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CableTread: Desks with Embedded Wiring
- gus_massa 6y agoDo you build the desk, or you only design them? Is the keyboard integrated to the desk, or I can use my own keyboard?
- sfnick92 6y agoHey everyone, I designed this desk to solve the messy cabling in my home office. Cables are embedded inside the desk itself, organized and out of sight. Cable routing inspired by circuit boards. Do you guys see the value? Who would appreciate this the most?
- rawgabbit 6y agoI see retail store fronts wanting this. A "cool" receptionist desk where they can hide their unsightly cables.
- sfnick92 6y agoGreat idea.
- eps 6y agoLooks very cool, but, no, I don't see this solving any problem an average desktop user would have. Zipties are cheap as dirt and work exceptionally well for organizing cables into bundles and tucking them out of way and out of sight. There are other equally economical ways of doing the same, e.d. under-table cable baskets and such. It's also a problem that generally needs solving just once, so whatever does that in the cheapest and quickest way wins. I also don't see many people being able to justify paying extra for a beautiful looking underside of a table. Finally, and only tangentially related, the website has massive problems loading on an older iPad, showing long stretches of white and black space with nothing on them, stuttering when scrolling and then just outright crashing the browser :-/
- jfim 6y agoThere's also the fact that users tend to adapt their desk to their needs. Some of them have USB DACs and wired headphones, mechanical keyboards, special mice or trackballs, charger cords for their phone, laptop docking stations, smart card readers, mouse pads, network cables, etc. I can kind of see the point for locations where aesthetics are more important than usability (eg. receptionists) but otherwise for most people it wouldn't add that much, since they'd lose the aesthetic by plugging in whatever cord they need to charge their phone, USB coffee mug heater or whatever. A more useful thing in my option would be a build your own option that allows placing items where you'd want them and have it route and build the thing automatically, but I'm not sure part of that target market, so take that with an appropriate amount of salt. :-)
- sfnick92 6y agoIt would be super cool if i could make a desk builder that made each desk automatically have cable routing custom to unique set ups. For now it looks like making a more modular one size fits all solution makes the most sense.
- spicybright 6y agoSo, I just have to ask, how would big custom frames be better than stick on clips and zip ties? I did that with my desk. It took 15 minutes and 10 bucks for a clean looking desk. No visible wires except the ones sticking out the back, in clips so they can't fall behind the desk. The idea is cool if you're into elaborate (expensive?) custom desks, but it seems more like an design school final than something of practical use. Believe me though, it looks nice, I can tell you worked hard on it. I just don't get why build a business around it now instead of iterate on it as a hobby until you get something of use for the average desk worker.
- ASalazarMX 6y agoIt looks amazing! Say I spill my coffee in it, is it difficult to clean? Edit: never mind, just saw the top is solid.
- sfnick92 6y agoI am looking into anti-stain+anti-fingerprint laminate tops :)
- ktpsns 6y agoI love the idea! I just wonder how this works. On my (actually similarly sized) desk, I typically have two monitors, two table lamps, one notebook, a USB-C dock and a wired keyboard/mouse. Do I have to climb below my desk to undock the notebook? Are there holes in the desk for the wires of my input devices? I would not want to miss my mouse and I also prefer being able to move the keyboard instead of having it fixed. Furthermore, what's about regularly changing the ordering? I can clean and streamline my ordinary desk right now with a few cable straps and extension chords. This will take me 15min and look fine. But tomorrow I decide to use other hardware and need to decompose all that clutter. A management solution definetly needs to be flexible to allow me to save time when cleaning up the desk.
- sfnick92 6y agoThanks for the feedback! This particular version was a custom build for a client. A minimalist soltution with a fixed keyboard and mac mini was the preferred set up. I am working on a version optimized for a laptop -> usbc hub -> multi monitor set up. By having structured set ups with a set number of power/USB outlets and cable lengths controlled on the back end, I can provide super clean set ups.
- ktpsns 6y agoThis idea (laptop, USB-C, multi monitor) sounds as if it can cover the needs of a very large userbase. Good luck! I wish shipping from US to Europe wasn't so damned slow and expensive ;-)
- redelbee 6y agoThis is neat and makes me want to take a router to my existing standing desk to organize cables in a similar fashion. That said I think a focus on the entire desk might be a difficult sell. I’m not going to replace my existing desk with this. I’m not even sure if I would go for this if I was in the market for a desk unless I could customize it in some way (or at least choose from multiple configurations depending on my needs). It looks like that’s included in your future planning, so congrats. You know what I would buy immediately? A well-designed standing/convertible desk that makes a modern design statement. I don’t like the extremely utilitarian look of all the standing desk options I’ve seen. Give me the 2020 version of the Steelcase (or numerous other manufacturers) tanker desk and I will buy in a heartbeat. Those tankers are utilitarian and stylish. I would probably own one already if they didn’t weigh half a ton.
- sfnick92 6y agoThanks for the feedback. The tanker desk is a classic!
- stevesearer 6y agoThe height-adjustable desk we have at my company are the Watson C9 which sounds like it might be up your alley design-wise. It has 4 thin legs instead of 2 T-Rex style legs and you could probably customize it with storage on both sides to get close to a tanker-style desk. https://www.watsonfurniture.com/gallery/images/859 https://www.watsonfurniture.com/gallery/images/859 Edit: I should also note that it is a bit more of a B2B company as opposed to B2C, but figured I'd share since I am very satisfied with them.
