Design Reviver » mac

Mac App Store: Our pick of the best launch apps

Chris — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:10:42 +0000

With little in the way of fanfare the new Mac App Store launched this morning. Only time will tell if it will ever match the success of its big brother the iOS App store but it is safe to say its going to revolutionize the way software is distributed on the Mac at least.

You will probably already be familiar with much of whats on offer here (many of the launch titles are ported iOS apps) but we thought it would still be useful to compile a list of stand out launch titles. If you think we have missed any please let us know in the comments and we will get them added.

Twitter

Pixelmator

Autodesk SketchBook Express

TextWrangler

Aperture 3

Pixelruler

iSlice

MiniShadow

Automate Common Tasks and Save Time with OSX Automator

Joel Reyes — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:00:34 +0000

As avid computer users we all know how many tedious tasks we have to deal with on a daily basis. However, we tend to ignore an important fact: we’re using a computer. We shouldn’t do any of these tasks by hand. Everything that sounds repeatative should be accomplished by a computer, not by hand. Let’s see how we can achieve this on a Mac Utilizing Automator.

Automator is a utility hidden in every Mac. If you’re a web designer needing more and more time to accomplish your tasks, you should begin to use it now. Automator lets you perform a series of actions on your Mac which can save you a great deal of time.

Automator Workflows

When you create a new workflow in Automator, it will ask you which type of workflow you want to create. The standard workflow is a workflow that can be run inside automator. It’s useful for testing purposes, but you should convert it to something more usable when you’re ready to run it. The application workflow is very interesting because it will convert your workflow to a standalone application.

You’ll be enabled to run it outside Automator, like a normal application. It also supports drag and drop, so if you drag an element on the application icon it will be treated as the application’s input. The service workflow will let you run your workflow using a menu item accessible in the services menu.

This means that you can run it in every external application. The print plugin, ical alarm and image capture plugin are pretty self explanatory and are outside the scope of this article.

Our focus in this case will be on the Folder Action Workflow. Why this is so important? Well, it’s really simple and powerful. You create a folder, assign your workflow to that folder and that folder will be always monitored. Every time you drag an item in that folder, the workflow will be launched. Let’s take a look at our first workflow example to understand how it works:

Simple Unzip Workflow

Let’s start by creating a folder on our desktop and name it Unzip. Then we’re going to create our first workflow in Automator, as a folder action. On the left side we have all our actions and on the right we have our empty workflow. The first thing to do is telling our workflow to which folder it should be connected. Select the Unzip folder from the drop down menu on the top of the workflow view.

Now the workflow is linked to our folder. Let’s describe the scope of our first folder’s action. We want to create an action that unzips an archive and deletes the original zip file. How many times we do this by hand every day? This action will save us a lot of time. The first action that we have to drag in the workflow is “Filter Finder Items”. This is necessary because we want to target only zip files in our directory.

So we can create a rule that checks if the file extension contains zip. Now that we filtered items in the folder we can unzip the archive. We can use the action “Open Finder Items” and the zip file will be automatically opened with the OSX unarchiver.

Now we have the original zip file and the contents of the zip file in our folder. We can delete the original zip file by “Get Folder Contents” targeting zip files and “Move Finder Items to Trash”. To test the workflow just drag a zip file in the Unzip folder. It will be extracted and deleted.

Rename by Pattern

This is another common tasks that we repeat every day. We download a file from the Internet and we have to rename it. We can create an automator workflow to understand the pattern used in the filename and rename it following our personal pattern.

In this case we’ll need a really useful automator action, “Rename Finder Items by Pattern”, that can be downloaded for free. Let’s create a new folder named Rename and add a new folder action linked to this folder.

The first action that we have to use is “Get Folder Contents”, which will retrieve all the elements in the folder. Now we can add the “Rename Finder Items by Pattern” previously downloaded. This action works using pattern matching. In this case we have files that are named filename-otherstuffs.txt. We want to rename our files just using the filename part and removing the dash and the words after the dash.

The action that we’re using takes a pattern as input. In this case we have to use the *-* pattern. This means that we’ll have a different variable for every asterisk. Variables are named $1, $2, etc. In this case we’ll have a $1 variable that will be “filename” and a $2 variable that will be “otherstuffs”. So in the field “Replace With” we can just use $1. Every file having this pattern that we’ll drag in the folder will be renamed to filename.txt.

