Pity the modern worker . Back when our ancestor answer their 60 hours a week lashed to lathes , coupled to conveyor belt belt , and harnessed to reaper , it was impossible to take piece of work menage . Clock out , and you were done for the day . No longer . The home office — whether as an assistant to a remote workplace or as the location of your elementary workplace — is a vernacular component of home .
But what determines the perfect home office ? Other than available space , the most constraining factor is money . We ’d all love to rain buckets unending streams of lucre into our plate office to find lightning - dissolute computers , massive monitors , and software potent enough to manipulate the solar system .
But let ’s face it , the kid need braces , that scraping auditory sensation from the brakes ca n’t be secure , and it wo n’t be long before the saltation project from the couch gives someone tetanus . With that in head , I ’m here to offer advice on creating the ultimate Mac - found home bureau — within reason . In this case , I determine rationality as a budget of $ 1,500 , $ 3,000 , or $ 6,000 .
The rules of the game are these : You will buy a unexampled Mac and equipment — no used gear or software is allowed . revenue enhancement is not included in our recommendations . I accept you have the furniture you require and wired broadband . At the very least , you must be able to use e - mail ; browse the World Wide Web ; create , read , and edit Microsoft Office - compatible documents ; and perform canonical billing and disbursal tracking . The rest comes out of your budget .
My passport are based on prices easily found on the Internet at such familiar and accessible outfit as the Apple Store , Amazon.com , and Costco.com . And of course , regardless of how much money you actually have , you ’ll find out interesting baksheesh you could use when you need to make tough buying choices .
The bargain office
A budget of $ 1,500 does n’t render you with a lot of wiggle room , but it ’s noteworthy what you could do with this amount of cash . Here are my recommendations .
The basics
My choice for your electronic computer is the $ 1,199 2GHz17 - column inch iMac Core 2 Duo ( ) . People familiar with Apple ’s computer offerings empathise that the iMac is not the company ’s least expensive exemplar . That honour go to the $ 599 1.66GHzMac mini Core Duo ( ) . Given the miniskirt ’s low price , why recommend a computer that costs doubly as much ? Because of what the mini lacks and the iMac provides .
Specifically , the mini includes no keyboard , mouse , or monitor . If you do n’t have these detail ( which is the case in this little experiment ) , you’re able to require to dangle at least $ 200 or $ 300 to get them . The 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo includes only a Combo drive — a parkway up to of reading videodisc and playing and burn cd butnotburning DVDs . This drive wo n’t let you burn your projects or back up really great file to DVD . The miniskirt offers a short 512 MB of Aries , which can leave in miserable functioning , especially with iLife programme such as GarageBand and iMovie . Likewise , its severe drive is cramped at 60 Gbit . Make a few movies or get a decent appeal of music and picture from the iTunes Store , and your hard drive is full .
In addition , the miniskirt ’s Intel GMA 950 computer graphic processor , which shares 64 MiB of the miniskirt ’s main memory , is nothing to write rest home about . ( If you plan to spend your off - hours playing 3 - five hundred games , emphatically cross the miniskirt off your tilt . ) Finally , unlike the repose of the Mac line , the mini includes an Intel Core Duo C.P.U. rather than the more powerful Intel Core 2 Duo .
The mini becomes less attractive when you look at what the iMac brings to the table . To begin with , all iMacs offer an Intel Core 2 Duo processor , which Apple suggests is up to 50 percentage faster than the Core Duo . The 2GHz 17 - in iMac Core 2 duet satisfies the desire for more Aries the Ram and hard - drive blank space by including 1 GB of RAM and a 160 GB heavy drive . It also rollick an 8x dual - bed SuperDrive and include the ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card , which hold back 128 MB of its own SDRAM . sum up to that a built - in iSight camera , a built - in monitor , built - in speakers , AirPort and Bluetooth , an Apple Remote for controlling Front Row , and an included keyboard and a Mighty Mouse , and you ’re look at a pretty capable Mac that fits a steal budget .
Why not save $ 200 by purchasing the $ 999 1.83GHz17 - inch iMac Core 2 Duo ( ) ? The lowest - price iMac is hitch by its deficiency of a SuperDrive , an underpowered Intel GMA 950 art card , and 512 MB of tup . You could get aside with it if you do n’t manage about backing up your data to DVD or performing games . But although you might think you ’d save money by shop around for RAM rather of getting it preinstalled , time have vary . Having Apple install RAM was once prohibitively expensive , but now the company ’s prices are militant .
