I am very excited to start a new part time WFH job in January - I’ve always worked in an office except for occasional allowed WFH days.
I’m used to a desktop with a decently large screen , but only one screen. For the new position, I’ll have a laptop but have the option for additional provided equipment and then a one-time, first year small budget to purchase additional office items.
I think I def want a second monitor. That’s been offered along with an external keyboard. Any pros/cons/advice with those?? Is the keyboard helpful or just taking up extra desk space??
I may use my “budget” on a small compact printer/scanner if not provided. I often like a paper copy of something I’m working on though maybe with the second screen I won’t feel that way. Simple inexpensive small printer recommendations ?
The other item I may consider is a simple earbud/headphones for virtual calls - any recommendations that are not something as $$ as Bose??
My office area is small and cozy. I’ll use other areas of the house as well.
What other office conveniences make your home office area your “home within your home”??
My suggestion would be dual monitors with the external keyboard. Keep the monitors touching and at the same plane (height and distance from you). They can be angled or curved, but it should feel like one continuous monitor. Try not to go back and forth between a laptop and a desktop monitor.
I personally can’t stand curved monitors so make sure you like those before buying! I definitely like to have an external keyboard and a mouse. Mine are a set - Logitech wireless… I fished the unopened box out of the e-waste of a company that closed its business !
I found that my laptop has a decent enough camera and microphone so I don’t bother with external camera or headphones. BTW, Costco has those Bose headphones on a very good sale, and apparently the microphone is very good.
I have that same desk. Don’t use it in the standing position as much as I should.
It’s a little limited in terms of space if you are thinking of dual monitors though. I have my laptop and a monitor on the desk, along with the external keyboard and trackpad - no room for anything else.
I have been using my laptop speakers - haven’t needed a headset/headphones. I like it better to do my meetings without those - just shut the door. YMMV.
I went all out for my home office and love it. I went back and forth on 2 screens but ended up with a 38” widescreen monitor with curved screen. It’s a bit of budget-buster so 2 screens is a much more economical solution.
I also have a separate wireless keyboard, trackpad, and mouse. The trackpad and mouse are redundant but it’s nice to switch between the two to give my hands a break. When doing heavy reading the trackpad is easier to use, otherwise I use the mouse. I use the trackpad left-handed (to the left of the keyboard, really just 2-finger scrolling) and mouse right-handed.
I also have a separate camera and speaker. The speakerphone can get very loud (great for those times when someone on the call has a really low mic) and also has a great mic. The camera is centered over the monitor so viewers see me head-on instead of looking off the side.
If you’re going to use your laptop’s keyboard then you can skip the external camera and speaker. But I find that the laptop’s screen gets in the way of the external monitor. My laptop sits in clamshell mode on a laptop stand with a fan.
I really like having two monitors. When my old iMac died, Apple had discontinued the 27" model and I didn’t want the smaller version. Ended up buying a a MacBook Pro and screen-mirror to a big ASUS monitor we weren’t using. I do a lot of graphics work and can set up my work panels on the MacBook’s screen and have the artwork on the big screen.
I do use the keyboard from my old iMac.
I have the laptop on a stand that puts it level with the big monitor. Also works better for video calls (avoids the “old lady chin” when the camera is too low .) https://a.co/d/h2LIufK
Sorry @BunsenBurner, meant this to be a general reply.
I had one for a while, but eventually took it back. I just didn’t use it. The same was true of the external keyboard.
Yes. I got one the day that I started working from home, and have used it a lot. The one I got also fax’s, which I used to use a lot but now only use occasionally, and almost exclusively for sending stuff to my accountant.
Yes, definitely. You can have meetings now without leaving the house. Headphones give you much better sound quality compared to using the laptop’s built in microphone and speakers. The ones I have say “Jabra” on them and seem to be pretty good.
The other thing that you will want is a very comfortable chair.
Nice. I’m too cheap!! I have my laptop on a stack of org chem books!
What is THE most important is a good chair. Standing desk or not, sitting still happens. So one needs to try a few to find the one that works. I also have an adjustable footrest.
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