Image Size and Save for Web

This is the most important action for a web designer. We receive images from a client, we have to resize them and save for web. Then we’ll be able to use these images in our web project.

Let’s do it automatically. First of all, let’s download a great actions collection. In this collection there’s a great “Save for web” action that will be perfect for our workflow. Let’s start by filtering finder items in our folder, selecting only jpg images. We have to add another important rule to our filtering action: select images that have not been already resized.

This is important because if we don’t add it, our workflow will run in a loop, resizing the image infinitely. Now we can add the “Save for web” action previously downloaded.

You can see in the picture how we configured it. It’s really simple, but the important thing in our case is to “Delete original files”, to prevent looping. The we have to add the action “Add text to finder item names” using the _resized suffix. When you drag an image in the folder, the image will be resized to 800 pixels, saved for web and renamed with a _resized suffix.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s very simple to create and use Automator workflows to save time. The previous examples show you all the basic knowledge to create your own workflow as a folder action. There’s just one important thing you need to know before working in Automator: it doesn’t have an undo function.

Therefore if you create an automator action that moves all your hard disk to trash and you click run, you can’t go back. This is virtually the only drawback of this wonderful utility. Always make sure you test your workflows inside a sandbox folder and on dummy files. When you’re absolutely sure that everything is functioning as needed, you can then use it in the finder.

Are you a Mac or a PC?

speckyboy — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:30:28 +0000

Ah, the age old question – Are you a Mac or a PC? The question that has split computer user for over ten years and does not seem any closer to being resolved. On the one side you have the stylish and efficient Mac and on the other you have the popular work-horse that is the PC. Which do you prefer and why?

This question was originally asked on Answers, and we would like to open it up to everyone and hear what everyone thinks. You could leave a question below or you could leave your answer here: Are you a PC or a Mac?

Another great jump for our member base this week, we are know up to 510 members. Thanks for all your support!

“Have you asked a question yet?“

Are you a PC or a Mac?

This question was originally asked on Answers by James Stuart Andrew Mackay, and has so far received 16 answers, you can see some of these answers below.

Answer from Joel Reyes:

Mac! Formerly a PC user, never going back

Answer from Benjamin Alijagic:

PC, but I’m a designer and I like pretty things so once when I earn some money I’m getting a Mac.

Answer from Darren Nickerson:

Couple of PCs and an old Mac g4 down in my basement that I never use. Would love to get a new Mac. Someday….someday

Answer from Emiel:

Both, actually. Mac for work, design, development and all-things-social But the PC still kicks Apple where it comes to games. Also I prefer to test different OS and browser configs ‘for real’ and not by using tools that simulate them.

Answer from Michelle Lucas:

MAC! I’m about to install Windows XP on it using Bootcamp, so then I won’t have to use PC’s anymore.

Answer from Michael Cassius:

Who uses PC’s? Aside from accountants and our parents…and more, why? … Aside from turning a PC into a cool hat or melting cheese with.

Answer from Ollie Hoad:

PC. But my PC (Samsung NC20 laptop) looks like a Mac.

Answer from Ravikumar V.:

PC now and forever !!!

Unanswered Questions

We have rounded up this weeks collection of unanswered questions, can you help?

Thanks again, firstly to everyone who asked a question, but most importantly thanks to everyone that took the time to offer always helpful and useful answers.

20 Beautiful Mac Apps

Joel Reyes — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:03:43 +0000

Mac OS X is known for housing an amazing graphical user interface. Not only is the operating system beautiful in every way, but a large portion of the applications developed for Macs have great usability along with a stunning “face”. Below you will find 20 Mac Apps With Beautiful User Interface Designs for your inspiration. This is also a great reference for those that are looking to develop their own applications.

TuneUp

If you iTunes collection is a mess this app is a must buy. TuneUp is a fantastic app that allows you to fix mislabelled song information and find missing album art in iTunes. Tuneup also has a great GUI that’s very well organized, content oriented, and easy to navigate through. You can do a number of things all in one window, this really helps with boosting productivity.

Download TuneUp Here

Things

The Things interface offers very easy navigation and simple flow of tasks. It would be pretty hard to get lost, and it uses beautiful icons to get you to where you need to go. The different shades of grey in every section divides the content into a more viewable manner.

