In Search of New Dual Computer Desk

[lowZX14]

Since my wife and I are looking at getting a second computer and with that second computer comes the need for both of us to be online at the same time, I have been looking for a new desk.  In speaking with the boss of the house, I think she wants something where we are sitting almost face to face, just with the monitors in the way, or back to back which I'm not a fan of instead of side by side.  With the room in our small office, I don't see a side to side working anyway unless we did some major rearranging.  I have been wanting to get something that is a little more efficient for AH since that's about all I use the office computer for as it is.  I was thinking about either getting 2 of these gaming desks I have found such as this one

http://www.amazon.com/Roccaforte-MS-010-Game-Desk/dp/B002JWRYPQ?&camp=212361&creative=383957&linkCode=waf&tag=gamingcomputerdesk-20

especially since it already has somewhere for the stick and throttle and everything will fit comfortably.  The other possibility is to get a basic dual pedestal desk and just buy another 2 pedestals to put on the other side and make sure it is deep enough to hold both monitors.

Does anybody out there have a dual setup with 2 computers at their place?  If so what do you use?

[Dragon]

We have 2, one faces East, the other West, so it's a back to back arrangement.  I don't mind it so much cuz then I can turn my head around and "spiez" on SWkiljoy.

They are in a small 7 x 14 room with a 6' opening to the north entering the kitchen and a 6' glass slider on the south side. 

No choice in the arrangement for us.


That desk looks sweet.  Have you considered just building something that will fit both of ya?

[lowZX14]

Yeah, we thought about that setup as well to where I could turn around and  check out what she's doing too but she's thinking she likes the face to face arrangement more. 

I'd try to build something that would fit both of us, but with my L33T carpenter skillz it would a) fall apart within 2 weeks and b) cause massive amounts of blood loss and most likely a trip to the emergency room.

[Tigger29]

This is what I recently bought and assembled for my G/F.  It's a bit bigger than it looks but it's pretty nice.  I got the Cherry one.  Perhaps you can buy two and place them end to end like this crude drawing represents:

[FLS]

One easy solution is a table. On your side mount a couple of shelves sticking out perpendicularly from under the tabletop to get your stick and throttle the proper height and lined up with your chair.

[Babalonian]

I like the offset style similar to tigger's.

1. - You can see face to face if desired.
2. - If towers are going to be desk-level (on the desk next to your monitors) then your monitor would hide the back of her tower and the wires while her monitor doesthe same for your tower and connectors.
3. - The worst thing I hate about monitors dead-smack back-to-back is that you or the misses won't be able to simpley rotate the monitor on its base to flip it at an angle you can see it from the other desk... hope that made sence.  Visualize the settup of back to back monitors right up to the other.  Imagine turning yours so your wife can see something that would only take a second but you don't want to trouble her to get up and see.  As you try and turn your monitor so she can see it, her monitor gets in the way.  Now with them being offset though not only do you get to see her face more but you only have to turn your monitor ~90 degrees instead of 180 for her to see it and no collisions against her monitor while doing so.

[Ghosth]

Well when I hit this point I decided to make over the room to fit the computers. Which to me over the last 14 years has turned out to have been the correct course.

Found 2 cheap kitchen countertops, used 2x4's I had to make a bit L shaped area. Drilled a couple of 3" holes in strategic area's for passing cords though. We have file cabnets under the 2 ends. And have added extra storage by buying cheap plastic 4 drawer units placed underneath.

Have had up to 4 computers running at once here without being overly crowded.
The corner where the 2 meet is printer, paper, router, and hub space.

I'm not saying that's your only or even your best solution.  Just that you might want to consider it.

[Babalonian]

Well when I hit this point I decided to make over the room to fit the computers. Which to me over the last 14 years has turned out to have been the correct course.

Found 2 cheap kitchen countertops, used 2x4's I had to make a bit L shaped area. Drilled a couple of 3" holes in strategic area's for passing cords though. We have file cabnets under the 2 ends. And have added extra storage by buying cheap plastic 4 drawer units placed underneath.

