Lian Li F1: The Desk As the Computer
by Joshua Buss on August 7, 2005 7:35 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Final Thoughts
Anyone who has ever used a computer long enough will surely attest to the difference that a nice desk makes. While someone with plenty to spend on an elite work center certainly has numerous options, most expensive wooden desks are not inspired or designed by true technology enthusiasts. 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.A better question then emerges; would the F1 / F2 drive someone who is looking for a very nice desk (but perhaps around the $1,000 price point and not the $3,000 one) to consider spending three times as much for this type of product? This is a tough call. While the Lian Li desk certainly is one of the best of computer desks, it is also the only of its kind. Other manufacturers might see the release of this product as a chance to get into the same business as well, so it's very possible that the F1 / F2 will have competition in the future, and thus lowering the price - but for now, if someone is looking for a desk like this, they really do not have anything to compare it to.
What we can say about the latest from Lian Li is that it is very well designed, manufactured, and finished, and that it represents something completely unique - definately a product that is at the very top of its class. There just isn't much about the F1 that we reviewed that we didn't like, and the PC V1000 case is also one of the very best ATX cases available on the market today - a perfect combination. If you have the kind of dough to even consider something like this, it comes very highly recommended from us here at AnandTech.
Once more, there is a sub-article also available that illustrates the whole assembly process in greater detail for those seriously interested in this desk. The zip can be downloaded by clicking here.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
52 Comments
View All Comments
uffda - Monday, August 8, 2005 - link
You are very right. Ergonomically this desk is not terribly good. And a chair is critical to good arm/back support.bldckstark - Monday, August 8, 2005 - link
Yup, I bought a $500 Samsonite leather chair, and it is the most comfortable piece of furniture in my house. I spend more time in that chair than any other, so it should be the best you can afford. I had a cheapo chair for years, and all it did was hurt my neck and back. My desk is still the one I got for $125, 11 years ago, and it works fine with all my junk - lamp, scanner, tower, printer, speakers, joystick, keyboard, mouse, ZIP drive, card reader, headphones, and 2 19" CRT's. I couldn't tell for sure, but I didn't think this desk could house all of that.Icehawk - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
For $3k you can a LOT nicer workstations that are more ergonomic, and IMO, look a lot sweeter. Check out Herman-Miller and other companies like that...How come there aren't any pictures of the product completely assembled or in use?
Tamale - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
mostly because of size constraints.the pictures at lian-li's site actually give the best idea how it looks completely assembled
as for in-use, what would you have in mind? I can't think of anything that wouldn't have looked cheesy...
Houdani - Monday, August 8, 2005 - link
A picture with the desk populated with a monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc would go along ways towards expressing the size/scale/proportions of this desk. Maybe even wheel a chair up to it and call it good. No need to drop yourself in there to ham it up for the photo. :)JoshuaBuss - Monday, February 16, 2009 - link
here 'ya go:http://www.uic.edu/honors/jbuss2/cs527/setupBig.jp...">http://www.uic.edu/honors/jbuss2/cs527/setupBig.jp...
buttocks2k - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I enjoyed the article and thought it was well-written, but the price scares me away =Drentaknight - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I also enjoyed the article and thought it was well-written and agree that that price is scaryTamale - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
I think most of you have the mindset that I did too at first.. but I don't think Lian Li was attempting to sell this to the masses.. I think it's aiming much moreso to target the people who are considering a solid oak desk for instance in the same basic price range.The biggest problem I foresee with this though is simple marketing.. how will Lian Li ever get this thing out to that market? The main people who know about the company are more like you and me and are generally too cost concious to even consider buying something that much...
karioskasra - Sunday, August 7, 2005 - link
Personally, I've had a few computer desks and I keep enging up having to remove the side compartments and case holding so i can actually turn the entire frontal 90degrees without hitting my leg on something. I sat for a year facing NE because that was the only orientation that would fit =/My current setup is not too unlike the milk crates + door, except maybe a bit less ghetto