Pixelmator

Pixelmator’s GUI uses a mix of transparent features, glossy Icons and sleek hover effects to capture the attention of the users. The feature that stands out the most is the circle palette. It makes it easy to find the right color combination’s with a 360 degree rotational courser and a horizontal slider as well.

Daisy Disk

This disk visualization tool takes disk analytic’s to the next level, while keeping usability and simplicity at its highest. Being able to switch between disks is easier than ever.

iStatMenus

iStatMenus has a dark and sleek interface. The colors and gradients match well, and important sections are divided into their own boxes. Once the application is open you’ll have a quick overview in one look of how your Mac is actually running.

CleanMyMac

For a cleaning application it sure has a clean and well organized GUI. Dark shades of Grey and uncolored icons showcase the features you’re not using on the left sidebar. But when you click on a feature the icon is displayed in full color. With just three buttons as the main functions located in the apps footer, CleanMyMac conveys real usability.

Fontcase

Fontcase’s ease of use allows you to preview every font and activate only the ones you need. Every font is aligned within a grid, no matter how you’re viewing them. This makes it easy to search, find, and test the correct fonts.

Flow

Out of the numerous FTP’s I’ve come across, I’d have to say that Flow is one of the best looking and easiest to use. Most FTP’s are a bit disorganized when it comes to the seperation of folders within the directory.

Notify

Notify has redesigned their user interface so that it’s geared more towards the composing of tasks and the placement of notifications in the proper areas on your Mac.

NewsLife

NewsLife makes it easy for you to add and aggregate news with the click of a button. News feeds are displayed in a clean manner. You’re able to easily and quickly search for articles, alter the view of feeds and quickly navigate from one site to the next.

Tweetie

Tweeties is a powerful Twitter client for Mac with a beautiful graphical user interface. Navigating through the menu is as easy as scrolling through the icons on the left sidebar, and posting new tweets is purely simple.

Blogo

Blogo has a sleek interface that allows you to quickly and easily blog from your desktop. The desktop client lets you open a single window that has all of your needs for creating, and posting new articles.

Propane

Propane is a Mac client for Campire with great usability. This application quickly defines and highlights conversations, tasks, and more. The interace is uncluttered and lets you switch between conversations with ease.

Delicious Library 2

Easily catalog all of your books, movies, software, and more. Once you open the application you’ll see all of your cataloged items in an organized fashion. You can click on an item and you can see a better preview.

Snowtape

Snowtape has a beautiful interface design that has an easy to use vertical slider at the footer of the application for editing and more. You can listen and catalog songs throughout the dark interface.

ScreenFlow

ScreenFlow is pretty easy to use with the various features on the right sidebar. The footer controls your a number of operations for your screencasts and offers easy of use.

xScope

This application has a great tools for your development needs. These tools are complimented by a beautiful interface for maximum effectiveness.

CSSEdit

CSSEdit is very easy to navigate through and find necessary tools. The transparent features an custom icons are a plus.

Snippet

If you’re looking for an application that allows you quickly save code snippets without a hassel then this tool is perfect. The interface design gives way to ease of usability and the dark colors allows the code to stand out a bit more.

Bodega

Bodega arranges and catalogs all of your apps in easy to find categories for quick updates. The left sidebar controls the different features and tools. Navigating through applications gives you confidence in this applications stability.

A Round-Up of Free Apps and Tools for Designers

speckyboy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:46:25 +0000

Designers and developers can never get enough of them, especially when they are free. We are talking about free apps, those little tools that can that save you so much time and save you so much money. In this post we have collected the best recent round-ups and have listed them below. In total there are 77 apps, I am sure you will find something useful in this collection.

In todays news we have collected the best resources for customizing Firefox to meet your every need.

10 Useful Tools for Finding the Perfect Domain Name

Finding the right domain name is an important step in creating a successful website. Luckily there are tools out there to help you in this process by not only helping you find available domain names, but also helping you in the creative aspect by giving you suggestions. In this article there are 10 of these tools to help you find that perfect domain name.

10 Useful Tools for Finding the Perfect Domain Name

20 Free Mac Apps For Web Designer’s Toolkit

Free and MAC are two words that don’t go together very often. Thankfully, the author of this article has managed to find a total of 20 free app for web deisgners, and all of them are very useful, some are pretty powerful and all are FREE!

