November 10, 2002

2:16 AM

Geekroom contest 2002.[this is a mirror, the site was recently slashdotted] They say these are the best geekrooms; to me they seem to fall somewhere between somewhere between quintessential, and epitome-of. Does your computing take over a significant chunk of your space? A room? A nook? What do Mefites' geek lairs look like?
posted by condour75 (35 comments total)

This is mine. Link to yours!
posted by condour75 at 2:17 AM on November 10, 2002

To me most of those places look like really unpleasant and dehumanized enviroments. They resemble the back room of a computer-repair place or some company's server closet. When I go online, it's in my living room with a Titanium laptop transmitting to a cable modem via airport so I can be totally disconnected... sitting on a comfy couch with my cat lying by my side... there's a good-quality stereo next to me playing something cool... it is maximum comfort and no visible computing stuff.
posted by Spacelegoman at 2:37 AM on November 10, 2002

As cool as some of these are, they're just rooms filled with computer parts. I was expecting more of a feng-shui geekroom feel.

Not that my computer desk is all that impressive, however.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 2:37 AM on November 10, 2002

Yeah, but I'd hope the guy who occupies room 1 is up to rather more than can be achieved with a single laptop connected via airport. Remember, these are geekrooms, not hepcat trendy gadabout rooms. Or - rather more this than this.
posted by nthdegx at 3:00 AM on November 10, 2002

I was expecting more of a feng-shui geekroom feel.

The last one, pic #14 looks well loved and has a nice window to look out of.
posted by RoseovSharon at 3:18 AM on November 10, 2002

Anyone else think some of those folks could use a brief refresher course in ergonomics? What used to drive me crazy in the computer labs at my college was that the monitors were set at right-angles to the keyboards, so you'd have to constantly have your neck craned to your side if you were touch-typing. I really don't get why some people put monitors at right or otherwise oblique angles to keyboards...especially in an institutional setting! Jeez.
posted by leahzero at 3:43 AM on November 10, 2002

This is mine. Link to yours!

Heh. Wackybrit tried the same game in this old, not entirely unrelated thread but, unfortunately, to no avail.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:52 AM on November 10, 2002

My desk, admittedly somewhat geeky with multiple monitors and OS's going on. But I have reasons for needing multiple large monitors (ever tried compositing 3d on a single 15 inch?), and if it wasn't for this i too would be posting from the comfort of my couch on a wireless powerbook.
posted by randomblondeboy at 4:03 AM on November 10, 2002

I'm not saying that my minimalist way is how these users ought to design their spaces.... I am using it as an example of comfort and a powerful computer both having priority. Even if you need four monitors and a server and a couple PC towers.... there must be better ways to decorate. These "geek" rooms were billed as being especially cool, so I was hoping they would have edgy furniture, attention to design, interesting artifacts that displayed their owners' personalities, etc... as well as the computers.
posted by Spacelegoman at 4:26 AM on November 10, 2002

Mine has roller skate wheels. Thrash!
posted by machaus at 7:04 AM on November 10, 2002

No beige boxes allowed in my house. I have a view of just the tippy top of Mt. Hiei out my window. (I took the picture from a bridge. I live about 20m the other side of that road.)
posted by planetkyoto at 7:26 AM on November 10, 2002

Okay, I'll play. Mine has a very ergonomic dog. I'm a little jealous of your roller skates, though, machaus.

(Doesn't everyone run dual-monitor, these days?)
posted by ook at 7:33 AM on November 10, 2002

My desk. More Ikeanomic than Ergonomic. Notice that my natural keyboard wouldn't fit in the keyboard tray without removing the front piece. Also no room for the mouse on the keyboard tray.

Anybody have a dream desk setup? I remember hearing about a dentist chair workstation setup once and thought that sounded pretty good.

I am also intrigued by standup desks.
posted by srboisvert at 7:48 AM on November 10, 2002

Horay, I just vaccumed today.

Three monitors, two PCs (XP/Linux) and two turntables (SL1200mkII of course) with affiliated support nerdware.

Ladies, he's available.
posted by Leonard at 8:15 AM on November 10, 2002

Pictures of Geek Lairs are not enough evidence. To fully experience a true geek's domain you have to be able to smell it.

The funk of 2 day old cold pizza, petrified Mountain Dew syrup, sweat, nose pickings applied under the chair, and farts is the only true indicator of geekitude.

I used to know a man who insisted on swimming laps in an overchlorinated pool, and not taking showers afterwards and leaving his towels draped on his Linux boxen. This combined with the fact that he ate oats and ramen because he was so poor and lazy, leaving oat-ramen noodle residue everywhere. I also believe he used his towels as cum rags, which resulted in a powerful scent previously unknown to the race of men.

Oh dear god, the horror.
posted by Stan Chin at 8:27 AM on November 10, 2002

I am intrigued by the number of people with multiple monitors for multiple computers. When I had a Linux machine and a Windows machine actually on my desk, I just opened up xterms using ReflectionX on my windows desktop, which was running some virtual desktop manager so that I had Linux on desktop 1 and Windows on desktop 2. I suppose with multiple Windows machines you would want two monitors if you didn't feel like using PCAnywhere or something.

