Fancy a shag?

April 23, 2007 5:28 PM

What's the best way to set my computer under my desk when the floor is shag/pile carpeting?

Just moved from a house with hardwood floors to one with shag carpeting. At the old place I set the computer tower on the floor under my desk, but with the shag carpet I'm concerned about both stability and static. My desk is one of those particle board jobs that isn't meant for a tower computer, so there's nowhere on the desk itself to set it that wouldn't take up precious desk real estate.

Is there a product out there I can buy -- a platform of some sort -- that I can put computer on top of? Maybe screw some boards together? Or get a chair floor mat and set it on top of that (with some boards or something supporting it?) Anyone had and solved this problem?

posted by dw to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

Best answer: My tower sits on two books. These books are of the "Using Windows 98" and "Using Office 97" variety, no value to them. One under the front feet, one under the rear feet. No need for anything fancier than that, it's very sturdy, and the carpet has compressed quite nicely under the books. The books are high enough that they allow me to vacuum and bump right into them without scratching the tower case.
posted by disclaimer at 5:36 PM on April 23, 2007

I used to see those little under-desk computer tower trolley-type platforms all the time at IKEA. I just checked their site and it doesn't seem like they have them anymore. Possibly office depot/max may have them. Maybe someone will weigh in with the specific term for these things and then you can google it. Other than that, it might just be easier for you to purchase a new desk (at ikea, staples, etc.) for under $50 that comes complete with a tower compartment.
posted by necessitas at 5:55 PM on April 23, 2007

Worst case, get some decent wood of some sort, a few brass woodworking screws, some sandpaper and varnish. Make a thingy. Do put a little effort into it, though, such things can often look pretty trashy.
posted by kavasa at 6:38 PM on April 23, 2007

Depending on your case, there is an air intake at the bottom front, which you should elevate out of the shag. Anything hard will do the trick, you don't need anything fancy. If you don't have an air intake there, you can just place it right on the carpet. May be a bit wobbly though.
posted by defcom1 at 6:38 PM on April 23, 2007

Considering the size of the tower, I'd look for something like a plastic cutting board at Target or Wal-Mart. One or two of these should work and be quite inexpensive.
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:45 PM on April 23, 2007

A large, hardwood cutting board with rounded edges would look great and would be comparable in price (especially if you count the value of human-hours) to buying good piece of hardwood and making something...
posted by allterrainbrain at 6:58 PM on April 23, 2007

I used to use two 8" pieces of 2x4 under mine, when my computer room was carpeted.

Now I just have a section of an old chair mat -- you know, the kind that have little spines on the bottom, and are normally put down under your chair to make it roll easier? -- it started to get all cracked where the chair was, so I cut the "tongue" off (the part that's narrow and made to stick into the knee-hole of the desk) and have that for the computers to sit on now.

Works like a charm, and looks better than the 2x4s (or so says the SO).
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:56 PM on April 23, 2007

The things that necessitas is looking for are called CPU carts in the US. However, I would suggest that unless you need your computer on wheels, the books/bit of wood suggestion is fine and much cheaper.
posted by Joh at 8:14 PM on April 23, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. Seems like stuff I have lying around will do, and the one thing this move has shown me is that I have a plethora of old computer books.
posted by dw at 11:32 PM on April 23, 2007

Skateboard.
posted by Gungho at 4:07 AM on April 24, 2007

I have a CPU Trolley from Levenger as part of a desk system that is a more elegant but expensive solution as suggested by necessitas
posted by TedW at 6:02 AM on April 24, 2007

I assume you have no pets? Cat? Dog? If you do, I would seriously suggest you not put your CPU on the floor (even if marginally raised) The interior of your case will resemble a fur coat, otherwise. Unless the animals are forever banned from the room.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:15 AM on April 24, 2007