20 Free Mac Apps For Web Designer’s Toolkit

7 Apps That Could Be Really Useful At Work

These apps are not necessarily dedicated to only designers, they are for everybody. I am not very familiar with these apps, but they look promising.

7 Apps That Could Be Really Useful At Work

40+ Useful Online web tools for web designers and developers

In this article they have collected 40 tools of the best free online tools for designers and developers. The tools and apps range from the popular online image editor Aviary to lesser known tools like IzzyMenu and Splashup. This is a great round-up.

40+ Useful Online web tools for web designers and developers

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

A Collection of Useful Mac Apps

speckyboy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:59 +0000

Something the Mac is not short of are its handy little apps, those tiny little applications that make life so much easier. In todays news we have collected the best recent resources that focus on Mac apps, more specifically on apps for web developers, apps that can help you to be more productive and organized and finally a collection of apps that will improve your web browsing experience.

10 Essential OS X Apps for Pro Web Developers

The Mac’s always been a strong platform for design applications, but it’s now also the obvious choice for web developers. If you’re new to the platform or fancy some shiny new tools for working on websites, the list in this details the best you can buy.

10 Essential OS X Apps for Pro Web Developers

6 Apps To Help You Focus & Be Productive [Mac]

If you struggle with personal disorganization, suffer from the inability to finish anything without starting another or you can never meet a deadline, this post is for you. The six apps in this post will help you bring some stability back into your life and productivity back to your work.

6 Apps To Help You Focus & Be Productive [Mac]

35 Mac Apps to Improve Your Web Browsing Experience

Out of the box, your Mac is a powerful machine for making the most of everything the Internet has to offer, but there are a few tweaks, plugins and applications that can make it go a little bit further. Covering both Safari and Firefox, this post has 35 different plugins and applications that will help improve your web browsing experience.

35 Mac Apps to Improve Your Web Browsing Experience

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

A Collection of Free iPhone Apps

speckyboy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:52:57 +0000

Every day, it seems, there are scores of new must have iPhone apps. Which ones to you choose, you couldn’t possibly download them all. In this news edition we have collected the best resources to help you find and download the best apps for your iPhone. There is a mix bags of apps available, from business and finance to gaming and productivity to even a collection of, soon to be here, Halloween apps.

50+ Free Iphone App

After the release of iPhone 3GS there are so many apps avialable on the net, some are paid ones and some are free. In this post, the author, has compiled a list of their favorite Free iPhone 3G/3GS Applications.

50+ Free Iphone App

10 of the Most Beautiful iPhone & iPod Touch Apps

With over 75 gazillion apps in the iTunes App Store now having generated more than Umpteen billion downloads, it might seem a tad preposterous to try and pick the 10 with the most beautiful GUIs, this site has tried though.

10 of the Most Beautiful iPhone & iPod Touch Apps

13 Devilish Halloween iPhone Apps, Wallpapers & Ringtones

Halloween is right around the corner and soon kids from all over will change into ruthless trick-or-treaters, spooky Jack-o-lanterns will be smiling in the windows and horror movies will vanish from video rental shops. For now, let’s pimp your iPhone in the spirit of Halloween and enjoy the holiday’s spooks wherever you are.

13 Devilish Halloween iPhone Apps, Wallpapers & Ringtones

Top 10 iPhone apps for finance

By Paul Andrew (

Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

18 Apple Inspired Accessories

speckyboy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:00:15 +0000

Yes, the Apple style is cool. As a follow up to our previous post on Apple office furniture, we show you the best Apple inspired office and desk accessories that will not only help enhance your productivity, will also maintain the Apple look and feel. Adding these accessories to your Apple inspired desk will help you create your very own minimal, stylish and sleek Apple home office.

mStand

If you work on laptop for long hours you will eventually strain your eyes, neck, back, and arms. mStand is a stylish stand that the laptops screen to meet eye level for better posture and view.

mStand Homepage

Bookarc

BookArc helps you free up valuable real estate on your desk, giving you a cleaner, less cluttered, Zen-like workspace. With a footprint of 10-by-4 inches, BookArc takes up a fraction of the space your MacBook wastes just lying around. And while it takes your MacBook to new heights, BookArc rests on soft, silicone footpads that keep it from leaving any unwanted surface marks or scratches on your desk.

