Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with workstation

Recommended computer workstation vendors?

pombe — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:14:26 -0800

I'm looking for recommended vendors for high performance computing workstations. I need a workstation with 32 GB or more of RAM for image analysis; my computational needs are more modest, but a couple decently fast cores would be nice (my application parallelizes well). I'd like to spend around $5k if possible, but could go up a little if necessary. I'd prefer not to build a system.

The Perfect Post-Desktop Desk

MaxVonCretin — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:36:02 -0800

Recommend new desk for Laptop + Flat Panel(s)? My computer is dying, as is its old desk. I need to replace both. While I'm set on the hardware (15" MacBook Pro + 27" LCD Monitor), I can't find the ideal desk.

Full-sized desk (not one of those puny pods)
Primary surface of desk should be low enough (or adjustable) so that typing on the laptop's keyboard is not awkward or painful (No keyboard tray or separate plug-in keyboard).
Elevated rear shelf (or elevated swing-arm) to accommodate large 27" monitor
Quality materials - I'm willing to pay extra for something that will really last, so would like to avoid particle board if at all possible.
Finish: Would prefer black or metal or some combination thereof.
Drawers: nice, but not necessary

Any ideas hugely appreciated!

Cheap, sturdy, modular desks, can it be done?

Phyltre — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:35:11 -0800

Looking for a modular, reconfigurable desk--that will incorporate a miniature home theater, among other things. Your help needed. (In a hurry? Just read the bold bits.)
Okay, so I spend most of my (free) time and money on my home computer. Perhaps too much. Because of this, I really need to restructure my desk space. I have a ton of equipment, and a reasonable amount of space to work with; (okay, let's just say all my previous bedrooms turned into a giant desk with a bed in the corner) but at this stage of my life I move around a lot. So a monolithic desk would be extremely inconvenient (and not configurable, stackable, or movable, either.)

Basically I need a home for a midsize LCD monitor, keyboard, fullsize tower, Harman Kardon audio receiver, a center speaker, largish uninterruptible power supply, large mousepad, large ergo keyboard, and a small steel mesh desk organizer. And the space immediately surrounding the space will have floorstanding surround speakers, as well as other audio equipment and what have you. The catch is, everything shelving-wise needs to be modular, very stable, and open front/back for airflow /wiring. Sort of a combination desk and audio component rack, with modular shelving and stackables. This setup would be easy if i could just buy a huge one or two piece desk with overkill shelving, but that's not an option. I'm almost certain to be going with multiple pieces, a desk plus some sort of rack or shelving. Cube shelves look nice, but most seem either extremely shallow or closed in back (i.e., useless.) And let's not forget, all this stuff is rather heavy so I can't use flimsy stuff.

And, err, I don't have a ton of money. I can't really spend more than $~150-200 at a time, although this will be modular so that's not too much of a limitation. But seriously, why do audio racks cost so much for such simple furniture?! Anyone have advice, suggestions, etc? Please no glass desks/shelving, i don't trust them as far as I can throw them. Which isn't far. Also, due to mobility concerns, wall-mounting not feasible.

Helpful links I've found so far:

IkeaHacker
Google: Cube Shelving
LOVE it but can't afford it
Perfect style, wrong dimensions/format
Virtually perfect but insanely expensive

ergonomic desk: help me be a stand-up guy

grumblebee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:58:29 -0800

I want to stand up while I program. Please recommend a desk. Requirements:

-- main surface large enough to hold two 22" monitors.

-- monitor stand must be adjustable so that screens are at eye-level.

-- keyboard/mouse area must be adjustable.

-- my boss will probably balk at something over $500. He'll nix anything over $1000.

Authentication across Windows, Linux, and Mac

remi — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:22:57 -0800

How do you use a single authentication system for different kind of servers, systems, and workstations? We're a small Web development business of less than 20 employees. Currently, we have three local servers:

Server A, using Windows Server 2003, is the "main" server for putting all of our document (including financial data) and most of our projects. For development and testing, we also host Web sites there which require a Windows server, ASP and MS SQL. It's also our main DHCP and DNS server.

Server B, Fedora Core 6, is mainly for hosting projects requiring Linux, PHP or ColdFusion, and MySQL. It's the backup DHCP and DNS server.