The only situation where I would consider sacrificing my ample desktop space in favor of a second monitor is if I actually used a dual monitor setup for a single computer.
posted by xyzzy at 8:35 AM on November 10, 2002

xyzzy if these folk are like me they are running dual head systems. I find it invaluable for dev work.
posted by srboisvert at 8:37 AM on November 10, 2002

Nod, which is why I stated that if I had a dual head setup I would use it. ;)
posted by xyzzy at 8:45 AM on November 10, 2002

xyzzy, I run two Win2K boxen, with one keyboard, monitor, and mouse, using a KVM switch. Works well. Uses no CPU cycles or network bandwidth. The main limitation is that you're limited to controlling PC's within the range of mouse/keyboard/VGA cables, probably around 20-30 feet without signal amplification, i.e., probably in the same room. If you want to run a box in your basement or in the next office down, you probably want PCAnywhere or something like it.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:34 AM on November 10, 2002

My current temporary comm station. I have much bigger and better plans when/if I get a more stable space to play in.
posted by rushmc at 10:58 AM on November 10, 2002

My home desk's key geek feature isn't the computer gadgetry it's the wall of yoyos. but my work desk is AV geek heven
posted by KnitWit at 11:56 AM on November 10, 2002

xyzzy: I use a dual monitor setup for my windows box to do my development work (I do flash, so it's still gotta be on windows or mac), then the third monitor is a linux box, which I use for email (to get the protection of spamassassin). I definitely would prefer to have two monitors, and I've considered using a win32 X server, or just a KVM. But I've got too many monitors as it is so this solution's slightly easier.
posted by condour75 at 12:08 PM on November 10, 2002

on posting: that last sentence makes no sense. Should read: I've got the monitors anyway so this solution's slightly easier.
posted by condour75 at 12:11 PM on November 10, 2002

'kay, I'll bite. The development room in my home office in NYC (have much better stuff at residences in Virginia and Italy, but don't have pics) . Though my firm deals mostly with strategy and architecture, so I rarely develop anymore except as a hobby.
posted by MidasMulligan at 12:47 PM on November 10, 2002

my desk for all to behold in one of it's rare clean states.
posted by krux at 2:16 PM on November 10, 2002

My dream setup would include a really small flat panel.. 12 inches at most.. running in a dual head configuration with my standard 19 inch CRT. Then I could have e-mail and other text oriented functions (notes, chat, and so forth) on the tiny monitor and the big one for digital art, web design, games, and surfing. ;) I love the IDEA of multiple monitors, but reasonable configurations elude me, and 2 or 3 hulking CRTs on my desk is just not acceptable. Even one hulking CRT and a 15 inch LCD is too confining for my taste.. I need room for my sketchbook and my wacom tablet.
posted by xyzzy at 2:31 PM on November 10, 2002

My version of the geek room is actually a corner of my living room (you can see the corner of my couch behind the keyboard). I work at home, so this is my office, recording studio, and media center.

A couple of years ago, my wife and I had a big old two-bedroom apartment and the extra bedroom was our computer haven. We built two long desks and filled them with gear. I'm not sure I remember everything, but I had a Linux box and a couple of Macs, plus a router/firewall box, and Kelly had I think a couple of Macs and maybe a Windows machine. I think we had five monitors, and there was a big old laser printer in the corner. We tried to make it look good - painted the walls and trim, put some candles on the window ledge - but with all that hardware it was kind of overpowering.

After a while I got sick of this and turned luddite; I got rid of everything and didn't even have a computer at home for nine months. I'm not so anti-gadgetry anymore, but I still try to get by with the minimum hardware possible. The PowerBook is great; it's small, pretty, does everything I need, and the LCD is so sharp that I can work all day without eyestrain. I don't even have a stereo anymore; I just play everything through iTunes.
posted by Mars Saxman at 5:31 PM on November 10, 2002

here's mine (sorry, i don't have a digital camera).
mac box (g3 333mhz, os 9.2)
wintel box (1 ghz, xp)
linux box (800 mhz, gentoo)
wintel laptop (1.2 ghz, win2k, wireless card)
sharp zaurus 5500 (206 mhz, qtopia, wireless card)
linksys wap
belkin omniview kvm
21" flatscreen (crt) dell trinitron monitor
assorted mice and keyboards
2 technics sl1200mk2 turntables
vestax pmc170a mixer
sony receiver/amp
celestion monitors
a cheap office chair i found on the street
i think the only things i DON'T have are a television and a printer.
posted by dolface at 6:38 PM on November 10, 2002

i think the only things i DON'T have are a television and a printer.

... and a digital camera :)
posted by MidasMulligan at 8:15 PM on November 10, 2002

I feel so inadequate.

I don't even have a computer at home these days, since my ex-fiancee threw my laptop at me. My geek corner, such as it is, consists of an old Smith-Corona Citation which has an alarming tendency to scoot itself across the desk with its own momentum when you hit carriage return. It is viscerally mechanical.

I prefer laptops. I like my tech to blend, and desktops simply do not fit with anything except Cubicle Modern and are at any rate a bit large for my tiny little studio. What I'd really like:

A laptop that fits in a drawer when I'm not using it, with a wireless link to a wall-mounted flat-panel monitor (matte black) that gets fed real-time news or art or what-have-you. A tiny laser printer mounted under the desk. Some sort of flat-screen dumb terminal mounted to the end of one of my bookshelves to serve as a catalog for my books.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 8:07 AM on November 11, 2002

Okay, this is fun, though I'm getting a 404 on the original link. I'm a card-carrying member of NAG (Not A Geek), but this is pretty much what I'm seeing right now. This is something of a wider view, but forgive the bad quality - I'm taking these with a pencam that gets very cranky with night shots (yeah, it's night here), and isn't very pleased with its elderly batteries.
posted by taz at 9:09 AM on November 11, 2002

Midas, not to be rude, but you have residences in NYC, Virginia and Italy and your site is run off GeoCities? Come on, man!
posted by botono9 at 9:46 AM on November 11, 2002

Here's a picture of my former setup back in Detroit. Several pictures, actually, more or less a panorama of the office.
posted by kindall at 11:22 AM on November 11, 2002

My room is clearly the best.
posted by TurkishGolds at 5:22 PM on November 11, 2002

TurkishGolds: Best touch? The fork.
posted by taz at 10:24 PM on November 11, 2002