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The office chair you choose plays a big role in your workday. We often give them little thought, until they break. But minute by minute, hour by hour, an office chair can help or hinder your work. Choose one that isn’t right for your particular needs and you will find yourself constantly irritated, even if you’re not fully aware of it.

Physical construction is the most basic level of a good office chair. It needs to be solidly built and the right size for you. It has to have the proper cushioning and good material. But that is only the beginning.

A good chair will adjust easily through a wide range of heights and angles to conform to your body and style. Have you ever seen an office chair where adjusting the height becomes an Olympic sport? Some designs require you to have the strength of an athlete just to raise the level an inch. Others have the opposite problem, popping up or down at the slightest touch of the lever. Avoid them.

Contemporary office chair designs will provide excellent support to the lower back. They’ll allow you to adjust the height and sometimes even the angle of the arm rests. That’s key to ensuring that you get the proper orientation to the desk and keyboard. You can then work in comfort, avoid long term health problems, and get more done in a day.

Depending on the size of your office, though, you may need more than just desk chairs for you and your partner, staff or co-workers. If you have clients or a reception area, good supplemental seating is a must. In Japan or China, what you offer your guests says a lot about how you regard them. Westerners may place less emphasis on it, but the effect is still there, if more subtle. Mesh chairs or bungee chairs are both appreciated by everyone.

The design of the primary office chair or supplemental seating can also say a lot about the business owner. We’ve all seen scenes in films of highly stylish law offices, for example. The seating isn’t just a matter of impressing clients, as important as that may be. A good design presents an image that goes beyond vanity. It establishes an air of competence, good design sense and more that can mean the difference between getting the contract or not.

Fortunately, there are hundreds of models on the market that fulfill both roles - beauty and function - very nicely. A leather-covered office chair with a cherry wood base is stylish. Wheels that never wear out with easy to reach controls make it highly utilitarian. An ergonomic chair with a rachet back adjustment puts support at just the right height for you. Great padding makes it comfortable. Stylish fabric makes it a joy to use.

Many small business owners have a tendency to resist spending on a fine chair. That’s understandable. Tight budgets are one key to success. But given the years of use and the effect a good office chair has on the decor it pays to spend a little more to get a lot more. After all, buying ugly, too-tight shoes isn’t for you. You’ll get as much use out of a good office chair as any footware.

Just as with TVs and monitors, the office projector has undergone a revolution over the past few years. What once cost $1500 or more is now only $500. At the same time, the quality and features have expanded radically.

Projectors have benefited from the same advances as monitors and TVs. While, unlike monitors and TVs, CRTs are often still the highest quality possible, LCD projectors are now an outstanding option. When considering one, look for many of the same features as you would in a monitor.

Higher resolution is generally better. A standard SVGA projector that is capable of only 800 x 600 pixels may do for some presentations. But good graphics and especially dynamic video demand better. XGA (1024 by 768) may be acceptable, but WXGA (1280 x 800) is better especially if your presentations integrate moving video with still images and PowerPoint slides. Truly high end projectors are essentially HDTV sets in miniature and offer full 1080p digital output.

Like HDTV, projectors can now show 16:9 aspect ratio images. That’s the widescreen look once limited to theaters but now a standard feature of every digital TV. The older ratio of 4:3 (the common TV picture for decades) is still around, but fading. You might have to pay a little more for this feature, though, and whether the extra cost is justified is a personal decision.

But the most exciting difference in projectors today is their newly-gained ability to integrate image types. For decades, projecting a slide, whether physical or digital from a laptop, was the only option. Now, projectors can show PowerPoint slides, streaming video and text from an Internet website. In short, they’re much more like laptops themselves.

Naturally, those features come at a price. But with prices dropping all the time, that ability will soon be standard. Also, studies show that this style of presentation leads to better recall by viewers. Give them text backed by images and video with sound and you’ve got a winner.

Also, look for models that have short-throw technology. They allow you to set the projector much closer to the screen and still have no image distortion. That can be very useful for presentations in small rooms. The machine can sit at distances as short as three feet and still project a quality 80-inch image. Older technology requires six to eight feet.

Some standard criteria still apply, though.

All projectors are rated in terms of brightness. Manufacturers have standardized and will report the figure in lumens. A higher number is better.

A rating of 1000-1500 lumens will be adequate for small offices that are projecting images in a moderately dark room. Higher numbers are better for both image quality and to allow presentations in larger or lighter rooms. A figure of 2000-3000 lumens is needed for those where you can’t draw the shades but still want to see the images clearly.

