This may not be the right place to ask this since it isn't related to Linux per se, but I was wondering what other users might think is the ideal setup of your computer setup.

I'm asking this to get a relatively clear picture of how I want my workspace to be in about 5 years, so that I can start working at procuring everything now (like a monitor, chair.. etc). I was thinking about multi-monitoring with two or even more monitors, maybe connect my computer to a big television; as long as it makes me look cool

How is your setup? I'd like to get some ideas

making you look cool is probably not something we can help with.....

A television--regardless of size--is no substitute for a computer monitor (unless maybe if it is HD) Dual 24" wide screens (eg the Dell 2407) should be all anyone needs.

My personal hang ups: wires, fan noise, and heat in the summer.

My personal setup:

• Built-in desk with dropped section for keyboard
• CPU "built-in" under the desk--mounted on hinges to swing out for servicing
• Under-desk cabinet has filtered air intake, a large low-speed fan, and air vented to the outside
• UPS
• Printer stand on casters--hides under the desk
• Minimal visible cables--coming thru several feed-thrus to minimize exposed length.
• --
• AND--the feature my wife likes best---I'm constantly changing it.....

Empty desk is the way to go. Clean, uncluttered, with a laptop in the middle. You can think clearly then.

I'm the exact opposite: piles of stuff everywhere. Then I know exactly where everything is

Maybe this should be in "General"?
Mods please move. Thanks.

I tried to use TV as monitor, it is bad idea (all text was unreadable because of downscaling and blur), unless TV was designed to be able to act as monitor.

Normally you take a table, put monitor on the table, then you grab a huge pile of stuff you might need some day and put it on the free space left on the table. "Stuff" might include: books, cds, dvds, pieces of papers, rulers, screwdrivers, few batteries, recharing devices, AC/DC adapters, soldering iron, marker, desktop lamp, cat, tea cup, can opener, etc. Some people even build castles from beer cans around monitor, but it is up to you. Any setup is fine as long as you can find anything on your table without knocking down other stuff.

//serious
Ideal setup is the one you are comfortable with.
The only required things are something to put monitor on and something to sit on.

And where is the joystick
you can't look cool without a joystick

how the heck do you expect to be able to fly around the countryside in an Apache helicopter, blowing things up and causing wanton destruction and making lots of loud noise without a joystick....

and speaking of noise, where's yer speakers


young kids today, I don't know


floppy

I'll have to get myself a cat but it seems like most people here don't recommend a TV monitor for a computer, so I guess I'll just take your word for it.

This is of course something I would prepare for by buying stuff for 2-7 years or so. I have speakers (which suck btw), a laptop, a shitload of old computers which I wouldn't dream of using as my main computer, and a 2 year old decent PC which I just need to assemble (got it from a friend of a friend).

I want something that will make people go "wow" when they enter my room... something like taking my laptop (which is now almost 4 years old, yes all my computer stuff is old) and incorporate it to my computer desk, so that I have a sort of built-in computer in my desktop. I'm also thinking about making a server/clock out of it by making a wooden clock around the screen, so it looks like an antique clock and then putting a clock screen saver on or something..
Wow, I digress.. I basically want something that'll make people go "wow" maybe I could buy a new graphics card and three monitors and have 4 monitors (after I win the lottery maybe?). Has anyone here tried having more than two monitors? How did you set it up, and how did it work?

And of course I'll buy a joystick and some speakers
Not for video games, but just for being awesome

I probably have the worst set-up here. My desktop PC is on a small bookshelf with a small, not very comfortable chair. I just lay in bed when using my laptop. The good thing is that I can be next to the window and get lots of sunshine.

A neat desk is the sign of an empty mind

As far as I am concerned, comfort is the overwhelmingly most important criterion. I subordinate literally everything else to that.

I have a 22" LCD monitor and a lighted keyboard. I also have a fully adjustable desk chair that cost me more than both the monitor and the keyboard combined. It needs to be extremely comfortable and fully adjustable because I spend so much time sitting in it.

Prior to purchasing it, I actually was avoiding work because the chair I had been using hurt so much after awhile. I finally went shopping with an indefinite budget, and ultimately bought the chair that was most comfortable for me - after sitting in a LOT of different chairs - without consideration for cost.

I just upgraded to a nice set of computer speakers - comfort is key and audio comfort counts too. I was annoyed with the muddy sound of my little old computer speakers, so I solved the problem.

I also have a UPS, which I consider to be essential. Nothing is worse than to have the power line bounce when you have been coding and haven't saved for awhile.

I live in a very dusty environment (desert) and so my computer has filters on all air inlets - which I have to clean weekly. But it keeps dust bunnies and other performance destroyers from accumulating inside the case.

I don't know whether anyone goes "wow" when they see my work area, but they definitely know that business is conducted here. My workstation/desk setup is surrounded by stools, desks, and boxes with other computers (some completely unboxed) sitting on them, with network and satellite antenna cables running everywhere. Mostly, these others host client projects; since I am doing mostly embedded work each of them is a particular hardware configuration.

I constantly save, the ctrl, x, and s keys(I'm an emacs user heh) are almost worn out on my keyboard because I had a computer teacher that always told us to save constantly

Well, in this case multi-monitor setup will be enough. I've seen pictures of 7-monitor (or 9-monitor) machine. But if you don't really need it, it will be waste of money for "wow" effect.

I could see how a 7 or a 9 monitor machine would be a waste of money, and even confusing. I do how ever watch a lot of movies, and I work with multimedia a little bit (drawing comics in my free time). I don't know if this is a good enough reason to have 3+ monitors (heck, I don't even have a secondary monitor) but it could be awesome to have one movie playing at the far right monitor while working on the other two (I always have a movie running, but it's annoying since I have to run it in the corner).

Don't you need to buy another video card though if you're going to have more than two monitors? My friend told me that almost no video cards support three monitors, except some customized stuff which costs 799$ or something

Also, I keep all my stuff around my desk and I don't think that'll change. I used to keep dictionaries and stuff like that in my book shelf, but then I found out that I never use them if I find a word I don't understand because they were located so far away. This is why I keep it close (this doesn't explain the candy and empty cans though)

I constantly save too.

But the saved data is not committed to the hard drive immediately, and when the power goes off, sometimes it isn't even recoverable from the journal. This is one of the reasons why you sometimes have to fsck a partition after an abrupt power loss; the filesystem got corrupted irrespective of the journal.

Abrupt power failures are a Very Bad Thing, regardless of OS. Linux is no better than Windows at tolerating that.

Found interesting link and decided to add it here:
Multi-monitor setup.
It's "cool" enough too my taste. Looks like it is used for stock market trading and it is purely functional.