Bookarc Homepage

Elevator – Desktop Stand

Elevator's sturdy brushed aluminum and minimal design would blend seemllessly with any stylishly office. It holds your portable computer safely and securely at just the right height to match external monitors – and to save your aching neck.

Elevator – Desktop Stand Homepage

Backpack

BackPack is the perfect place to park portable hard drives, card readers or other USB peripheral you want to hide, but need easy access to every now and then. Set your USB hub on the shelf and tie your cables to it for a super tidy workspace. BackPack is also a handy home to stash your iPhone or iPod while charging and syncing.

Backpack Homepage

Slimkey v.2

The Slimkey v.2 is perfect in every way: slim, nice and flat and beautifully designed. It has a side access USB2.0 powered hub and the perfect height of the stand provides a "home" for your keyboard, nothing will ever seem to be out of place on your desk any more.

Slimkey v.2 Homepage

DESKSET by deskology

The DESKSET is an essential set of aluminum desk accessories designed to compliment your Mac computer right down to the finish. These carefully crafted accessories will add a level of substance to your desk space that very few desk accessories can.

DESKSET by deskology Homepage

Surfacepad

SurfacePad is designed to shield your MacBook keyboard deck from dust, dirt, and oils from your skin and friction from your wrists. It preserves the showroom aluminum luster around your keyboard and trackpad, so when it’s time to upgrade to a new MacBook, your old one will still look like new underneath.

Surfacepad Homepage

Floater

Floater is designed to compactly place your notebook upright. Seeming almost afloat, this innovative, sleek and stylish design turns your MacBook as well as your entire desktop into an all-new computing system.
As long as the power is on, your MacBook can be used even when closed. Taking advantage of this technology, the Floater conveniently allows you to use your notebook as the main computer system while you productively work on a larger LCD screen.

Floater Homepage

Moshi iLynx

iLynx offers unprecedented speed to Mac and iMac users through an easy to use and aesthetically pleasing FireWire/USB combo hub that doubles their USB and FireWire ports without any external power supply.
iLynx is a FireWire/USB combo hub that can support simultaneous operation of high power peripheral devices such as external hard disc or DVD drives without the need for a power adapter. When plugged in, iLynx provides 4 downstream USB 2.0 ports (backward compatible with USB 1.1) and 2 FireWire 400 ports.

Moshi iLynx Homepage

Colony

Colony is a storage device that neatly organizes entangled cables, adapters, wires and just about anything else hanging off your desk. Simply plug all your adapters into one AC power strip and pass the main plug through the single opening at the bottom of the vase for a tidy area.

Colony Homepage

Zefyr

A subtle yet effective cooling solution, Zefyr is designed to maintain your MacBook’s system stability even under peak loading conditions.
When Zefyr is put in place, you also gain the benefit of improved ergonomics through a slight tilt to the MacBook. Overall, Zefyr is an unobtrusive thermal management solution that offers you a more comfortable computing experience.

ZefyrHomepage

Cable Drop

CableDrop gently grasps your power and peripheral cords so they do not fall off your desk every time you unplug your laptop.
Cabledrop can really blend in with your decor, use them hidden under ledges with the muted colors to match your furniture or bring them to light by using the bright ones. Beyond just preventing cables from falling off a desk, they make great cable clips on furniture legs or walls to control unruly cords.

Cable Drop Homepage

Kite

Kite is an A4 size, paper and pencil tray with a concept of “possibility” in mind. A blank sheet of paper and a simple writing utensil has the potential to stir spectacular ideas not yet present on a sheet of paper. Thus, the possibilities are endless. With Kite’s slightly unique curve, the paper appears as if it is afloat. With its amazing design, Kite can help arouse new possibilities.

Kite Homepage

Alto Express

The Logitech Alto Express Notebook Stand raises your notebook display for increased viewing comfort. You’re more relaxed—and more productive, and it’s an attractive alternative to expensive monitors and docking stations.

Alto Express Homepage

Neat Desk for Mac

NeatDesk for Mac is the high-speed scanner and software combination that will help you clean off your desk and organize all your important information on the Mac. The scanner provides a central “inbox” for all the paper that normally clutters your workspace. Its unique paper input tray allows you to insert up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards and 10 full-size documents, and scan them all in a single batch and convert them into PDF docs. This is an amazing idea.