That can be really important when you want the audience to be able to take notes. It also helps in a situation in which people might be tempted to start conversations or become distracted when the lights are turned down.

Don’t forget about other common convenience features, either, such as weight. An ultra-portable projector might weigh in at under 3 lbs. One that could still be used on a road trip might be as much as 7 lbs, but could deliver a better picture.

It’s a whole new world in office projectors. Explore it.

Epson PowerLite 77c 2200 Lumen Multimedia Projector

Amazon Price:
Customer Reviews:
» I have been using this projector now for more than 10 months for watching movies. Am generally pleased with bright image quality. However, I notice that red color has some refresh rate problem. Bright red ...
Epson S5 2000 Lumen 3LCD Multimedia Projector
Amazon Price:
Customer Reviews:
» Needed a projector to present a slide show at my daughters graduation dinner, looked at renting one and at $100 a pop decided to take a chance on this. Easy set up and great projection! Have already used...
Atdec TH-WH-PJ-FM Telehook Universal Projector Flush Mount
Amazon Price: $52.99
Customer Reviews:
» I am very Pleased with this Universal Projector Flush Mount. especially the additional spare parts it comes with, one can use just about any Projector with it.

» Universal, easy to install and qui...

There are several first-rate monitor vendors. But the selection process has changed over the past few years. Today, the first task is to choose the desired monitor type - CRT, LCD or plasma.

Until recently, all but those with a lot of spare cash were limited to CRT monitors. This type has a tube similar to TVs that are also now going out of style. They are still available and if your overriding goal is to get a monitor for the absolute lowest price, this is the way to go. But keep in mind the obvious: they are heavier and take up more desk space. What is not so obvious is that they no longer tend to be the highest picture quality available.

CRTs stayed around for a while because LCD and plasma monitors were much more expensive and often lower quality. Prices have changed dramatically over the past three years and the quality of a flat panel is now unmatched by all but esoteric CRTs.

Flat panel monitors divide into two types, just as they do for TVs: LCD or plasma. Just as with the TV technology that they closely resemble (in fact, they are sometimes interchangeable), each has its pros and cons, depending on the application.

Prices shift among LCD and plasma, but the latter still tend to be a little more expensive for the highest quality monitor. That will change as time goes on, but it’s impossible to predict in which direction. For a while, LCDs were rising and plasma prices decreasing.

Fortunately, plasma monitors (and TVs) no longer suffer from burn-in as they did for the first few years of production. They can now safely display the same image for months on end without retaining any permanent image on the screen.

They offer very sharp images with outstanding blacks and well-saturated colors. That’s important for those who do a lot of graphics work where the highest possible image quality is critical. They can also display rapidly moving scenes with a little more accuracy than the average LCD monitor. That’s not so important for document handling, but for those who create or manipulate a lot of video it can be worth a little extra money.

LCDs are usually a little better in a bright room, which is one reason they tend to be the more popular choice in offices. They, too, can produce ultra-sharp images. Dollar for dollar they typically offer higher resolution than plasma.

Like plasma monitors, LCD monitors have evolved over the past few years. If you haven’t looked lately, you’ll find that for the same price as those of a few years back the contrast ratio is better. Figures of 1000:1 or better are now common. The higher the better. Also, they rarely have a problem today displaying fast moving video. A good LCD will now play rapid sports video without noticeable blur. Still, some less expensive models (like their TV counterparts) are prone to drop a pixel here and there after a year or two. Exercise caution by looking on forums and at reviews for a particular one you’re considering.

Both types will offer the same light weight and slim outline, but each model differs in extras that can be nice to have. That may include such things as tilt angle, the ease with which controls are used and other factors. To some who may have to adjust them often, having good extras can definitely be worth a little extra money. At minimum, you want a monitor that is fast, displays high contrast and saturated colors, and capable of high resolution.

Acer V223-WBD 22" Widescreen TFT LCD Monitor (Black)

Amazon Price: $169.00
Customer Reviews:
» I got my monitor today and hooked it up. I got a black screen. Nothing else. I undid it and hooked up my 15" monitor and went to the acer website. The CD that comes with it did nothing but flicker i...
Samsung Touch Of Color T200HD 20-inch LCD HDTV Monitor
Amazon Price: $299.00
Customer Reviews:
» This TV has really a great HD picture, outstanding contrast ratio for the price great for my small room. The only problem is that the internal speakers sound like a $1 store radio... Plan on buyin...
Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 26-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor
Amazon Price:
Customer Reviews:
» I got it a month ago and had it working within a few minutes with both an antenna and cable hookup. Going through all the setup to get the best quality was more time consuming. Good picture and sound.
We u...

