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Equipping Your Home Office - Part 2
Publish Date : 12/23/2005 3:41:15 AM Source : Vishal P. Rao
© Vishal P. RaoChoosing Home Office EquipmentIn Part 1 of this article we discussed how to select officefurnishings and why making the right choices were crucial toyour comfort and ability to remain organized. In Part 2 wewill take a look at your basic home office equipment needs.1. ComputersThe type of computer that's best for you depends upon thetype of work that you do, and whether you spend all of yourtime in your home office, or go out on the road to meetclients. While there are a seemingly endless choice of makesand models, there are essentially only three basic choices.For most home office situations, the desktop computer reignssupreme. However, if you are on the road a lot then you canfind notebook computers with nearly the same horsepower asthe best desktop. If you do choose a notebook, the considerone that has an available docking station. That way, when you are in your home office, you can easily use a standardkeyboard, mouse, and monitor.Even if you have a desktop or notebook, you might have roomin your life for a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). PDAs,such as those from Palm Computing, can be a very valuablepersonal productivity tool especially if you need real-timeaccess to your appointments, to-do lists, and phone numbers.With the growing popularity of wireless Internet access youcan even use your PDA to connect to your home officecomputer no matter where you are.2. PrintersYour first decision is what type of technology to go with--laser or ink jet. Laser printers use a tonercartridge/drum assembly while ink jets accept ink tankcartridges. Lasers are generally better for high-volumeprinting and have higher duty cycles--the manufacturer'srating for the unit's recommended monthly workload. Lasers also produce better-quality black text than most ink jets, though some ink-jet models rival low-end lasers.Lasers are also faster than ink jets, but ink jets offer alower cost model if you need to print in color. Color laserprinters are still very expensive. Since the prices forlaser and ink jets are so low, you could consider buying oneof each.Another important item to consider is resolution. Aprinter's resolution determines the overall print quality ofyour documents. Resolution means the number of dots per inchthat appear on the page as a horizontal and verticalmeasurement such as 600 x 600 dots-per-inch or dpi. A 600 x600 dpi resolution produces adequate quality for mostprojects.Your final deciding factor is speed. While printers rarelyperform up to the manufacturer's claims, you should stilluse the printer's posted performance specifications as aguideline. An acceptable speed for personal laser printersis around 6 to 10 pages per minute. An acceptable range forink jet printers is 4 ppm or above.There are printers that do double, triple, or even quadrupleduty as a fax, copier, and scanner as well. You shouldconsider buying one of these models if you have a need forall of this equipment.3. Internet accessToday you have a wide choice of Internet access protocols.If you access the Internet only to check your email, andbrowse the web a bit, then you might be able to get by withan inexpensive dial-up account. This type of accessgenerally runs around $9.95 per month and up.If constant, high-speed Internet access is a requirement foryour home office business, then you need to step up toeither Digital subscriber lines (DSL), or a cable modem.Both provide sufficient speed for any type of business thatyou are likely to run out of a home office. DSL utilizes unused bandwidth on your existing telephone lines to provide a constant connection, while cable modems use your existing cable television network. DSL may not be available in your area. It depends upon your telephone company's technology and how far you are from a DSL access point. Cable, on the other hand, is available in all but the most remote markets. Still, if you can't get either, then there is always the possibility of a satellite uplink. While this was considered extravagant only a few years ago, it's affordable and no more trouble than installing a small dish antenna on your home and signing up for the service.4. TelephonesNo matter how high-tech your home office is, the telephoneis still the most basic and essential of your businesstools. Available features are at an all-time high and pricesare at an all time low. Almost any home office phone on themarket comes equipped with programmable speed-dial numbers,multiple-line capability, speakerphone operation, conferencecall capability, and headset jacks. In addition, your localphone company offers a wide array of add-on services such ascalled id, voice mail, flat-rate long distance and more.If your work keeps you up and around your home office, or ifyou like to take business calls while out on your patio orwhile walking around your home, then a cordless phone is ajoy to have. There are so many makes and models to choosefrom that it almost seems like you need a consultant to helpyou make the right choice. It's not really that hard. Justkeep the following in mind:a) Choose the right technologyAvoid analog phones at all costs. Analog phones aresusceptible to interference from other devices and range isvery limited. Also, analog phones permit eavesdroppingthrough baby monitors and other cordless phones.Digital phones have greater range than analog phones plusthey offer better call privacy through the use of randomcodes that scramble communications between handset and baseunit.Digital Spread Spectrum (DSS) is the best of breed for rightnow. The Spread Spectrum technology uses multiple channelsand frequency hopping to thoroughly scramble communicatebetween the handset and base unit. You also get increasedrange due to decreased electrical interference, plus DSSphones are permitted to use more powerful transmitters.b) FrequencyThe range of your cordless phone also depends upon itsassigned radio frequency. Most home office phones fall into three frequencies.900 MHz: This is by far the worst choice. This frequency iscrowded with devices such as baby monitors, pagers, and cellphones, and is subject to maximum interference. A 900-MHzphone has a range of around 1,500 feet and prices start at$20.2.4 GHz: While once the best choice available, the 2.4-GHzspectrum is overrun with wireless networking, microwaves,and other devices. A 2.4-GHz phone has a range of 2,200 feetand pricing starts around $50.5.8 GHz: This is the latest unlicensed spectrum availablefor wireless devices. Very few devices operate in thisspectrum so there is a marked reduction in interference. A5.8-GHz phone also boasts a range of around 2,200 feet andstart at about $150.c) Other considerationsMake sure that any phone you select has a headset jack, andthen invest in a headset. There is nothing worse thancradling your phone on your shoulder while you consult yourfiles or try to type something on your keyboard. A headsetfrees both hands while you talk.Don't forget to take a look at your potential phone'sbattery life as well. Most cordless phones offer at leastfour hours of talk time and seven days of standby. Make surethat your phone uses replaceable battery packs, and that thebattery packs are widely available.One last thought. Cordless phones are useless without power,so always keep a regular corded phone handy for blackoutemergencies.In SummaryThere is a lot more to equipping an efficient home officethan first meets the eye. Hopefully this two-part seriesgets you going in the right direction. Chances areeverything that you buy for your home office is taxdeductible. Check with your accountant to be sure. About the Author
Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based BusinessOpportunities - A web site dedicated to opportunities, ideasand resources to help you start and run a home based business. Visit his site at:http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com
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