Neat Desk for Mac Homepage

WorldCard Mac

The WorldCard Mac is a palm-sized business card scanner that combines elegance with award-winning design.Together with the bundled software you can scan business cards, automatically extract information and save it directly into a database. Mac users can also export information to the Address Book.

WorldCard Mac Homepage

Apple G4 Clock

This clock is made from the side panel of a retired Mac G4, and it has been transformed into a working wall clock using a USA made quartz drive movement. The clock measures 16"w x 16"h, and looks pretty cool.

Apple G4 Clock Homepage

MugMouse Homepage

MugMouse plays on the idea of deliberately choosing to use a slower mouse for a while. Filled with tea or coffee you have to move it more carefully than a normal mouse. Do certain tasks at the computer deserve a bit more time, reflection or personal involvement? Checking your email, visiting your favourite website or blog, reading the daily news, shopping etc. MugMouse can be seen as a reward; serving as a signal to yourself and others that you are having a little time away from your work.

MugMouse Homepage

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

Great Apple, Brahma and Playstation Advertising

speckyboy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:00:56 +0000

In today’s news round-up we have collected three great recent advertising articles. Each in there own individual way present a unique style of advertising, there are the clunky and hard of reading ads from the 70′s, sleek and stylish advertising from the 90′s, cool and breezy beer ads and finally, there are controversial ads from Sony and Playstation.

The Evolution of Apple Ads

Apple first started advertising their products in the late 1970s with text-heavy ads, and have slowly evolved through the 80′s, 90′s and peeking with todays modern and sleek style of advertising. This post gives you a great insight into how advertising has changed in only 30 years.

The Evolution of Apple Ads

Cool Beer Ads #2 – Brahma

The great thing about the beer industry is that they sell a “fun” and “enjoyable” product, so they] take advantage of that to unleash their imagination to produce some awesome ads. In this post they focus on Brahma beer.

Cool Beer Ads #2 – Brahma

39 Creative and Sometimes Controversial Examples of Playstation Advertising

Recent Playstation advertising has been described, in some circles, as being creative, effective and memorable. By others, down right controversial. What do you think?

39 Creative and Sometimes Controversial Examples of Playstation Advertising

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

Apple Inspired Home Office Furniture

speckyboy — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:00:20 +0000

Are you a MAC or a PC? It doesn’t really matter, it is entirely up to you. We could argue about the differences between the two until we are blue in the face. There is one clear and defined difference between the two though, and I am sure that there will not be many that would disagree: MAC computers are sleek and stylish and look really, really cool.

The MAC style is a definition in itself, and has inspired designers for many years now. It has inspired a huge range of unique furniture designed to accentuate your MAC products.

In this post we have collected 9 of the best MAC Inspired Furniture for your Home Office, and best of all 9for PC users anyway, most of the furniture can be used for the PC as well.

Novanta Workstation

Novanta, (translating as 90 due to its shape) is a workstation that has a completely unique style that sits perfectly with Apple designed products. Don’t be deceived by this minimal looking desk, it hides an awesome array of features. It has an inbuilt monitor stand, a really nice touch with the keyboard and mouse bay and an integrated iPod dock. The leather lined front drawers have been especially designed to accommodate a MAC laptop or A3 sized paper, or hide all the cabling that can accumulate from modern computer systems. Overall, this is an awesome workstation.

Novanta Workstation

iGo Desk / Workstation

The feature rich fashion statement that is the iGo desk is designed to fully integrate with your iMac and Mac mini with Cinema Display, so that you don’t have to compromise on the aesthetics of your environment. It is fully adjustable to allow it to be used comfortably in either a standing or seated position, it also comes with an iMac turntable so you can turn your monitor to exactly the right angle and if you but the sitting model it can be pushed around on it’s wheels. Overall, this one really cool workstation, the only thing I would worry about is could anyone sit at this desk all day, and be comfortable? Who cares, it looks good!

iGo Desk / Workstation

iDesk

Knowadys the computer replaces your radio and TV, as well as music and movies storage. It connects you to your neighbor and the rest of the world through chat and phone. And using the internet gives you access to information as well as entertainment. Your computer should be given a central and not to space consuming position. IDesk is the solution. The strong, small and minimal iDesk can be wall mounted, giving your office or living room a convenient solution to compact space and its useful drawer can be used to hide unsightly cables and peripherals that always gather around a computer set-up.

