Office Furniture & Supplies

The off-road writer - now there’s a niche.  

If you find yourself toting your laptop on camping trips, hiking trails or perhaps everyday is a rocky adventure scaling the urban jungle, you may want to take extra precautions in protecting the prized possession that holds your latest masterpiece - the laptop. 

As long as you have hard drives with movable parts (Come on 500GB SSD!) and manufacturers like Apple producing laptops with glass screens (new Macbook/Macbook Pro) you can never be too cautious. There are extreme solutions and everyday precaution gear.  This article is all about the EXTREME.  As in, "I dropped my laptop bag halfway down the Himalayas and it took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’".

Aside from the overkill look of the 80s James Bond aluminum briefcase, there are a handful of "practical" off-road laptop bags:  Otterbox is arguably the king of rugged gadget cases.  Toting the 7030 laptop case will add a whopping 6 pounds to your mobility but it gets the job done for $189.95.

[click to continue...]

Embody by Herman Miller

One of our most popular articles has just received an update.  Click here to find more ergonomic chairs to help increase your productivity, as well as updated links and a peek at the all new Embody chair by Herman Miller.  

A company out of Oregon called Woodfold has created one of those Maxwell Smart-products that is very appealing to almost any geek’s palate.  If you have the means (residential setup) for this product line, I highly envy you.  Imagine it - your own hidden writing sanctum. 

Woodfold’s Bookcase Door System serves two functions: it’s a bookshelf and an entryway to whatever lies beyond its bounds.  Perhaps it serves as a portal to a safe or a paint-splattered art studio. My personal favorite is a secret writing den where you conspire writing the next James Bond sequel or the next great Da Vinci Code.

In June of this year Founders’ Blog posted a very popular article about ergonomic chairs. What followed were numerous emails asking detailed questions about specific models.   The article was written to encourage writers to invest in their health when setting up a home work environment, not so much to profess ourselves pundits on the subject of ergonomic chairs.  Nonetheless, we’ve gone ahead and gathered a handful of videos on the internet that showcase some of the features of specific models. We are happy with the response to the June article and again want to encourage all writers to invest in two things: good computer equipment and a great chair.

Chris Pirillo uses the Grahl ergonomic chair and explains the importance of investing in a high quality chair.

Thorough review of the SwingSeat - very innovative product. Try it out and if you don’t like it, you get your money back including S&H.

Difficulty finding a BodyBilt video that showcases the entire chair. One of the best features is the seat - modeled after the old, farmer, tractor saddles.

[click to continue...]

There is an insightful article over at Guardian News and Media which has researched the working spaces of 68 famous writers. Within the article each modern writer elaborates on their choice of space, furniture and gadgets. Posthumous articles by various journalists cover the work spaces of writers such as Virginia Wolf and Rudyard Kipling. It’s interesting to see some of the geek’dm, and antiquated work spaces used by the best.  

Having just posted an article myself about the best ergonomic chairs for writers, I offer Sarah Waters (Author of Tipping the Velvet) the prize for best chair.  She also has several maps plastering the walls which qualify as art in my office as well.  Charles Darwin’s Victorian digs surprised me, as I expected to see a bunch of dead specimens in jars and carcasses hanging from the wall. 

Check out  the article and see where the musings of many great writers have taken place.

Sarah Waters’ Writing Room

Grahl Synchron 5

UPDATE: Videos - Best Ergonomic Chairs for Writers 

UPDATE 2: Refreshed Article December 5th 2008 with better links and more chairs. Plus, check out the all new Embody chair by Herman Miller.

This article has become so popular that we are going to continue to update it and post the updated links on the Home page, linking back to the original article. Godspeed in your search for the perfect chair!

————–

Every writer should invest in two things – good computer equipment and a great chair.  Forget the desk. A desk just holds stuff.  I don’t care if you use two barrels and slab of oak to create a desk. As long as the height is conducive to your body type. 

It’s 2008 and people find themselves sitting in front of a computer all day long, including writers. Unfortunately, proper seating can be the last thing writers think about.  You pick the cheapest or the prettiest chair from your local IKEA or office supply store and you live to regret it.  Invest in your health and give your body the proper support it needs to create that blockbuster!

Things to consider when buying a chair:

• Free range of adjustable motion (height, seat, back, arms)
• Upper and lower lumbar support (executive series)
• Adjustable headrest
• Durable material (it’s a long-term investment)

[click to continue...]