Show HN: My Sort-of-DIY, Dual 30", Sit-Stand Treadmill Desk Setup

http://peterarm.tumblr.com/post/37021212588/sit-stand-treadmill-desk

by peterarmstrong • 14 years ago

54 64 14 years ago

peterarm.tumblr.com

ujjain• 14 years ago

It's awesome! But I don't see how you can have high-productivity by using a laptop keyboard.

I also have a SteelSeries 7G keyboard, which is what I used when just using one 30" monitor. But I haven't figured out how to incorporate it with the dual 30" monitor setup. And dual 30" monitor + laptop keyboard > SteelSeries + single 30" monitor. Maybe I'll get a laptop stand and try incorporating all three plus the external keyboard...

Noughmad• 14 years ago

I'm curious why you need the laptop at all. Do you like looking down on the tiny screen even though you have two huge ones above?

rjh29• 14 years ago

Productivity is rarely limited by typing speed.

bmuon• 14 years ago

Arguably, there are laptop keyboards that are much better than most desktop keyboards.

kristiandupont• 14 years ago

I prefer my laptop keyboard to normal ones. In what way would it limit my productivity?

wj• 14 years ago

For me lack of a number pad. But I spend much of my day in spreadsheets.

chrisrogers• 14 years ago

While the dual-30" monitors certainly has its appeal, I find getting away from my screens and truly discovering the world to be my most enriching time. Why confine your walking to the scope of those foreboding screens when your walk could be toward something unknown? Something strange, something beautiful. Something to inspire. A show, a friend, or something you've never experienced. I know it takes more than a walk on a treadmill to open my mind to a new idea.

WalterGR• 14 years ago

> Why a sit-stand treadmill desk? It’s the perfect way to work.

Emphasis mine.

peterarmstrong7• 14 years ago

I fully agree! I like snowboarding or going down to the ocean for that. But doing a startup requires massive hours at a computer, and the problem is that hours of sitting is fundamentally bad. Besides being bad for your health (see http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/06/treadmill-desks-i... and follow your nose) I find it's also easy to fall into a rut and end up on HN too much. Like now :) Goodnight!

swah4• 14 years ago

Then you have to come back and sit for 8 hours coding that idea. Problem remains.

dr_win• 14 years ago

Hi, I built a running "desk" for situations when I consume podcasts/youtube. It is not for working but good for running/walking while watching.

Kettler treadmill + Griffin stand + MacBook: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/559047/mbp-running.jpg

peterarmstrong7• 14 years ago

That's awesome! I did something similar to that years ago with an old elliptical trainer: I clamped a dell laptop to it. But my problem I found is that I'd still spend all the other time sitting when doing real work.

You can actually get into a really good coding zone when walking, once you get used to it...

klepra• 14 years ago

Inspirarional. Good job on planning and make it happen for yourself! Everybody deserves a decent workstation.

ErikGelderblom• 14 years ago

Get away from your desk every once in a while instead of exercising behind your desk. It clears your head and makes you focus better afterwards.

icebraining• 14 years ago

Why "instead" and not "as well"?

flexd• 14 years ago

I feel you would get less work done running or walking on one of these, and you would also not get much exercise value out of it.

It would be better to take breaks often, and every other day take a 1 hour break to do a proper set of exercises in a gym, playing a sport or just running or biking outside.

drewjoh3• 14 years ago

Monitor cable note: You don't have to use the expensive dual-link DVI adapters if you have a monitor that supports the standard sized DisplayPort. You can get a simple Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter (and DisplayPort cable) and it supports the full 2560x1600 resolution of monitors like the 30" Dell.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TSDG06/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=dr...

(note: summary description says max of 1920x1200, but detailed description says up to 2560x1600. I'm using it on a 30" Dell, so it works :)

ajtaylor• 14 years ago

That's exactly what I did as well. It works a treat, other than the cable and/or connection sometimes being finicky and sending the external monitor into sleep mode. I suspect a higher quality cable wouldn't exhibit this problem.

chollida12• 14 years ago

Or without the unmentioned referal link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TSDG06/

drewjoh3• 14 years ago

What's wrong with a referral link?

swah4• 14 years ago

TIL that a 30" Dell monitor costs 2500 USD in Brazil. WJW.

brandoncor• 14 years ago

That adapter only supports one monitor right?

drewjoh3• 14 years ago

Yes, only one monitor per mini DisplayPort.

shocks2• 14 years ago

The best part is that mouse. Razer DeathAdder.

Awesome, awesome, awesome mouse. Highly recommended.

swah4• 14 years ago

Even for not-gaming use?

shocks2• 14 years ago

Absolutely.

It's very comfortable, very accurate, very smooth. It's simple, but has all the basic buttons you need and none of the extra chaff. It has an awesome blue light, but you can disable this if you want. It's also easy to clean, and looks great! :)

There's also a button on the bottom, you can program this, but it is in a rather awkward place. My only complaint.

Newer models come with a braided cable which is very sturdy.

io• 14 years ago

Agreed. I bought it primarily because it has a left-handed version, but it's a great mouse.

kayoone2• 14 years ago

Or just take a break for 1-2 hours during the day to go out and hit the gym or go for a run. I would argue it makes you feel better than trying to mix exercise with working on a computer.

stevenwei3• 14 years ago

Sadly, research suggests that's not sufficient enough to counteract being sedentary for the rest of the day.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39523298/ns/health-mens_health/#...

