Posts from — November 2009

A few months back I determined it was imperative that my aging Lane Furnishings leather “executive chair” take on an early retirement. Lacking the proper support for days spent in front of a computer I went in search of an affordable ergonomic chair. After sitting in about 20 chairs at Staples and Office Max (or maybe it was Office Depot) I felt discouraged. Most of them were overpriced, gimmicky, and unsupportive. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to find my pick in a retail office supply store.

My next step was Costco, they had a decent selection online and the prices were certainly better than paying retail. I considered the Herman Miller Equa Chair, but $299.99 seemed like a lot for such an unattractive little chair (I did test it at our local Costco, and it was very comfortable and supportive). My eyes then gravitated towards the Space AirGrid chair, at $169.99 shipped it was one of the better deals out there. However, being an online-only product, I was unable to take the AirGrid out for a test drive. After a few moments spent further researching the chair I said what the heck and added it to my shopping cart.

Fast-forward a week or so, I had the chair assembled in about 10 minutes and took my first seat. Not bad, not bad at all. Fast-forward a few hours – not good. The main issue with this chair, aside from the base being too large for me, was the fact that it did not go low enough. When you are sitting in an office chair your feet should be flat on the floor as to alleviate pressure under your thighs and encourage proper posture. I loved the design of the chair, but unfortunately it did not fit me.

By this time I was quite frustrated. I had been to multiple stores, sat in dozens of chairs, and still could not locate an affordable ergonomic “all day” chair. On a whim I decided to search for Herman Miller’s masterpiece, the Aeron Chair. I stumbled upon a site that offered last years models of the basic chair for a discount and decided to go for it. At school, our library was stocked with Aeron desk and side chairs – it didn’t take long before I became partial to that pellicle weave.

Now that I have the Aeron in my office (picked up a size B) I can work straight through the day with minimal breaks. My back is fully supported; no pressure accumulates in any one spot throughout my entire body. The Aeron Chair is quite possibly the best investment I have ever made. When you think about it, you spend the greater portions of your day in two places: sleeping in your bed, and sitting at your desk. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to invest in a quality mattress and a phenomenal office chair? I think so.

Many thanks to Herman Miller, and all the researchers that had their part in creating such a great place to sit.

The Netflix PS3 streaming disc was dropped into my mailbox early Saturday morning, one day later than I had anticipated. As was expected, it shipped in the familiar red envelope, the only difference being the PS3 logo beneath the standard Netflix insignia. A red CD sleeve that read, “Use every time to watch instantly,” encased the disc.

After inserting the disc into the PS3, the Netflix application instantly launched. I was quickly greeted with a registration prompt, asking me to type my device specific code into a web browser on the same network (see slideshow for photo). This is how Netflix links the streaming account to your device. One interesting side note is if you do not use your device within one month, it will unregister automatically.

Very similar to the Roku, with menu’s being responsive and quick to load. My queue was fully loaded within ten seconds or so and video startup time was similar. Unlike computer based Netflix streaming, the device streaming (Roku/Xbox/PS3/etc.) allows you to watch available HD content. The HD video is streamed at 720p with standard Dolby Pro Logic audio. Both video and audio quality are quite good. Most of the time it is just a touch lower quality that the cable signal you are receiving through the local cable company.

Overall, the experience is a pleasant one. Any time a device can be made to do more tricks is a good thing in my book. My Roku will move on to a new life in the bedroom, and a HDMI port will once again see the light of day. See below video of the interface as well as a slideshow of photos from the review.