- redelbee 6y agoOh wow this is great, thank you! I hadn’t heard the T-Rex description before. It perfectly captures the look of every standing desk I’ve seen. It’s amazing how much the four legs changes the look and feel of the desk. Since you seem to be in the know: Do you see any of the more B2B type companies (or designers) focusing more on the consumer market in the future or is the opportunity in selling to corporate offices going to keep things as they are? It seems like a lot of the design talent is focused on the corporate office space and needs. For example this C9 looks to have a rail system line etc built around the desk, which makes me wonder if different design choices would be made if the focus was more for a home office setting.
- Animats 6y agoThis product segment is called "Cable management desks." [1] There are lots of them. [1] https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/sb1/cable-management-desks-c1780384-a5052~23299.html https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/sb1/cable-management-desks...
- vzaliva 6y agoThis is a nice product but they are targeting diminishing market of desktop computer users. Most people I know are using laptops, sometimes with optional extenral monitor and other peripherals. This is what they should be really targeting.
- sfnick92 6y agoTotally agree. I’m working on a version that’s optimized for one cable connection from laptop to monitor.
- Glawen 6y agoDoes it have motor to switch between sitting and standing position ?
- sfnick92 6y agoYea it does.
- egypturnash 6y agoI sure do want to trust my computer to a few elastic bands holding it to the underside of a desk! Sign me right up. I see no problems with this plan whatsoever. The keyboard integrated into the desk is a beautiful piece of form over function, I'm sure it will be fun to pretend you're the head of Encom until you want to shift your weight and you try to shove the keyboard over a little bit to make your wrists happy.
- sfnick92 6y agoI love the take! A mounted bracket to hold the mac mini would probably make more sense... Inset keyboard and trackpad may not be the most ergonomic. But boy does it look clean. I will look into a more one size fits all approach.
- spicybright 6y agoHit the nail on the head. Pure form over function for people that don't actually use a desk 8+ hours a day 5 days a week.
- obilgic 6y agoCan't you just sell the back plate, so that it can be attached to any desk?
- sfnick92 6y agoYea I think there is definitely potential as a smaller, add-on product. What would you pay for this?
- obilgic 6y ago%10-20 of the desk, but eventually you might end up competing with lower cost replicas or plastic alternatives. Maybe building a high-end brand is the only survivable way.
- rkagerer 6y agoNeat idea, but how expensive are these? I just use a drill or staple gun, and lots of zap straps. Everything goes to exactly where I want it. You can buy grommets pretty cheap if you need a hole. I find myself making adjustments a few times a year, when I upgrade or replace hardware. Yes, it takes a bit of up-front work, but the result is great. This approach has worked just fine for me for 15+ years.
- sfnick92 6y agoWould be pretty expensive if I sold as is. North of $1500. Your story is relatable. Most desktops don't think through cabling. Cables management is considered an add-on accessory even though EVERY modern desk has cables. Why aren't cables bettern integrated into desks? This is my response to that.
- rkagerer 6y agoCool. I didn't mean to bash your product, it's neat! Just think it'll be a tough sell unless you can either really commoditize it or alternatively enhance it into a premium, high-end product. (The bespoke option might go some ways to that, but you'd also need very high end materials, finish, design aesthetics, other unique features like concealed, built-in wireless charging, etc).
- sfnick92 6y agoThanks I agree with all that. Cheers.
- spicybright 6y agoYou don't even have to go that far if you don't want. I just use command hooks, the small ones that are made for hanging up lights outdoors. 10 bucks and 15 minutes of work and you never have to worry about cables getting in the way again. It's really odd when companies try to come up with expensive laborious solutions to truly simple problems, and market it like it's solving this massive issue plaguing the world. Bonus points if they're reasoning is to trail blaze "how X should REALLY be like."
- ChuckMcM 6y agoPretty nice design work. Personally I think it would be fascinating if the new "desktop" form factor for appliance running devices[1] looks simply like a desk. The biggest challenge I see is the keyboard. A lot of variability there that might be difficult to support. In an adjacent category, something like this for electrical engineers would be pretty awesome. A lot of instruments have gone "USB connected with computer as display device." I could easily see a workbench that had 'tilt-up' bays that would expose oscilloscope ports, or powwer supply ports, etc. With the instrument displays on maybe three or four displays across the back. [1] Not general purpose "computers" which often have slots for different peripherals that would not work well in such a configuration, but I digress.
- sfnick92 6y agoGreat comment! I think Industry-specific workstations have a lot of potential. Generic one size fits all desks don't cut it for many people. I thought streamers/gamers would be a great market too.
- dang 6y ago"Show HN" requires that the product or project exists and is ready to be tried out. The definition of "tried out" varies from project to project but it needs to be more than a sign-up page. I've taken "Show HN" out of the above title for now. https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html
- sfnick92 6y agoSorry about that. I thought pictures were good enough for a hardware product
- amanzi 6y agoI'm surprised they didn't route the power and network cables down inside the legs instead of just being tied to the outside.
- sfnick92 6y agoGood eye. I’m using an OEM frame here. There are gears inside the legs that prevent a wire from being routed inside. And unfortunately there is one cable needed to plug into the wall.
- moltar 6y agoShow me a version with the Apple block