ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 1997 TAG: 9704010022
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NICK HARDER KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Unless you pick the right lamp for your computer desk, your eyes are going to suffer.
Desperate for light. If the desks in most home offices could talk, that's the plea they might make. End their suffering. See the light.
But make it the right light.
Choose the wrong light, or desk lamp, and you could wind up wishing you were in the dark.
Desk lamps come in all shapes and sizes. Basically, though, you'll have a choice between a fixed lamp and a movable one. You've seen the movable ones; they look like a cross between a snake and scissors. Think of these as lamps on clamps. They clamp to the side of the desk and can be extended and moved almost anywhere.
Pick the wrong desk lamp for your computer desk and you could flood your computer screen with unwanted light.
Big, screen-distorting reflections will hide all those wonderful techno achievements for which you've spent so much money.
It's this type of flood light that spreads too much light in too many directions. Your computer desk lamp needs to shine on your keyboard, perhaps even extend to the desk area near it so you can read and copy something.
But not to the screen.
A desk lamp for a computer needs to be selective. It needs to select only certain confined areas of your desk to spread its glow. When you're examining desk lamps for your computer desk, turn off the other lamps around the one you've selected. Turn it on and move your hand under it to see the extent of the light spread. If it's within a couple of feet, that lamp may be the one.
Pick the wrong desk lamp and you may strain your eyes trying to see your keyboard.
Most desk lamps - especially those that employ incandescent light bulbs - have severe restrictions on the power of light bulb that can be used safely. It's usually a 60- or 70-watt restriction.
That may be enough light to see your keyboard easily, but it's insufficient for most reading. You may need to choose a desk lamp that permits a higher wattage, at least 100 watts.
Or you may want to consider a desk lamp that uses halogen bulbs. Most halogen desk lamps on the market come with 50- or 100-watt bulbs. Even a 50-watt halogen bulb can provide more than adequate light for reading. A 100-watt halogen bulb is just so much better.
Pick the wrong desk lamp and a fire could result.
Speaking of fire, the next time you're looking at desk lamps, get up close and personal. Notice the warning that says: ``To reduce the risk of fire, use only a 60-watt [or 75-watt] Type A light bulb.''
LENGTH: Medium: 55 linesby CNB