Comments on: Brando 4-in-1 desk lamp

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:23:52 +0000

I no longer work at a desk but, when I did I used a desk fan daily. I forgot to take it when I left and I truly miss that fan. I’d have it on my home desk now if I still had it.

I use an iMac which has a web-cam and a microphone built in. What I do not like about the Brando 4-in-1 desk lamp is that it is very ugly. If they added a clock it could be Brando 5-in-1 desk lamp. Add a magnetic paper clip holder and viola…Brando 6-in-1 desk lamp!!! I think the possibilities of adding useless features to this lamp is mind boggling and makes it just another piece of pointless land fill clogging clutter that no one truly needs.

Indict Brando!!! hehe ; )

By: Adam Snider

Adam Snider — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:40:00 +0000

I’m using a desktop fan as we speak. The A/C in my office doesn’t work properly, so I use a desktop fan. At home, I use a floor fan, though.

That said, that device does look a bit ridiculous.

By: Mary Sue

Mary Sue — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:50:26 +0000

Last time I used a desktop fan? Um, right now. I work on the third floor of a building, in what used to be a greenhouse. Loads of natural light, of course. Sweltering in the summer.

Also? You obviously have never dealt with menopausal women. I can think of several aunties who will be getting this for Christmas.

By: jes

jes — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:10:14 +0000

Conceptually, maybe. I can get overheated from the output of my computer equipment so fan might be appreciated. Don’t have a webcam right now but might use it if I had & it would probably have to be part of something I needed/wanted. Visually, um only the webcam + speaker bit is ok. But would probably only buy this specifically if it was in the dollar bin.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:49:05 +0000

It seems to me that this is more clutter than unclutter. It’s not really a device with four functions. It’s four devices, mashed together in a horrible Frankenstein-inspired fit of madness. If you don’t use all four, then the extra devices are just clutter that you can’t remove because they’re stuck to the ones you do use.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:35:45 +0000

Yes on the fan. Mine sits under my desk and goes on and off in order to moderate hot flashes. Again, as the rest have said, the appliance is reaaaallllly ugly.

By: Stella

Stella — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:52:15 +0000

I would argue that in addition to the 4 functions listed above, they could all be used at the same time. Introducing your instant Mariah Carey music video set, including stage light, wind machine, microphone and webcam to capture the magic!

By: Rae

Rae — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:10:11 +0000

Hee! I have two desk fans, too. One’s a back-up, in case the first one goes down. I run it pretty much 8 hours every day, mostly for the airflow, but also for the white noise.

I have to agree about the lamp, though. *shudder* It’s kinda scary looking. I can see where it would be useful for a (probably small) contingent of folks, but not for me.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:23:14 +0000

At least one of my desk fans (yes, I have two) are on at work all the time. I work in a brand new office with hopelessly controlled HVAC. Especially now that our AC has been cut to 20% (that’s TO not BY). So yes, desk fan most definitely used. But the rest of that ugly thing? Ick. (I use big huge fans at my non air conditioned home.)

By: Drew

Drew — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:00:06 +0000

Design abomination. No thank you. Ever.

By: caffienejunkie

caffienejunkie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:57:23 +0000

i think the idea of the combo lamp is nice, but it’s not very nice to look at and the fan would annoy me – my air conditioning works fine – infmom made a good point about the mic and fan being near each other

By: infmom

infmom — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:43:12 +0000

I’m sitting here typing as my fan whirs away. It doesn’t sit on my desk, but on top of my scanner on the catch-all desk next to me (good thing I don’t use the scanner all that often). It was the only place I could find for it. In our not-air-conditioned house, fans are an absolute necessity.

That said, though, why would anyone want a microphone built into a gizmo that has a fan whirring away in the background?

By: BarbaraB

BarbaraB — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:22:54 +0000

I use a desk fan every day at work. I also have a tower fan under my desk. Both are on right now!

By: JenK

JenK — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:33:47 +0000

I use my desk fan for general air circulation / cooling. But a combo would mean I could situate it for best light or least distracting fan – not a win.

By: Michael@ Awareness * Connection

Michael@ Awareness * Connection — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:10:19 +0000

I could see this being helpful in a dormroom and eliminating a bit of clutter. I don’t like that style of fan. I’m betting it’s go those foam rubber safety blades. I’d prefer smaller, hard blades with a small housing over it. USB powered seems a bit silly. That would be a good option, but not the sole means of powering it. This isn’t exactly something most people would be likely to schlep along with them to the library where they’d need to plug it in to a laptop.

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:12:16 +0000

I use a desk fan all the time. My office isn’t air conditioned (we work out of an unused classroom on the second floor of a church building) and my apartment also doesn’t have central air (I have a portable AC in the bedroom). I live in Ohio, with rather hot and humid weather (although, today is really lovely- it’s under 80 for the first time in months!), so without AC, a fan is pretty much mandatory if you want to not pass out from heat exhaustion. I agree, though, if you have functioning AC, it might not be quite as necessary.

I like the idea of the webcam and microphone with the light, though. I don’t have a lot of space on my desk, so something like that could be useful to conserve space.

By: Meghan

Meghan — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:08:43 +0000

I think the fan is the only part of that thing I would use!

By: Gayle

Gayle — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:15:18 +0000

The last time I used a desktop fan is actually right now! Even with air conditioning, the old buildings in the heritage part of town where I work don’t cool very well. The desk fan is the only way I keep from physically melting.

That said, this thing looks horrendous.

By: Mo

Mo — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:46:54 +0000

Desk fans are popular in dorms in the Northeast, which tend not to be air conditioned. The academic year and hot weather season don’t overlap by much, meaning that a big fan or AC would be overkill. A desk fan means studying at your desk is a bit more comfortable. Even post-dorm, the only AC in our house is a window unit in the bedroom and some small box fans that get moved around as needed. Also, that looks like it is intended to sit right next to a computer, so the fan could be used to direct the computer’s vented heat away from the user.

But it looks so small that it probably wouldn’t do much.