After one wrecked SCSI disk in a big tower laid flat on its side, I reverted to a computer desk arrangement based on the usual upright position. Again, the desk carries the laptop. (Does that make it a desktop computer? :-)
The table involved is a the IKEA "LACK" model. The obvious drawback are its legs. They block two CDROM trays (I had to put the "burner" into the center), and the right mini-tower's on/off button has to be reached with the aid of a tea-spoon. Plugging a keyboard cable into the back-side of that machine is likewise severely hampered.
Solution: unscrew the four legs and get rid of them. The result is Computertisch, 3rd ed..