The idea of these treadmill desks is to keep you from constantly sitting all day. I would agree that one should probably do some more vigorous exercise as well.

jt21903• 14 years ago

  > I would argue it makes you feel better than trying to 
  > mix exercise with working on a computer.

This is a common misunderstanding about treadmill desks. They're not a workout replacement, they're meant to reduce the number of work hours just sitting. Typically you're not breaking a sweat or even breathing heavier when you use one. You should still go to the gym/go outside/work out if you use one of these.

meaty6• 14 years ago

I hate this whole standing/treadmill desk fad. It solves the wrong end of the problem. Sitting on your ass is fine but don't do it all day.

I can understand if you're a hamster in a cage but seriously just go for a walk instead.

swah4• 14 years ago

10-20 times per day?

meaty6• 14 years ago

Well tend to walk about 5-6 miles a day and do nothing else whatsoever and I'm in very good health.

I don't eat meat though so my metabolism is probably different.

stevenwei3• 14 years ago

Taking a walk a day isn't going to offset sitting on your ass for all of your other waking hours.

Unless you're walking constantly, but that makes it rather difficult to work at your computer...

meaty6• 14 years ago

Depends how far you walk. Too much exercise decreases your lifespan as much as too little.

goldfeld• 14 years ago

That's easy if 'sitting on your ass' amounts to grazing on facebook, watching idle entertainment or playing games. For the rest of us who work on a computer at a job and/or then again at home, that's a bit impractical at best and not the least feasible for many, even some who happen not to be hamsters in a cage. And though a treadmill is a bit extreme I see no reason to shrug off standing desks as an annoying fad--it's just as natural a position to work as sitting though not as culturally ingrained, and uncomfortable for long straight hours (but then sitting is seemingly comfortable while not at all healthy).

meaty6• 14 years ago

Perhaps the problem is that you shouldn't be sitting in front of the computer at work and at home rather than have a standing desk at either?

mistercow2• 14 years ago

>I hate this whole standing/treadmill desk fad. It solves the wrong end of the problem. Sitting on your ass is fine but don't do it all day.

Sure, but I actually find that I feel better when I use a standing desk than sitting.

ishbits• 14 years ago

I used to stand. An then arranges for my MacBook Pro to sit nicely on my already existing high end treadmill.

Neither really did it for me and I think I was just sucked into the trend.

Now I do 5k a day on the treadmill and some basic work with light dumb bells. No more sore back. And RSI in the wrists is pretty much gone despite still pushing some 4 hour sessions without rest (which I know is wrong).

edw519• 14 years ago

Working out and writing software are like beer and chocolate.

I love both, but not at the same time.

wukkuan2• 14 years ago

I understand your point (and agree), but a nice stout and some fancy chocolate go quite well together. :)

pseut• 14 years ago

I, on the other hand, love beer and chocolate together. Not quite as nice for breakfast as coke (soda), chocolate and a cigarette, but I ain't that young any more.

jt21903• 14 years ago

Many of the comments here are arguing that walking desks aren't necessary because one can just exercise outside of working hours. What they're failing to consider is new research that shows that sitting all day and then exercising is still unhealthy on the whole. Walking desks are intended to reduce the number of hours just sitting. They're not intended to be your daily workout/break from the monitor, etc.

freerobby3• 14 years ago

Did you consider any of the Lifespan Fitness models? They sell complete kits, some for less money than the cost of what you built yourself:

http://www.lifespanfitness.com/tr800-dt5-treadmill-desk.html... http://www.lifespanfitness.com/treadmill-desk/tr1200-dt5-tre... http://www.lifespanfitness.com/treadmill-desk/tr5000-dt5-tre...

I have the mid-tier model and absolutely love it. Curious if there was anything in particular about it that turned you off (you obviously researched this project thoroughly).

mistercow2• 14 years ago

How can you possibly track text for reading, let alone type accurately while walking on a treadmill?

jt21903• 14 years ago

You'd be surprised at how easy it is. You're not running, nor are even walking at full speed. It's really just a casual stroll while typing. People do all sorts of things while walking.

peterarmstrong7• 14 years ago

If you walk at "going for a stroll" speed instead of "competing in the olympics" speed it's actually fine. For me, I can code or even play civ at 1.6 to 2 mph.

The only thing I've done where I was frustrated by walking at the same time was play StarCraft 2. This was just when I had one 30" monitor and was using my SteelSeries 7G. The mouse control is really hard for SC2, but I play zerg, so you can do macro cheese types of strats while walking. (I'm plat though. I think you'd get slaughtered if you tried this at diamond or higher.)

darrickwiebe• 14 years ago

I've been considering adding a treadmill to my standing desk, but am concerned about the whine of the treadmill and the sound of my footsteps on it bothering others in the room or who work below me. How is the noise from your setup? Have you had to address that in any way?

frankohara• 14 years ago

Nice! I have almost an exact same setup! www.treadmilldeskdiary.com

Show HN: My Sort-of-DIY, Dual 30", Sit-Stand Treadmill Desk Setup

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