again, it's not the fixation thing that bothers me. the only thing that bothers me about this article is that i, personally, can not see how this desk can ask such a high price. the details are very limited. if the designer said the steel was crafted by 40 virgins working on it day and night for 2.5 years, then hey, i might finally see the value. maybe an exaggeration, but you see what i mean. and again, to each his own.

and i do look forward to the RS6 avant coverage.

Disclosure, the next fixation (of mine) was going to be an Audi RS6 Avant – a twin-turbo V10 580 horsepower station wagon. A ~$140,000 notion. Based on some aforementioned conjecture, perhaps it too is "outlandish" and "fun". Oh well, I don't mind pulling editorial rank to get some crazy into the mix. Post/Article hot sauce, if you will… and I like my hot sauce.

Though Patrick doesn't like hot sauce so he may disagree by either throwing a golf club at me or just angrily bark commands during interval training. We'll see…

Thank you for your comment and suggestion on how we can work to make Gear Patrol a more useful resource for you. I can honestly say that we work diligently to feature a variety of products spanning all price levels and purposes, but do apologize if in your opinion that fact has somehow not shown through our work as of late.

However, as our Copy Chief Dusty Overby explained in an earlier response, the 'Fixation' series in particular is a unique segment that is less concerned about discussing products that are affordable, practical, and universally appealing. Instead it is used as a regular outlet through which our editors can discuss their individual passions and styles. Hence the line included in the post-script which states:

"The Fixation is a new series of posts focused on… well, fixations. Unlike our regular posting schedule, yet much like the fixations that have laid victim to many-a-coveting, lusting men, these posts will come without measured planning (though we’ll aim for a weekly basis). There is no true rhyme or reason behind the uncontrollable yearning of a man’s fixation.."

If in this instance you do not personally agree with Eric's taste in desks, I'll be the first to admit that you are not alone, as I myself am puzzled by how such a seemingly simple desk demand such a high price. However, others may hold similar feelings about my affinity for DJ equipment, or a 1959 Les Paul. So who are we to say that only products that appeal to our individualized tastes deserve to be discussed vs those that don't?

To address your comments about the "blog snatching" of the HTPC, all I can say is that our focus as a site is to surface unique products we believe are worth sharing. Under that creed, just because another major media outlet covers something first does not mean it isn't still worth highlighting to our audience. The fact that we give credit to the source which alerted us to the product is our way of acknowledging the hard work of our colleagues online and ironically is something both Gizmodo and Engadget practice themselves on a regular basis. For instance, doing a quick browse of Engadget's homepage, I found these articles which the site all credits to other sources for finding (see bottom left corner of each article".

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/android-2-1s-b… Credited Source: AndroidSPIN

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/chevy-volt-get… Credited Source: Autoblog

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/sony-considere… Credited Source: Slashgear

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/yogen-ripcord-… Credited Source: Photography Blog & Yo Gen

A quick browse of Gizmodo yielded similar results:

http://gizmodo.com/5426145/this-giant-crashed-cel…
Credited Source: Direct Daily

http://gizmodo.com/5425969/princess-and-the-pea-a…
Credited Source: Make

http://gizmodo.com/5426066/samsung-st5500-point+a…
Credited Source: Engadget.

So while we do strive to add as much unique content as possible to the internet at large, we feel like others that just because we don't have the time to be the first to cover every possible product, that shouldn't prevent us sharing the wealth provided by other tremendous resources online from time to time.

As Dusty explained earlier

Thank you for your comment and suggestion on how we can work to make Gear Patrol a more useful resource for you. I can honestly say that we work diligently to feature a variety of products spanning all price levels and purposes, but do apologize if in your opinion that fact has somehow not shown through our work as of late.

However, as our Copy Chief Dusty Overby explained in an earlier response, the 'Fixation' series in particular is a unique segment that is less concerned about discussing products that are affordable, practical, and universally appealing. Instead it is used as a regular outlet through which our editors can discuss their individual passions and styles. Hence the line included in the post-script which states:

"The Fixation is a new series of posts focused on… well, fixations. Unlike our regular posting schedule, yet much like the fixations that have laid victim to many-a-coveting, lusting men, these posts will come without measured planning (though we’ll aim for a weekly basis). There is no true rhyme or reason behind the uncontrollable yearning of a man’s fixation.."

If in this instance you do not personally agree with Eric's taste in desks, I'll be the first to admit that you are not alone, as I myself am puzzled by how such a seemingly simple desk demand such a high price. However, others may hold similar feelings about my affinity for DJ equipment, or a 1959 Les Paul. So who are we to say that only products that appeal to our individualized tastes deserve to be discussed vs those that don't?

To address your comments about the "blog snatching" of the HTPC, all I can say is that our focus as a site is to surface unique products we believe are worth sharing. Under that creed, just because another major media outlet covers something first does not mean it isn't still worth highlighting to our audience. The fact that we give credit to the source which alerted us to the product is our way of acknowledging the hard work of our colleagues online and ironically is something both Gizmodo and Engadget practice themselves on a regular basis. For instance, doing a quick browse of Engadget's homepage, I found these articles which the site all credits to other sources for finding (see bottom left corner of each article".

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/android-2-1s-b… Credited Source: AndroidSPIN

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/chevy-volt-get… Credited Source: Autoblog

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/sony-considere… Credited Source: Slashgear

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/yogen-ripcord-… Credited Source: Photography Blog & Yo Gen

A quick browse of Gizmodo yielded similar results:

http://gizmodo.com/5426145/this-giant-crashed-cel…
Credited Source: Direct Daily

http://gizmodo.com/5425969/princess-and-the-pea-a…
Credited Source: Make

http://gizmodo.com/5426066/samsung-st5500-point+a…
Credited Source: Engadget.

So while we do strive to add as much unique content as possible to the internet at large, we feel like others that just because we don't have the time to be the first to cover every possible product, that shouldn't prevent us sharing the wealth provided by other tremendous resources online from time to time.

As Dusty explained earlier

You guys are doing killer work and I'm down with the fixation articles, it's just this one particular piece that i simply don't get. But to each his own and if I come up with anything good, I will be sure to share it.

If you had some ideas for a Fixation article we'd love to hear them. We're always looking for ideas and we love it when our readers contribute. Makes the whole community apsect really take shape. Not to put you on the spot, just a thought. Thanks for the feedback.

Send ideas to (this is for anyone interested): tips@gearpatrol.com

I have a few personal belongings that I tend not to flinch on when it came to cash outlay: a few key pieces of furniture (reading chair, mattress, desk), clothing (rain coat, watch, but not necessarily shoes), and cameras.

That said, I like the spirited dialogue going on here about value over just knowing what's out there. Oh, and I too know a great metal worker who could fashion me quite the desk as well (and has with a kitchen counter in the past). The Fixation posts are intended for the latter, not necessarily a direct suggestion that you buy but just something we've seen that we like that may not necessarily make sense. Remember though, we've got readers from all walks of life… so some of our more financially sound men may consider this a purchase within their means.

You guys are doing killer work and I'm down with the fixation articles, it's just this one particular piece that i simply don't get. But to each his own and if I come up with anything good, I will be sure to share it.

additionally, from a guy who owns a desk without drawers, a desk without drawers simply is not functional. that's a mistake i will never make again.