Calligaris Stealth Desk

Calligaris Stealth Desk

The reasonably priced (only £622) and elegant Calligaris Stealth Desk is among the best in contemporary Italian furniture. With its clean lines, smooth elegant curves, frosted glass surface and compact design would make this desk a welcome addition to any living room or office.

Calligaris Stealth Desk

The Tank Collection Desk

The height-adjustable desk from the Tank Collection radiates lightness and elegancy. The fineness is emphasized by the urgent smoothness which combined with the sturdy materials add strength and weight. This sturdy desk has a large and comfortable working surface, plenty of leg room and the elegant adjustable legs barely touch the floor bringing a sense of lightness “resembling a ballerina” (quote from the site).

The Tank Collection Desk

SFP-302628 FP Series MACTable

Styled as a typical classroom desk, the conservative FP Series MACTables are tailor built to accommodate both iMacs and Apple Cinema Displays. Your iMacs sits on the adjustable depth shelf, were there is easy access to the drives and connections and the keyboard and mouse sit on the spacious worktop. The worktop is large enough for not only the iMAC, it also offers plenty of surface space for writing, books and the always important cup of coffee.

SFP-302628 FP Series MACTable Homepage

StudioDesk

The stylish StudioDesk is specifically designed for laptop users, with its clutter free and professional working environment, this would be a welcome addition to any home office. All peripherals and excess cables are hidden just under the sliding desktop surface and the storage compartment is therefore conveniently accessed from above. An elongated slot across the width of the desktop allows the necessary peripheral & power cables to enter/exit at any point, maintaining the clutter-free environment the StudioDesk promotes.

StudioDesk Homepage

XYZ Computer Desk

The XYZ is a marvel in desk and computer design with its modern and sleek exterior, to a high spec interior that contains all the computer components, cables and drives all neatly hidden within the thickness of the desk. Specifically made for the more functional and versatile PC (I will whisper that), but designed to be as beautiful as a Mac.

XYZ Computer Desk Homepage

MILK

MILK is a series of beautiful tables designed to match the computers that sit on top of them. The desk height can be electronically adjusted for seating or standing. Its large 140 x 80cm desktop keeps unruly cables neatly in check within a drawer, there are also four modular storage square spaces that can be used for absolutely anything (even an aquarium, just look at the image below).

MILK Homepage

i-Con I – Integrated Desk and Computer

Almost everybody with a computer has the same problem. An ugly looking skin-colored box under the desk, all kind of ugly wires, all the peripherals like sound-systems, transmitters and so on are annoying too. No matter how nice the desk looks when you buy it, by the time you have everything installed there is not much left of it. There is a solution : i-Con I is a a modern designed desk with a fully integrated computer. The only things visible are the monitor and the wireless keyboard and mouse. No wires, no mess and looks good as well.

i-Con I – Integrated Desk and Computer Homepage

OneLessDesk

OneLessDesk is a beautiful, ergonomic, space-saving computer desk. At one time, you needed a desk that could fit a mountain of paper, two-foot-deep monitor, printer, and a CPU the size of a small car. Nowadays, your computer is an inch thick, the desk has finally caught up. When the desk is put away it is only 12 inches thick!
It is available in silver, black, red, buttercup (I think thats yellow) and cream.

OneLessDesk Homepage

OneLessStand

OneLessStand's rear-facing, hidden shelf hides your wifi, cable modem, networked hard drives, and the mess of wiring that comes with them. The height of the shelf is in-line with most power and cable wall outlets – so it even hides that mess as well.

OneLessStand Homepage

OneLessFile

OneLessFile would be a perfect and necessary addition to any home office. Ideally your work area would be paperless, but if that is not possible, the One LessFile, with its convenient carrying handles and pull holes, is probably the most stylish filer money can buy.

OneLessFile Homepage

Sonic Chair

When the stress of everyday office work gets to you, the Sonic Chair offers you a great way to relax and unwind. It provides you with a unique audio experience, allowing you to sit at the very centre of a top-notch sound system. Whether you enjoy listening to symphony orchestras, rock concerts, or audio books – the integrated satellite speakers are precisely adapted to your ears.

Sonic Chair Homepage

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).