Outfitting your office
We ’ve incinerate up $ 1,200 of our budget already , so we involve the large bang for the littlest buck for our other spot peripherals . The deal role requires a single twist that performs multiple functions , and HP’sPhotosmart C6180does that for just $ 216 .
The Photosmart C6180 includes a people of color ink - special K printer , a flatbed scanner , a copier , and a fax machine . It include slots for a assortment of media card case , so you could print directly from your cards . The pressman uses individual colour cartridges , so you need n’t toss out a individual multicolor pickup simply because you ’ve bunk out of one coloring material . And the printing machine supports both Ethernet and wireless 802.11b networking .
In my experience , HP ’s Mac software can be problematic . It always pays to download the late set of drivers . Fortunately , many of the applications included with HP ’s multifunction printers are unnecessary . you’re able to do most of what you want with Apple ’s Image Capture and iPhoto , which are let in with your Mac .
The best software for the budget
We ’ve now spend $ 1,415 of the budget , which leaves no elbow room for a copy of Microsoft Office . Although I feel that the real matter offers distinct advan - tages over other options , the free , open - sourceNeoOfficeis a reasonable via media for many masses .
Based on the OpenOffice.org government agency rooms , NeoOffice does n’t require that you launch the X11 X Window System for it to work ( a requirement for Mac users run OpenOffice ) . NeoOffice spread nearly all Office documents you throw at it , include Word files and Excel spreadsheets ( relieve for some created by the Windows - specific Microsoft Office 2007 ) , and , for the most part , maintains the original papers ’s look - and - feel . ( PowerPoint presentations may lose embedded medium , and cus - tom bullets may appear as rummy characters , for example ) . you may also store your NeoOffice documents in native Microsoft Office formats so that others can open them .
Media SoftwareEvery new Mac let in a devoid copy of Apple ’s iLife multimedia cortege , and with only $ 85 left in your budget , free is just about what you’re able to give . luckily , iLife works great . From making movies to incinerate those movies to DVD , mastermind your photos and music , create attractive World Wide Web sites , and making music , iLife has you breed .
AppleWorks was once roll up with many new Macs , but Apple has set its easy - does - it office suite adrift . NeoOffice covers most of AppleWorks ’ capableness — including a drawing component — but nothing in NeoOffice or bundled with the Mac allows you to loose your inner artist . To do so , you need a good paint programme , and the best bargain - cellar Mac painting program currently available is Ambient Design ’s $ 20ArtRage 2 . ArtRage 2 is a natural media picture program , extend peter that emulate paint , chalk , pen , wax crayon , and airbrush set in an nonrational interface . Although a house painting program may seem out of sync with a Mac mean for work , contain in creative thinker that with piddling effort a good paint program can facilitate you raise business cards , flyers , reports , and presentations .
If you ’d care to save $ 20 , go with ArtRage 2 Free . Unlike with the full version , ArtRage 2 Free does n’t support layers , nor do you get the full complement of tool — no airbrush or rouge crimper , for example . However , even without these capabilities , it ’s a useful painting software , and you ca n’t beat the price .
Finance SoftwareFor handling the cash in hand of the average home office , Intuit’sQuicken Mac 2007 ( ) is the manner to go . Although its list price is $ 70 , we found that Costco sells it online for just $ 50 .
Adding it up
You ’ve spent a total of $ 1,485 . What to do with the remaining $ 15 ? There are any number of worthwhile and inexpensive shareware utilities that merit your aid , but in club to put them to good use , you need the retain use of goods and services of your hands , wrists , and arms .
To facilitate keep those parts of your consistence in operational order , we ’ll use up much of the rest with the BelkinWaveRest Gel Mouse Pad . Available for just $ 10 , the pad will help keep your computer mouse hand more well-heeled .
honest , it would be wise to pocket the money you have left . But consider this : There ’s a world of heavy software for which the author asks nothing but a belittled contribution . Visit MacUpdate or VersionTracker.com , find something “ free ” that you love , and place the author your $ 5 .
Bargain office shopping list
The middle-of-the-road office
If you feel pinched by a $ 1,500 budget but are n’t uncoerced to fully fling start the fiscal floodgates , you ’re looking at the middle - of - the - road post — one that cost no more than $ 3,000 . With this budget , you’re able to get a more - powerful data processor .
