Lian Li F1: The Desk As the Computer
by Joshua Buss on August 7, 2005 7:35 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Introduction
Every once in a while, a new product so different enters the computer market such that we actually have to deviate a bit from our normal article categories just to write about it. Since the summary of this article on the front page has already given away the fact that this is about a computer workstation, it is plausible that one would think, "but there is nothing new about desks...they have been around for a very long time." This is most certainly true to an extent, but the Lian Li F1 and F2 are not your average computer desks by any stretch of the imagination.When a technology enthusiast thinks about the perfect workstation, what do they have in mind? What would they deem important to have in their "dream" desk, and what would they rather do without? These are exactly the kinds of "bigger idea" questions that the design teams at Lian Li surely had to ask themselves in the planning and development stages of this desk's construction.
This article ended up in this category of our site because Lian Li essentially answered that second question with, "it should perfectly accommodate a computer, of course", and what better way to provide that answer than to include one of Lian Li's latest tower cases, the PC-V1000. Coming soon will be a large case roundup where we will see how the V1000 compares to several other tower cases from various manufacturers. Today, we are just going to focus on the desk, since it is absolutely possible that one could put other cases into the F1 / F2.
How else Lian Li answered these questions will be the subject of this article, but for starters, let's just take a look at what the manufacturers themselves have to say about their new product:
Material:
- Aluminum alloy, solid and durable, easy to clean, elegant, light and will never get deformed
- Surface is hard-anodized, wear-proof and long-lasting.
- Wire collection system makes all cables invisible.
- Genuine leather plate on desk offers a comfortable working space.
- Coasters, business card holder, note box
- A place to store your keyboard.
- Front bezel design available for placing speakers or other computer accessories
- Sliding drawer with lock in the middle and individual tanks inside for storage of stationary and other small accessories
- Drawer with elegant handle design and concaves inside for loading CDs
- Multimedia port on right side of desk for easier access and operation (USB2.0 x 2, IEEE1394, MIC x1, EAR x 1, 12-in-1 card reader, internet LANx1)
- Spare power plug for easy access for electrical appliances
- Stand for printer with box in the bottom for paper storage (A4 size) offers more space for use.
- Foldable stand and hook for hanging your bag or other personal belonging
- Place for computer case, available for Lian Li PC-V1000
- Adjustable feet enables desk to be placed at uneven ground (1 inch adjustable).
- Optional side desk can be used as a simple meeting place - space and work efficient.
- Optional file folder enables user to collect everything in one location for a convenient working environment.
Also, a special note regarding the photography in this article:
This is one of the most graphically intensive reviews here at AnandTech to date, and due to the nature of the finish of this unit, flash photography was a necessity. This can cause other features of the surrounding environment to look overly exposed or 'washed out' - which is why we generally strive to avoid the use of a flash - but please keep in mind that the focus of the pictures is the unit itself, and to show the detail of the hardware in pictures viewable over the internet, we felt that it was best to take our pictures this way. We hope that you will agree and can appreciate the time and effort that goes into photographing something of this size and finish.
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Tamale - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I couldn't of said it better myself..I like to think of this more from the perspective of something like.. "google's CEO needs a new desk.. what should he get?" or.. "how much desk can a geek get for $3,000?"
like I mentioned in the review.. there are plenty of people who might consider a $3,000 solid cherry desk.. but might be much more interested in something like this instead.. it's just that you probably won't see people like that posting comments here anyway..
WileCoyote - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
This desk is ridiculous. I haven't seen a product this year that was a bigger waste of money.PeteRoy - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
http://www.xpcgear.com/lib/extremepcgear/3dgameman...">Video of this deskuffda - Monday, August 8, 2005 - link
Saw the vid...interesting...but he over-rated it. 100%? Hardly. But it is quite good.LocutusX - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
Ya know, I could probably hire a craftsman/carpenter to custom build me a computer table of *similar* design/quality for about $800-900. Materials not included.Locut0s - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I too feel that it is an absurd price to pay but the end of the article reads:"
We do not feel that it does this desk justice to try to evaluate whether or not it is worth the asking price by looking at it piece by piece because plenty of people out there will be perfectly happy with a forty-dollar plastic fold-up table for their desk. Instead, we feel as though this product fills a niche for the consumer who has already decided that they have a certain price range in mind or for the elitist who simply wants either "the best" or at least something totally new and different.
"
So you don't have any reason to be "shocked" at the review.
Sabresiberian - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I have 2 computers, this thing won't work for me :) I am building my own desk that will have room for 3 computers I can access with the mere pivot of my chair, plus some workspace. Is it huge? yes, but it'll work great, and all for maybe $300 in nice materials.Maybe the V1000 case for my 3rd computer, something I can mess with Linux on :)
Tamale - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
you know, with the side desk attachment I actually think it's a fairly nice workstation for two or even three computers.. especially if you have a KVM switch or virtual control over all computers with a single keyboard and mouse.. you can fit three good sized monitors AND a laptop on it fairly comfortably..Bonesdad - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
WOW, I can think of ALOT more useful things to do with 3K than buy a desk. I am still using my particleboard computer desk I got 9 years ago and it is in top shape. Cost me about $200. The most important thing to have is a good chair. I spent about $500 on my chair about 3 years ago.I can't imagine spending 3K on this...
ceefka - Monday, August 8, 2005 - link
Totally agree. Many people forget to buy a good chair.This desk is not even the latest state of the art in ergonomics. For 3K you'd expect them to consider ergonomics other than just have everything close at hand.