What you must have for an efficient home office

By David Geer

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You know you need more than a pad and pen to work from home these days. But, you need more than a typewriter and a well-informed office supply sales rep, too. You need guidance on must have tools, hardware and software, minus the salesperson’s or product vendor’s bias.

1. You need a PC (personal computer) or Mac (Apple Macintosh).

In today’s world, the PC or Mac is the center of your home office. Think about a computer that will serve your needs for three to five years. That’s about how long it takes old computers to lose step with your growing needs.

Three to five years of service today means more working memory, storage space and speed and performance than your friend or neighbor needs to play computer Mahjong. Ask about “RAM memory”, “hard drive” or “hard disk” space and “computer speed”, respectively, when talking with sales reps; get the most you can afford.

For PCs, brand names such as IBM, Sony, HP and Dell are top picks. You should get a three-year warranty or longer with service contract, customer support numbers and information and a manual with your new computer.

You need software (specifically, an operating system) such as “Microsoft Windows” so your PC can run, “Microsoft Office” for office tasks, such as word processing and making spreadsheets and presentations, and “Microsoft Outlook Express” (or Windows Mail if you are running Vista) for email . Note that for the most part, Microsoft Windows comes preinstalled on many computers. Also, you can use a free, Web-based email-based program for your email and save a few bucks, at least at first, if your computer doesn't come with Outlook installed. You may need to acquire separate software for security (protection from the Internet bad guys).



Macs operate in their own little world; they have their own operating systems (called "Mac OS") and are known for their ability to run right out of the box. You will need to get the programs above, making sure they are expressly for the Macintosh computer.

2. You need “peripheral” equipment to use your computer.

Peripherals will come with their own software, if it's required. (Look at keyboards and "mice" that are described as “ergonomic,” if you’re looking for hours of effortless, comfortable work.)

You need a flat-panel monitor; it’s the TV-like part you’ll use to view stuff. This monitor will save you space over the old “CRT” kind, which is anything but flat, and provide you with clear, bright, quality viewing and state-of-the-art features. HP, Acer, Samsung, Sony and ViewSonic are top brands. Be sure to set the brightness lower on newer models so you don’t hurt your eyes. Seriously!

You need a good keyboard. You can more easily judge one you like by using it for a while. Most new computers come with keyboards (and “mice”) so be sure to try those out before making another purchase.

You need a good, reliable mouse, preferably “optical” rather than “trackball.” The mouse is so named for its shape and tail-like wire. A good mouse is comfortable to the hand and flows across the mouse pad. Logitech is a good brand. You can adjust software settings for your mouse if you are left-handed and even get a left-handed mouse!

You need at least a combination printer and copier. Scanning capabilities for saving and printing electronic copies of images are optional, but very handy. Brand and quality are essential here. Try HP or Canon.

You should have some way of receiving faxes, even if that means getting a combination printer, copier and fax machine. No matter how antiquated it seems, people still send faxes. Many times, you can ask them to scan their original documents and email them to you. These are often files with the extension ".pdf". That simply means you need to open them with an Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com. Other times they cannot, or will not. If you have a second phone line that's not used much, simply use that; you can get a fax machine that will function as an answering machine as well. If that's not practical, look into services such as efax, which, for a fee, acts as an online fax machine.

3. Yes, you need a laptop, too.

A laptop or notebook computer serves many purposes. Use it when your main computer is on the fritz or when traveling or for remote work. IBM, HP, Toshiba and Sony are all good brands. Look for the same software as for your standard computer.

4. You should really have an external hard drive for backups.

An external hard drive (information storage device) stores copies of the information on your computer. If the computer or information are lost or damaged, you can still retrieve the information. Seagate is a good brand. While the hardware usually comes with software and some of it is good, you can get better software (with more features and easier to use).

5. You should have a telephone with built in answering machine and Caller ID.

For business calls, messages and call screening in one space-saving piece of equipment, get a name brand phone and Caller ID service. Look for AT&T or brands you know.

6. You should have digital phone recording hardware.

This is good for recording meetings. The device (available at Radio Shack) connects to your phone line and a small digital recorder for playback. Or, try a program like Audacity (freeware), that lets you record phone calls directly to your computer.

7. You should have online meeting software.

If you attend online meetings, you may want a free copy of WebEx or other software your colleagues use.

8. You should have an electric power backup and surge protector.

This device connects to your wall outlet and everything else connects to it. It should give you enough power to keep working for a few minutes during an outage. It can also protect your equipment against power surges. Get one with surge protection for the phone line, as well. This hardware may come with software for additional features like power outage warnings. APC makes good hardware.

9. You should have removable storage.

The “floppy disk” you may have heard of is almost extinct. You can use much better stuff like zip drives and flash drives through “ports” (connections) on your computer to make copies of your documents and information to carry with you. Try Iomega, Seagate or Kingston (See Figure Two for an example of a removable USB Flash Drive).

As you can see, you’ll need a good variety of equipment and software to build a home office that will serve you well. Check with friends and experts, ask around, test drive as much as you can before you buy, and get a good return policy!