The iMac was once the inexpensive “ Mac for the rest period of us , ” but it has turned from a moderate all - in - one performer into nigh on a desktop powerhouse . For this budget , I recommend the $ 1,499 2.16GHz20 - inch iMac Core 2 Duo ( ) .
The iMac offers many of the same benefit found in the 17 - in iMac I recommend for the buy bureau — a built - in iSight camera , a built - in monitor , built - in speaker unit , AirPort and Bluetooth , an 8x double - layer SuperDrive , 1 GB of RAM , and the ATI Radeon X1600 graphic card ( which you could elevate from 128 megabyte of SDRAM to 256 MB for an additional $ 75 ) . When you spend that spare $ 300 , you gain a slightly fast Core 2 duet C.P.U. , more screen real estate ( with a resolution of 1,680 by 1,050 pixel versus the 17 - incher ’s 1,440 by 900 ) , and a 250 GB intemperate drive .
In Search of Screen SpaceWhy not trade in down or up ? Even a 20 - inch showing can be a small cramped , in particular if you cultivate with declamatory spreadsheet or use applications that include hatful of palettes . If your work require only more covert substantial estate — not a more expansive arduous drive — you might regard rejiggering our budget to accommodate a second monitor . In that case , I ’d add Apple ’s $ 19 Mini - DVI to DVI Adapter and Dell ’s UltraSharp 2007FP20 - inch Black Flat Panel Monitor . It ’s undimmed and sharp , offers multiple telecasting input ( including VGA , S - Video , and composite remark ) , and is cheap ( it cost around $ 400 ) . NEC and ViewSonic also make commodity - looking , although somewhat more expensive , LCD monitor .
If your desk is too small to admit two monitors , the $ 1,999 2.16GHz24 - in iMac Core 2 Duo ( ) is another option . But you ’d eat up two - thirds of your budget just to profit another four inches of reminder blank and a faster graphics identity card , Nvidia ’s GeForce 7300 . I can imagine of good employment for the money , such as sticking with the 20 - inch iMac and add another gigabyte of RAM — an disbursal of $ 175 if you do it through Apple .
Again , you may actuallysavemoney these Day by get your random-access memory preinstalled . For example , when I compared Apple ’s RAM prices with those ofCrucial , a pop RAM marketer , Apple ’s prices were lower at imperativeness clock time . That extra GiB of RAM make your iMac a picayune zippier by allowing the computer to expend RAM rather than repair to practical memory , which is deadening because it uses the hard ride .
With a middle - of - the - route budget , you’re able to think outside the box — specifically , the box that make your Mac . supererogatory storage and alternate input devices will enhance your computer science environment .
Extra StorageAn external gruelling driving supply a fast and well-off - to - memory access destination for your backup files . You ’ll ask such a drive to utilize Time Machine , the slick - look backup utility build into the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 ( Leopard ) . But since all Mac users should back up important information , you’re able to put that crusade to good use mighty now .
OWC ’s $ 250 500 GB Mercury Elite - AL800 Pro FireWire 800/400includes a 7,200 - rpm drive and both FireWire 400 and 800 embrasure ( but no USB 2.0 port ) . Better yet , Prosoft Engineering’sData Backup ( ) is bundled with the drive , save you the cost of purchasing a separate utility .
Input DevicesYou’ve got a little money to bite and , because you do , there ’s no reason to settle for the special Mighty Mouse that Apple includes with your iMac . A more various mouse can be had in the form of Logitech’sMX Revolution Mouse ( ) , which I launch for $ 80 at both Costco.com and Amazon.com . This five - push button , two scroll - steering wheel cordless mouse is extremely configurable , precise , and — in my lowly opinion — comfortable .
A Pair of PrintersSometimes you have to give a little to get a lot . In this case , you ’ll give a small more money for the hardware and , down the route , save a luck on consumables by purchasing a multifunction printer , such as HP ’s LaserJet 3055 ( price at $ 425 at Amazon.com ) , that incorporates a monochrome optical maser printer rather than a color ink - jet-propelled plane . printing machine manufacturer sell their ink - jet printers for very lilliputian money , knowing that they ’ll make it up in the expensive ink these printing machine require . So , if you primarily print disastrous - and - white documents , you ’re better off choosing a optical maser printer .