Server C, Windows Sever 2003 Web Edition, is for hosting projects requiring ColdFusion and Windows.

We have various kinds of workstations at the office: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Mac OS X 10.4.

Our biggest annoyance at the moment is authentication. Every employee has a different account for everything. Windows file shares, Linux file shares, Linux shell accounts, MySQL, MS SQL...

Server A already has Active Directory set up, though I'm not too familiar with it. (I'm more of a Linux system administrator.) I tried some ways to combine all one employee's accounts together, but it just won't work. One of the ways I tried was to set up PAM on server B to use LDAP or other mechanisms supposedly supported by the server A, but it doesn't work.

Now, I'm wondering, are there any methods to make the authentication process of every service work together?

I'm not even sure where to start to set this all up. Any suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Help me pick an audio workstation

fourcheesemac — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 06:53:43 -0800

So I want to buy a standalone digital audio workstation for a small but serious project studio, and I'd love feedback from folks with hands-on experience. I've narrowed the choices to Yamaha's AW1600, the Boss BR-1600CD, and the newish Zoom HD16CD. Of course there is . . . We've got all kinds of computer-based gear (mostly MOTU), but looking at the options for 16-20 track standalones I see all kinds of reasons to want one, the primary reason being ease of use by a variety of different folks who will be using this studio to record everything from bluegrass to avant-garde jazz, and the portability factor as well.

As far as I can tell, these three units are quite comparable, with the Boss having what most people call the best effects processing, the Yamaha having the longest pedigree and maybe the best preamps (and we have had nice Yamaha digital I/O gear in the past, so I know it), and the Zoom being the most fully featured for the lowest price. The Zoom has not been widely reviewed yet, but we've been really impressed with their handheld digital recorders (they are branch of Samson).

Ease of use is a huge thing here. Musicians who don't know much about computer-based recording will be using it. Quality of mic preamps also, since we will be recording a lot of acoustic music (and using high quality mics). We don't need to record more than 8 channels simultaneously. A computer interface is necessary. Durability is also a real value to us.

So have you used or bought any of these models (or comparables from Tascam, Fostex, Edirol, and Korg)? Anything awful I should know about? Anything new coming right down the road? Thanks!

Used AIX or Solaris machines

costas — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 09:56:10 -0800

UnixBoxFilter: I need access to an AIX or Solaris box. Does anyone know of a service that will sell VPS-type access to such a beast? Alternatively, what are the best places online to look for used low-end AIX or Solaris workstations (preferrably in the EU). RISC CPUs are a must, so Linux or Solaris x86 can't work here.

Is there a computer workstation out there for me?

nitsuj — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 13:50:35 -0800

I'm in the market for a new computer desk/workstation. Help me find what I'm looking for! OK, so I've searched the Ask Metafilter archives for the past hour and dug up several previous threads on this very subject, none of which attack the very issue I'm having.

I'd like to find a desk that has enough room to house a 19" monitor, while having some extra space to do some school work if necessary. It must have a keyboard/mouse drawer. I'm thinking that an L-shaped desk might be the best, but finding one in my budget has been tough. I don't have any size restrictions. It seems that going to local retail stores is a waste of time, as I haven't been able to fall "in love" with a desk yet.

My budget is pretty low - I'd like to spend less than $300. Is there a desk out there that fits my criteria and budget?

(note: Many people have recommended IKEA's "Jerker" desk in other threads, so feel free to leave that one out :)

Video Editing Equipment

headless — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:30:27 -0800

I am looking at buying a professional one-stop digital video editing workstation sometime early next year. My ceiling is $10K, and so far the best I've been able to come up with is a nice G5 setup. I can do web searches just fine, thank you, so what I'm really looking for is for you experienced pros out there to tell me what mistakes not to make and if there is really an economic (or not) alternative to the apple suite for one stop production. MI I'm in the local public television scene and I'm being held back by my producers' equipment. I have access to their cameras and such, but want a workstation I can have access to 24/7 that can handle all aspects of post production -- editing, compositing, effects, dvd, etc. Platform and brand does not concern me as much as overall functionality and price (though piracy is always an option for me software wise).