Now that you've decided to work out of your home office, you need to outfit it with the necessary communications equipment, hardware and accessories. This is no small task, considering the wealth of products and services available. Do you need a laptop or a desktop? What kind of printer do you need? What type of Internet service should you choose?
In this article we will present the basic requirements of a home office and explain enough of the technology to get you started. The listed research resources will help you delve deeper into specific technology issues, and help you hone in on features and price ranges appropriate to your situation.
Computer Chronicles
Your first step is the computer. If cost is an issue, don't get a laptop unless you will be traveling or going to business meetings where you will need your system. Laptops simply cost more than desktops.
Regardless of whether you opt for a laptop or a desktop, the basic considerations you must make are the processor, the amount of memory and the size of the hard drive. These three specifications will define the power and storage power of your system.
Choosing a processor can be confusing, and there are different choices for desktops and laptops. Some of the cheapest desktop systems today (as low as $500) come with Cyrix's M II chips running at speeds of 300MHz and 333MHz. For low- to mid-priced desktops, ranging from $1,200 to $2,200, choose a 366MHz or 400MHz Intel Celeron, or AMD's K6-2, a low-cost chip in speeds of up to 450MHz.
Power users will want to look at the fastest desktop processors today: the Intel Pentium III (either 400MHz or 450MHz) or the 400MHz or faster K6-III from AMD. You'll be spending a bare minimum of $1,500 for systems with these chips, with most systems costing more in the range of $2,000 to $2,500.
For laptops, look for a processor speed of 300MHz or faster. Today's mid-range laptops come with Intel Pentium II or Celeron chips, or AMD K6-2 P.
Whether you buy a laptop or a desktop, shoot for at least 64MB of memory and at least 6.4GB of hard drive space. You'll find cheaper systems with 32MB of memory, but the system's performance will suffer. You can go down to a 4.3GB hard drive to lower the cost of the system, or up it to 8GB or 10GB if you want more space.
Unless you are on a very tight budget, go for a 17-inch desktop monitor, which start at around $250. Desktops come with a monitor, keyboard and mouse; laptops don't. So if you choose a laptop but will be spending significant amounts of time at your desk, consider getting a separate mouse and full-sized keyboard. It will make typing much more comfortable, and a separate desktop monitor will make long sessions at your computer less of a strain on your eyes.
Laptops have standard-sized screens, ranging from as small as 8.4-inch on mini-notebooks to 14.1-inch on the high-end power portables. Average sizes on low-to mid-priced laptops are 11.3-inch, 12.1-inch, and 13.3-inch.
Printers plus
You will almost definitely need a printer, if not a copier, fax and even scanner. Don't go overboard, but make sure you have the bare essentials for your business. At the very least, you will want a black-and-white printer for invoices and letters. Inkjets are the most economical, with several models coming in at under $100 and having a print quality high enough for business correspondence. Laser printers offer higher print quality and speed; the lowest-cost models start at under $150.
If you will be doing high-volume printing, step up to a workgroup or small business printer. Expect to pay a bare minimum of $250, and as much as $1,500, depending on your needs.
For basic color printing, a color inkjet is fine. The cheapest color inkjets start at around $100 and prices go up to $1,000+. For the highest-quality graphics, you'll want a color laser printer, which start at around $1,200.
If you think you will need copier, scanner or fax capabilities, consider a multifunction device. These space-saving, inkjet devices house a printer, a scanner, a copier and, in some cases, a fax. It's a good way to save money and desk space. Prices start at around $150 for models without faxes.
Internet Connectivity
Since you need to connect to the outside world from the comfort of your home office, you will need an Internet connection so that you can send and receive email.
If you don't already have an Internet connection, choose carefully. If you use a modem and connect over the telephone line, your fastest connection speed will be 53Kbps -- that is, if you have a 56.6K modem. Considering all the graphics, sound and other multimedia available on the Web today, a 56K modem is not very fast. If you choose a dial-up connection, make sure the Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers several local access numbers in case one of the lines is busy. And if you will be traveling, check that the ISP offers access numbers in other parts of the country.
Monthly ISP charges start at around $25. It might be wise to invest in a dedicated phone line for the modem if you will be spending significant amounts of time online. That way you won't tie up your voice line while you're on the Internet.
For higher-speed access, check out cable, DSL and ISDN. All these so-called broadband connections are faster than telephone modem access, and are available in many areas. Prices might seem high, starting at around $30 to $60 depending on what service you get. But, if you add up the cost of your ISP and a second phone line and you'll see that broadband access is comparable -- and much faster. ISDN transfers data at 128Kbps, double the speed of today's 56K modems. Average DSL speeds hover around 1.5Mbps, although it goes to a theoretical limit of 8Mbps. And cable access can reach speeds of 3 to 4Mbps. Expect to pay an installation charge for a broadband service, and in some cases you may have to buy equipment.
Telephone Tag
Let's not forget the most basic piece of home office equipment, the telephone. Specifically, do you need a separate line for your business? The answer depends on what you want clients and business callers to hear when they call. If you have a separate line, you will always know to answer the phone professionally, and the voicemail can state your business name, fax number or other pertinent things.
Using your home phone line for your business is also an option. Most local phone companies offer some type of voice messaging where you can set up multiple mailboxes. The voice mail can direct callers to press 1 for business calls and 2 for personal ones. The drawback is that when the phone rings, you won't know if it's a client or not. This may or may not be an issue, depending on your work situation.
