Originally posted by mim
In their own office, everyone picks up a laptop on their way in, and finds a desk. And seeing as they advise (for space planning) most major corporations in the world...you could say this view is getting pretty well established. Lots of places still have fixed workstations - but this is changing very quickly. Most new offices (and yes - I've help design a few - even one in Berlin) acknowledge that these modes of working will become the norm.
Since I am working with a lot of companies of different sizes I can't confirm that at all. They predict all that stuff since more than 10 years (teleworking and that kind of office you were referring to) and so far not a lot changed. I know companies that tried that stuff and went back to traditional working methods because it was almost impossible to work effectively that way.
In big companies they work with thin clients (administration staff) and workstations (developers and media staff) but still no laptops all across in sight. When you have to work at your desk anyway every day a workstation doesn't take more space than a laptop anyway. The PC goes under the table, an LCD and the keyboard use hardly more space than a laptop on the desk. And I can't think of almost any office desk that doesn't need a computer for daily tasks, so it has to be there anyway. Since the profiles of the users are stored on the server it is also no problem to switch desks with somebody else for a while. Laptops are only for the sales people who have to bring their stuff with them. Not any difference in small companies. I believe what I see and it is way different to what you want to sell/tell me. Nobody knows the norm of tomorrow just because there are some "innovative" (disputable anyway) exceptions. Norm means the majority is doing it and we are far from that for years. Maybe (and that's what I predict) it will never happen for the majority of companies and people.
Originally posted by mim
And also being involved in a residential developments in a few cities across the world I can say that a space for a dedicated office/computer workstation or desk is >not< being offered.
Of course not, because even a workstation is not taking much space today, it fits nicely under the table. Days are gone when computers had the size of a king size fridge. An LCD and a keyboard are not a lot bigger than a laptop.
Originally posted by mim
The only space you have to scar In terms of space it's too expensive and extravagent. Rather than pay the additional $2000-3000 >PER SQUARE METRE< for a study space (or even compact office shelving etc) more people are turning to laptops for their home.
How many companies have office space for $2000-3000 per m^2? You are kidding, right? Also an appartment doesn't cost that much when you are not so crazy to move to a yuppie quartier. And if you are able to pay that much per m^2, space for an extra computer desk for at home is the last concern you normally have...
Maybe you should start thinking about the real "norm" and not just the upper 10% of people or companies.
Originally posted by mim
So no - I'm not a the spokesman for the world - but I get out there enough to see what's going on. Try it sometime.
Look who's talking!
No offense dude, but it seems that I seem to get out there way more often than you do, regarding what you are writing. All those predictions about our working environment were totally wrong since 10 years. And it will probably stay like this for the next 10 years when I look at the predictions they do now...
Just open your eyes when you get out of your ivory tower and you'll see what the real norm is.
Let's talk about it in 10 years again. I'm curious if anything what was predicted today really will have happened then.
(I remember that when I was little they predicted colonies and mining on the moon in the year 2000 as well as cars that run with alternative energy. My travel agent still refuses to sell me a ticket to moon... weird, huh?)
Peace,
groovebuster
