How Do You Put Together Your Home Office?

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:50:09 +0000

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I can’t respond to every email I get, but I do try to answer what I can. A community member wrote in, asking for a tour of my office. He also is interested in buying the same desk that I have, and was wondering how he should go about putting it together, and setting everything up. This will now be the third person that I know of who has gotten the same setup that I have. It’s kinda cool, you know? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! He has some specific questions about my configuration, so let’s get to it!

First, he wanted to know how I power the Tix clocks on top of my hutch. Quite simple, really – there’s a power strip mounted to the back of the hutch where the clocks plug in to. If you plug them all in to the same surge protector, you can always hit the switch and reset them all at the same time if you ever need to.
Next, he wondered where all my speakers are, were the cables long enough to connect them to the sub woofer, and etc. I have one of them on the corner of the desk, near the bamboo tree. I have the cable for it running along the edge of the desk, and strung through a hole that was drilled into the desk already. The second speaker is behind the iMac. The third one is behind the left monitor. The center speaker is up top on the hutch, and the last speaker is behind me. The sub woofer is over in the corner, near a bookshelf. I keep them hidden, because I don’t need to see them. I just need to hear them.
Your UPS and connections – where is everything plugged in, and how do you not overload? I do have a couple of UPS’, and they’re behind the hutch. There’s about a foot distance between the back of the hutch and the wall. I have the two UPS’, a couple of power strips, and the like in order to keep everything plugged in and not suck up too much energy.
Your printer/chumby/phone – where are all of these things plugged into? There’s a reason this particular room is my office – it is on its own power circuit in the house. The laser printer itself uses a lot of juice when it’s going, not to mention everything else I have running. The Chumby, my phone, the sub woofer, and the amp are all behind me, and they’re plugged into a regular old power strip. Never plug a laser printer into a UPS, it’s a horrible idea.

That’s it, pretty much. I have my office set up the way that is comfortable and accessible for me. You need to create your own space. It’s really cool and fun that you want to do what I’ve done, but please keep in mind that you need to “own” your own setup. It has to work for you, or there’s no point in all the work you put into it!

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How Do You Put Together Your Home Office?

Be Comfortable at your Desk

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:55:52 +0000

Be Comfortable at your Desk

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Recently, I talked about what to look for when buying a desk. I would say the number one priority should be comfort. I’m currently using Bush Series C / Corsa – Hansen Cherry as my desk, by the way. With most of us spending large amounts of time at our desk, it is critical for our body’s health to be comfortable, and have a good grasp on ergonomics.

Take hourly breaks. It’s important that you take time away from the computer, so that you do not damage your eyes. Go and read a chapter of a book every so often so that your eyes can focus on something different than the glare of a computer screen. This also will cause less pain in your back from sitting in your computer chair, and stop any aches and pains that may start in your body.
Use any tools or features of equipment that can help to ensure comfort. For instance, if you have a keyboard with a wrist rest, then this can allow you to relax whilst typing. If you have a mouse pad with a wrist rest on it also, usually made out of a soft material, this can also come in handy.
Do not position your equipment out of reach. When you are finished typing and need to use the mouse, make sure it is close so you are not stretching over to grab it. It is also useful when buying a mouse to see if you are comfortable with the design such as where your thumb rests.
Do not use a computer whilst tired or under the influence of alcohol. With alcohol slowing down your reactions you may do something you didn’t mean to do, don’t realize or even worse… you could knock over the beer onto your keyboard. Also if you are tired, you get irritated, and you can’t perform to your best when using the computer. This will cause stress, and your work may be affected. Besides, you don’t want to cause an extra bug in that program which could be perfect with a good night’s sleep.
Sit upright, ensure you have enough leg room, and your feet are positioned so that they are flat on the ground. Also, make sure that your chair is at the right height, so that you can easily reach the keyboard and mouse.

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Be Comfortable at your Desk

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How Do You Put Together Your Home Office?

Be Comfortable at your Desk