The point of this is to keep cables going from the table to the wall. Try setting up 6 laptops at a conference room table, now walk around the room.

 

[olds]

The point of this is to keep cables going from the table to the wall. Try setting up 6 laptops at a conference room table, now walk around the room.

Try 20...

 

[hello12790]

It needs more pop! I don't see enough synergy.

 

[destrekor]

Pretty much all of the major office furniture manufacturers. I mean, the big ones like Knoll, Steelcase, National, Kimball, etc etc etc.
Can't say each of those brands specifically produces such, but office space designers/furniture dealers in that market sell them all the time. Most of them offer products from many of the manufacturers listed above, sometimes they are entire packages that include more integrated electronics, sometimes it's basically a table you can wire but otherwise is a standard table.

 

[Ferzerp]

Tables with power, network, AV, etc are pretty common....

 

[davmat787]

OP, have you tried using a google image search and check the results for retailers?

 

[olds]

OP, have you tried using a google image search and check the results for retailers?

Ya, not a lot to choose from and on the expensive end. We may build our own.

 

[sdifox]

Ya, not a lot to choose from and on the expensive end. We may build our own.

lulz

buy a jig saw

 

[SparkyJJO]

that feels like it would have been really useful 5-7 years ago.

do they even make laptops with NIC's anymore?

Uh, yeah, like near every laptop.

Yeah I hate how everyone has to make their own "standards". Would be nice if laptops used 10-14v so they could be plugged into typical 12v systems (13.5v float voltage being typical)

They do run off that voltage range. Look at the battery voltages. Usually in the 11-something volts area. The main reason for the power bricks providing 18-ish is for charging. You'd be spending hours trying to charge a 11V laptop battery off of 13 volts

 

[Phoenix86]

Try 20...

Pods seem better for that many, from the first link.

http://www.smartdesks.com/cable-management-box.asp

or under the table.

Wiring is also a concern, for network you would probably want a switch down there, one cat5 wire to the table. Power would likely need a dedicated circuit. How do you get both to the table? What's the floor made of? Drop from the ceiling?

You could skip cat5 and force people to wireless, everyone should have it built-in to their laptops...

 

[Wyndru]

What I'd rather see is one of those Microsoft Surface tables with wireless charging ports.

Toss your laptop on top of one of those, and not only will it charge but it will give you the opportunity to sync to the other devices connected to the table.

I really wish wireless charging surfaces were more common place. Even bathroom electronics have had this technology for a while now, my toothbrush from about 6 years ago still charges perfectly fine with a wireless charger. Is the limitation the amount of power that computers use is too high?

I feel like it will need to go this way eventually. Every time we need to test 100's of students in one place it's a pain in the ass, power bricks mounted to each desk in a gym with plug strips and power cables running everywhere. It's so sloppy, even if you try to make it neat. If there was a way to make the surface of the desk charge, and just have a row of desks all connected somehow it would be so much neater, and easier to set up. Just slap the laptop on the desk and you are done.

 

[sdifox]

wireless charging surface is stupid expensive to run. And the coils will burn out.

 

[Red Squirrel]

They should put high frequency induction coils in the table too, Use a metal coffee cup or throw a couple metal bolts in a regular mug and it will keep your coffee warm. Actually, certain types of metal may add an interesting taste to the coffee. This could be a new hip thing to do at the office and it would pave the way to revolutionizing synergy.

 

[sdifox]

They should put high frequency induction coils in the table too, Use a metal coffee cup or throw a couple metal bolts in a regular mug and it will keep your coffee warm. Actually, certain types of metal may add an interesting taste to the coffee. This could be a new hip thing to do at the office and it would pave the way to revolutionizing synergy.

It's called liability lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah might take a few versions before they get it just right. The first few might cause hot scalding coffee, perhaps even molten metal. Probably a good idea to include a variac under the table to tune it better. Not all cups are made equaly.

I seriously want to try this for fun now.

 

[seepy83]

Wiring is also a concern, for network you would probably want a switch down there, one cat5 wire to the table. Power would likely need a dedicated circuit. How do you get both to the table? What's the floor made of? Drop from the ceiling?

Most network admins aren't going to want a switch in a publicly accessible area and will require all the ports wired back to a secure closet. With the right people doing the install, the floor's construction shouldn't matter too much. My office has a conference room with a floor that's 8" thick concrete with a 1/4" steel plate under it (don't ask me why or if this is "normal" or what...I just know that's what is there), and our contractor was able to get penetration to wire the table.

 

[olds]

lulz

buy a jig saw

I have two. And two routers.