In plus to a laser pressman , this HP multifunction pressman include a flatbed scanner , a copier , and a facsimile machine machine . The printer comes standard with a 250 - sheet remark tray and a 50 - bed sheet automatic papers self-feeder . It can connect to a meshing over Ethernet . And you may find compatible toner cartridges for under $ 25 .
What the HP LaserJet 3055 lacks is photo impression , and most home offices require it . Because of its price and the quality of the photographic print it produces , we recommend HP ’s Photosmart D7360 ( which cost $ 134 on Amazon.com ) . Although it ’s not the fastest photo ink - jet printer in the humans , the D7360 include separate ink cartridges , stomach a large touch - screen LCD , and accepts a variety of memory cards .
If you routinely work with documents created by both the Mac and Windows versions of Microsoft Office and need complete compatibility with those documents , you should persist the genuine thing — Microsoft Office 2004 . Unlike with NeoOffice , you wo n’t run into format problems and PowerPoint presentations wo n’t lose their embed media . Our one regret is that Microsoft Office 2008 — a fully Universal variation of the omnipresent office entourage — won’t ship until the lat - ter half of 2007 . It seems a shame to drop $ 300 ( the Amazon.com price ) for Office 2004 with a Modern version coming so soon . On the other hand , Microsoft Office 2004 runs perfectly well under Apple ’s Rosetta , and you may be glad enough with its functioning that you see no need to raise to the next version . Also , if you have a small-scale child in school or your teammate is a teacher , you modify for the Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2004 , which costs just $ 130 at Amazon.com ( and may be even less expensive at the school bookstore ) .
Media SoftwareYes , Apple ’s destitute iLife and the $ 20 ArtRage 2 are not only good enough for the bargain government agency , they ’re good enough for people with a midlevel budget .
Finance SoftwareYou need to track expense just as closely as other home - office dwellers do . Quicken Mac 2007 ( $ 50 from Costco.com ) is an inexpensive fashion to do it .
You ’ve spent $ 3,003 and are just a bit over budget . Thankfully , because you ’re at home , it should take only a few minutes to excavate beneath the sofa cushions and make up the difference .
Middle-of-the-road office shopping list
The luxury office
Ah , lastly — the chance to spread your wing and live a little . Although you do n’t precisely have money to burn , $ 6,000 is enough to buy some mighty fine tool .
For the sumptuousness office , I commend starting with the top - of - the - line2.33GHz 15 - inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo ( ) . Yes , I can listen the belly laugh from here : “ But we ’ve get the dough for the fastest Mac made!”Just because youcanbuy a Mac Pro does n’t think of that youshould .
The 15 - column inch MacBook Pro costs the same as a pedigree Mac Pro—$2,499 . But consider what you get : a work up - in iSight camera , AirPort and Bluetooth , 2 GB of RAM , a 120 GB heavy driving force , the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphic bill with 256 Bachelor of Medicine of SDRAM , a smart exhibit ( flat or glossy ) , and , most importantly for many of us , portability . Why be chained to your desk when you could take your place anywhere ? ( For exceptions , see “ When a Laptop Wo n’t Do . ” below )
forked your horizons by adding Dell ’s $ 674 UltraSharp 2407WFP 24 - column inch monitor . Put your MacBook on a stack of account book next to the monitor . Or , if you ’re willing to spend the money , buy a stand , such as Griffin Technology ’s $ 40Elevator .
Like your cousin with the $ 3,000 budget , you ’ve fix money to throw at information processing system peripheral .
Extra StorageBecause you may afford it , we ’re going to merchandise up to OWC ’s $ 270500 GB Mercury Elite - AL Pro FireWire 800/400+USB2 . This drive includes ProSoft ’s Data Backup for Mac OS X. It also has a USB 2.0 port , which is handy because one day you may wish to devote your MacBook ’s FireWire ports to another gadget . Also , Intel - based Macs can boot from a properly configured ( and compatible , as this one is ) USB 2.0 drive .
Input DevicesI recommend wireless input devices for you . The $ 59 AppleWireless Keyboard ( ) uses Bluetooth , has a solid feel , responds nearly as well as a wired keyboard , and offers good barrage life . I also advocate Logitech ’s $ 80 MX Revolution Mouse .