Have had up to 4 computers running at once here without being overly crowded.
The corner where the 2 meet is printer, paper, router, and hub space.

I'm not saying that's your only or even your best solution.  Just that you might want to consider it.

That's what I did for my dad's office the last time he moved it, kitchen counters (flat-tops, not the ones with the spillguards) with 2x4s and file cabinets or posts for supports.  Can't beat the price for the desktop space gained (space for computers and 30"x42" drawings) and flexibility (126.5 degree corner - no problem if ya got a saw).  Add a powerstrip and walla.

[Reschke]

IF your lack carpentry skills is hindering you then go with this.

http://www.kregjoint.com/index.php?p=faq

It was the best $100 I have spent on my woodshop for building things. I am currently working on a wine rack for the new house and a foldaway work desk area to go in the kitchen for my wife.

[Ghosth]

Interesting concept, I can see where that would make building a lot of things a lot easier.

[lowZX14]

That is pretty cool Reschke, I might have to talk her into letting me get one and trying to build us something more than buying.  I know I for one would be a 1,000 times more proud of something in the office if I built it myself and customized it how we wanted.

Right now we're leaning towards the table/countertop idea.  We have a couple of months so I'm still planning things out.  I'll be sure to get some pics up if whatever we decide is pretty enough IMO.  Thanks for the ideas so far, if anyone has any others let's hear them.

[Reschke]

Yep and its just a heck of a lot easier to do the measurements and have things just FIT without planing over and over and over. I am a perfectionist when I do woodwork and I have been out of it for a while just because I sold all my stuff to help get out of some debt and now I am starting over. This was recommended to me by the guy that built some cabinets in our new house. It is what he uses to build all the bases and those suckers are solid and damn near immovable.

You can also buy that at Lowes but I don't know if you get the same package as the online ordering.

[Blackwulf]

Thanks for the heads up Reschke!  That is going on my shop tool list, it looks like it would make my life around here a LOT easier.
For the OP, my solution was a set of corner desks, with some low book shelves in between to store books, software, and CD's.  Using corner desks, I got more usable space with a smaller footprint, and have our more commonly used books etc right at hand for each of us, as well as being able to set the printers on top of the bookshelves. 
But the solution really depends on the layout of the room.  In my case, there are two outlets spaced a third of the way from each corner on a windowless wall, so it was a snap to run power to the comps and place the shelves.
I did have to run a phone jack to the other side of the room, but that is a pretty simple job. Of course that wasn't a necessity, as I could have just used a longer cord to reach the old outlet. But since it is a dedicated office I decided to score some points with the wife and eliminate the cluttered look of the wire being exposed.

[WMLute]

Watched an hour long infomecial about that Kreg thingy.

Kept thinking to myslef "where was this x years ago when I was trying to...."

If I still had a workshop I for sure would buy one.

[Kuhn]

Since my wife and I are looking at getting a second computer and with that second computer comes the need for both of us to be online at the same time, I have been looking for a new desk.  In speaking with the boss of the house, I think she wants something where we are sitting almost face to face, just with the monitors in the way, or back to back which I'm not a fan of instead of side by side.  With the room in our small office, I don't see a side to side working anyway unless we did some major rearranging.  I have been wanting to get something that is a little more efficient for AH since that's about all I use the office computer for as it is.  I was thinking about either getting 2 of these gaming desks I have found such as this one

http://www.amazon.com/Roccaforte-MS-010-Game-Desk/dp/B002JWRYPQ?&camp=212361&creative=383957&linkCode=waf&tag=gamingcomputerdesk-20

especially since it already has somewhere for the stick and throttle and everything will fit comfortably.  The other possibility is to get a basic dual pedestal desk and just buy another 2 pedestals to put on the other side and make sure it is deep enough to hold both monitors.

Does anybody out there have a dual setup with 2 computers at their place?  If so what do you use?

Two desks. Duh!