Text Box: Carst Consulting Newsletter

Text Box: What’s the best way to arrange your office setup?  How do you make sure the devices you use every day are readily available?  How do you hide that rat’s nest of wires that exists if you don’t have a wireless setup? Here are some hints that can make your office neater and more convenient to use. Begin by planning your work space.  Think about arranging it logically.  How often do you use each of your devices?  Where can they can be stored when not in use?

Text Box: Organize your workspace to improve efficiency.

Text Box: Setting up your computer and peripherals

Text Box: Volume 1, Issue 5, May 9, 2005

Text Box: Surge Protectors vs. ups battery backups

Text Box: What’s the difference between surge protectors and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) battery backups?   Surge protectors have been around since the beginning of the PC era.  They protect your computer and peripherals from power surges or outages that may damage your equipment.  Having a surge protector was a necessity.   Today’s programs are much more sensitive to power outages.  Instead of immediately writing information to your hard disk, they’ll often store data in random access memory where it will be lost in the event of a power failure.  That’s why we recommend that you use a UPS battery backup if you store essential business documents and data on your computer.  A UPS battery backup will provide enough power so you can shut down the computer in an orderly manner, saving all essential data when and if a power failure occurs.  If the power failure lasts more than a few minutes, the UPS will force a shutdown of the computer, without you even being there.

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Text Box: Are surge protectors enough to protect our computers?

Text Box: With this issue, I am changing the format of the newsletter to a more colorful and perhaps more interesting one. Today’s content includes two articles: setting up your computer and peripherals plus surge protectors vs. UPS battery backups. In the Spotlight column, I’ll give you tips about computers or programs.  I hope you find the information useful.

Text Box: Carst Consulting Newsletter changes format

Text Box: Here is a keyboard shortcut when using Windows. To display the desktop without closing programs <Windows + D> minimizes all windows.  Repeating this reopens them.

Text Box: Newsletter Spotlight Text Box: Your work space should start out as a clean desk, work shelf or other uncluttered area in your office or apartment. Electrical outlets, phone wires, and the cable connection for Internet access if you use a cable modem should be within 5 feet of your workspace.  Connect a power strip or UPS battery backup device to the electrical outlet.  (See the other story for the differences between power strips and UPS battery backups.) If you are building a complex office, you may need to have more than one power strip.  A computer, monitor and LaserJet printer will use up most of the capacity of less expensive or older power strips.  You may want to replace or supplement these strips with new ones.  Buy a power strip that has connections spaced out for the transformer type power connectors used on many devices such as cable modem, network hubs and some inkjet printers. Place your CPU (the Box) below the desktop or work shelf, but reachable from your sitting position so you can insert CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, etc. as necessary. Put your monitor on the desktop, more or less directly in front of your chair.  It should be raised to a position so that your eyes are at the same level as the top of the screen. Have your keyboard below the screen, at a level that allows the elbows to be close to 90°. Your mouse should be at the same level as and next to the keyboard on a non-slip surface so that you do not have to reach out for it.  It can be located on the side of the keyboard that is most natural for you to use the mouse; right side for right-handers, left side for left-handers. You should be able to reach the paper tray of your printer without stretching,  but you don’t have to have it in direct eyesight.  I built a shelf above my computer desk and have the printer located there.  Many people put their printers under the desk.  A caveat is that you need to be aware of the space that you will need to replace print cartridges in the printer. Put your speakers to the side of and slightly behind the monitor. While it’s best to place your scanner, camera, Zip Drive, PDA, and other devices that you use infrequently out of the way, it’s convenient to have them close by when you’re actively using them.  I have built additional shelves directly above my desk to store these devices when not in use, but I’ve wired them to be active.  I leave enough slack in the wires so they can be quickly and easily moved to an accessible position on the desk when I need them. As for the wires, the best way to handle them is to put a collar on the wires – literally.  My wire-tamers are Velcro strips that stick to themselves as they collar the wires and are reusable.  These are available in office supply and computer stores. My desk is 2” from the wall so that all the wires can be easily threaded down behind it.  The power cords and connectors all go down from the desk top to the floor level, where they connect to the computer, UPS battery backup and/or power strip. When I set up an office, I put all the equipment in place first and then start connecting the wires.  I connect the wires for the monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse.  I use a Velcro strip to tie them into a neat run from the desktop to the computer CPU and UPS unit.  Then I make the connections to the other equipment, again putting Velcro on the wires after they are more or less in place. If you have a built-in counter, with no space behind it, you will need to have 2 – 2½” holes drilled to thread the various wires down through.  One hole should be directly behind the monitor.  The other should be located to the side that most of your equipment will be located. Many computer desks are sold today.  Be careful that you get one that is large enough for all of the equipment you plan to use with space left over for media (books, disks, tapes, etc.) to be stored for easy access. What about wireless? Wireless keyboards and mice can keep your desktop less cluttered and are relatively inexpensive.  Wireless speakers are available, but they still need a power cord or frequent battery replacement.  Wireless networking can reduce the need for wires to run around your office from one computer to another. There are even wireless connectors for the printers and screens, but I have not had good luck with these and they remain rather expensive options. We’ll continue this discussion in our next newsletter as we go over the various types of power cords, ports and types of connectors.  Till then, enjoy spring and let me know what you think of my new newsletter format.

Text Box: Workstation setup (Continued from above)

Text Box: Continue reading this article below.