Printers and a Fax MachineLike our midway - of - the - route office , the sumptuousness agency will carry two impress devices . For starters , I choose the HP LaserJet 1320 , which cost $ 400 at pcconnection.com . The LaserJet 1320 extend 1,200 - dpi quality , automatic two - sided duplex house impression ; a speed of up to 22 ppm ; and 16 MB of memory .
I like Canon ’s $ 380Pixma MP960 multifunction printer ( ) for its solid print timbre , large LCD , build up - in duplex printing , build - in transparence scanning , declamatory paper capacity , and ease of economic consumption . This six - color photo ink - jet printer put up two newspaper trays , print over Bluetooth , and two computer storage - carte slots and a PictBridge embrasure for printing directly from your digital tv camera .
The Pixma MP960 does n’t include a fax machine . thrust $ 75 of your budget at a facsimile automobile that strikes your phantasy .
A Message CenterNothing says “ professional office ” like a sophisticated answering serve that channel ring to mailboxes , demands that the caller-out voyage through a hierarchal phone Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree system , and routes call option free-base on the identity of the caller . Thankfully , you could do all this with Parliant ’s $ 170PhoneValet Message Center 5 .
Two for the RoadNo matter how portable your MacBook may be , it ’s no equal for a key drive that you may slip into your pocket . you may bump Kingston Technology’sDataTraveler 2 GB USB Driveon Amazon.com for a short $ 25 .
And lest we forget , when you take your MacBook Pro on the route , Brenthaven ’s $ 80Leather Edge II calamitous laptop caseshows that you mean business .
In lawsuit my recommending a laptop computer did n’t sufficiently inspire your ire , try this : Run window on your Mac .
My system of logic plays out this way : If your job requires that you deal with documents generate by Windows microcomputer , it make mother wit to prevail the operating arrangement and version of Office that created them . The easy and least expensive way to do this is to buy Microsoft Office Standard 2007 ( $ 342 from Costco.com ) and then get your MacBook Pro fromMacMall , withParallels Desktop for Mac ( ) and Microsoft Windows Vista Business Edition preinstalled , for a total of $ 2,799 . This is a savings of $ 44 versus buying the software yourself . And not only do you save money , you ’re spared the scuffle of installing and configuring everything . Be aware that the Better Business Bureau impart PC Mall ( owner of MacMall ) only an average CCC rating .
Office AdditionsAlso on our tilt is the $ 70 iWork . I do n’t care which version of PowerPoint you practice , Keynote is still the better demonstration app .
Media SoftwareWith Apple ’s free iLife and the $ 20 ArtRage 2 at your disposal , you may create and edit music , photos , picture , and graphic .
Troubleshooting TeamNew for the Luxury office is a utility that helps see to it that your severely - won data remains intact . Alsoft’sDiskWarrior 4()—$95 at Amazon.com — can re - create the low - level directory that make your Mac check .
ultimately , when you ’re carrying around — and possibly dropping — a laptop , Apple ’s three - class extended warranty can give you some peace of mind ; $ 349 gets you theAppleCare Protection Planfor a MacBook Pro .
supererogatory GoodiesThe luxury role need Quicken Mac 2007 ( $ 50 from Costco.com ) , just as our other berth have . To round out your setup even more , impart C - Command ’s SpamSieve ( $ 30 ) . It ’s the well spam - separate out utility around . For launching applications via typecast crosscut , get Objective Development ’s $ 20LaunchBar 4.1 ( ) . ( mention that the $ 20 price is for the Home User license . )
You ’ve expend $ 5,988 and have $ 12 left . Treat yourself to a classic movie and television set episode ( $ 10 and $ 2 , respectively ) from the iTunes Store . You merit it .
Luxury office shopping list
When a laptop won’t do
If you ’re in the multimedia system commercial enterprise and use your Mac to lick with audio , nontextual matter , and video files , the MacBook Pro may not be the best pick for you . You actually want the $ 2,4992.66GHz Mac Pro ( ) , for its Dual Core Intel Xeon processor and abundant capability for storage ( up to 3 TB ) . Your software appreciate as much RAM as you could feed them ( the Mac Pro bear up to 16 GB ) . Also , the Mac Pro ’s three PCI Express slots can accommodate the video recording and audio menu your business might need . If so , buy a Mac Pro with my blessing . Otherwise , I struggle that the Mac Pro is overkill — and nonportable overkill at that .
