MaximumPC 2004 08

HERMAN MILLER AERON CHAIR

THIS MONTH: Ergonomic Chairs!

P

DAs were once nothing but electronic organizers,

but they ultimately grew into do-everything wire-

less devices, complete with web browsing, e-mail

support, and even modest cell phone capabilities. Cell

phones, meanwhile, started out as mere mobile tele-

phones, but are now meeting the most satile PDAs

halfway.

Ericsson brought the first such “smartphone” to the

U.S. in the form of the R380, which uses a customized

version of smartphone concept, Nextel loads Java-based

PDA apps into a Motorola phone. These apps are authored

in the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) programming lan-

guage, which offers handhelds compatibility with any

device that runs one of the

burgeoning varieties of Java. Let’s have a look at the two

competing phones to see which one packs the most fea-

tures into the smallest space.

—ROB PRATT

Head 2 Head A showdown among natural PC competitors

I

f you’re like us, the chair you use at work is the standard

“two arms and a seat” variety. These no-frills office trap-

pings aren’t exactly painful to sit in, but they also won’t

earn you any accolades from your arse. That’s a shame, partic-

ularly if your rump puts in even more time playing computer

games after hours. Thus, we wondered if an “ergonomic”

solution might not make for a more gratifying experience.

To answer this question we compare two different

approaches to ergonomic desk chairs. In one corner we have

Herman Miller’s Aeron chair, which until a few years ago was

the symbol of the decadent dot-com office environment.

In the other corner we have Health Postures’ Plasma 2

system, a new kid on the block that uniquely allows the seat

and arms to be adjusted along a vertical arc, so you can

stand or sit within easy reach of your keyboard and mouse.

Both chairs offer more comfort and features than your

regular chair, but only one can be king. Let the throne throw-

down commence!

Very adjustable, excellent support, all-day comfort.

FIBER

FIBBER

Could use a support for the knees and/or feet, no

option for a standing mode.

$800, http://www.hermanmiller.com

MAXIMUM PC VERDICT 9

—JOSH NOREM

Adjustability : Despite the Aeron’s conventional formfactor, the chair is

highly adjustable. Its seat moves up and down, the backrest tilts forward

and back and can be locked in at any angle within its range. You can also

adjust the amount of resistance you feel when you lean back. The arm-

rests slide up and down and pivot both inward and out, and even lumbar

support is adjustable. The Plasma 2 offers fewer specific adjustments in

favor of a more radical whole-body approach. Winner: Aeron

Comfort: On first contact, we weren’t blown away by the Aeron; in

fact, we were a little disappointed by the absence of any cushioning.

But we definitely came to appreciate its taut mesh suspension seat

over time. The firmness of it eventually gives way to a feeling of

flexible support. The Plasma 2 is much more soft and plush, but its

squishy nature feels less supportive than the Aeron, and therefore

less comfortable. Winner: Aeron

Craftsmanship: Both chairs are sturdy and well made, but the Aeron’s

build is clearly superior. Whereas the Plasma 2 is constructed from

standard materials such as cloth upholstery, foam, and thick metal, the

Aeron’s makeup is more elegant, specialized, and refined. Everything from

its curvy recycled-aluminum frame to its porous-membrane suspension

system make the Aeron as pleasing to look at as it is to use.

Winner: Aeron

Desktop integration: The Aeron integrates easily with

a typical workspace as its size and dimensions are

roughly those of a stan-

dard desk chair. This was

a welcome change after

all the rearranging we had

to do to accommodate

the Plasma 2 “seating

system’s” motorized dis-

play podium, which inci-

dentally limits users to a

single-display setup.

Winner: Aeron

Features: The Aeron specs include a whole host of comfort technologies, so to

speak, such as PostureFit for lower-back support and Kinemat Tilt for, well, adjusting

the seat’s tilt, but in plain language these are the features you’d expect from any

chair billed as “ergonomic.” Something the Aeron lacks is any kind of lower leg or

foot support, which the Plasma 2 chair offers. Winner: Plasma 2