Today, few choices are more important than the personal computers you select for the office. Whether you favor Apple or Dell or some other hardware vendor, whether your preference is for the Mac OS, Windows or Linux there are some common elements that run across any good system.

Cost is clearly the first thing that anyone will consider. We’d all like to have $10,000 to spend on every computer in the office. With that kind of money you could buy the absolute best around. But rarely is that justified for even a single personal machine, much less every computer in the office.

The specific amount is less the idea here, though, than the principle: get what you pay for, but pay for what you need. We’re all tempted to cut corners. Saving money is critical in any business, especially when starting out. But trimming the computer budget too tightly will cost you productivity all day, every day for the useful life of the machine.

It is possible to spend too much on a machine even when you think you’re getting something for that money. ‘Too much’, doesn’t mean here not getting a good deal from a vendor. It means spending money for aspects that don’t give you any value.

One current Intel processor that runs at 3.16 GHz clock speed, for example, sells for several hundred dollars more than the 3.0 GHz model. The other aspects of the two processors are almost identical. The higher number does not, in fact, mean the machine will be 5% faster. Even if the price were only 1% higher you would still be spending money unwisely. You will rarely notice the difference. There are many aspects to computer performance and this small extra speed will go unnoticed.

So, lesson one is that if you learn a little bit about what makes for good computer performance then you can avoid spending money to get essentially nothing in return. No need to be an expert yourself though it never hurts. But be sure to ask some probing questions or get someone to advise you.

Post-sales support can be equally important. No major hardware manufacturer today gives stellar post-sales support. They simply have too many customers to make it feasible to answer all the questions that come up. Most will send replacements parts or a repair person in a reasonable amount of time for machines that actually break down within the warranty period. But you should not expect much more.

That means it can be worthwhile (depending on your personal comfort level with computers and other circumstances) to purchase indirectly. Many resellers offer a great value by providing increased phone and email support, rapid on-site repair services and other value-adds if you purchase from them instead. They can do this because they have a smaller customer base, often are closer to the customer and are usually much better trained than the customer service staffs at major corporations.

Lesson two, then, is to consider how important for you is it to have rapid, reliable, knowledgeable help when something goes wrong. Hardware (and even, to a large extent, software) is very solid these days. If, when you need help you need it now and need it badly, it can easily be worth the extra 10-15% you might pay for a system.

The old saying ‘penny wise and pound foolish’ is an enduring truth, never more so than when it comes to choosing a desktop computer. For most offices today, it forms the core of a person’s productivity. It’s worthwhile to put a little extra thought into choosing one.

Iomega Prestige 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34270

Amazon Price: $79.99
Customer Reviews:
» We were running out of space on our desktop PC with many more movies in line to go in it. I decided to try an external Hard Drive and could not pass up the price and size of this on.

We received it ...
Olympus 2 GB xD Picture Card Type M 202170
Amazon Price: $21.97
Customer Reviews:
» This little memory card was an excellent price, and is just as advertised. Much cheaper to purchase on-line than at home. Arrived very fast, and has given me no problems. Thanks!

» Great product...
Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34275
Amazon Price: $132.99
Customer Reviews:
» I have (had) a 300+ LaCie that's been giving me "issues" and decided to replace it with this drive. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of this drive - about half the size, or better than the 300...

The two basic choices for an office printer today are the inkjet type or the laser printer. Both, in turn, are available in either color or black and white printing styles. Which is best for you?

Just as with computer monitors, the office printer has changed dramatically over the past few years. Lasers, once very expensive, have seen a sharp decline in price. Inkjets are now often given away with other purchases. But the stated purchase price isn’t the only figure you want to consider. Running cost and usable lifetime are equally important, for they determine the true cost over the long run.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers function by shooting a small jet of fast-drying ink from a cartridge onto paper. They can produce stellar output, sometimes almost indistinguishable from a photograph made from a film negative printed on special paper. Today, they’re low cost to purchase (often less than $50) and may last as long as several years.

But, they do have some drawbacks.

Inkjet printers are cheap, but - as the marketing adage goes, give away the razor and sell the blades - the cartridges can add up. A basic four-color inkjet cartridge (black and 3-primary colors that combine to make a range of tones) runs anywhere from $20-$40 or more. If you only print a few pages per day, the cost per sheet may be as low as 10 cents. But it will generally range between 25-50 cents per page. Still, that’s not a huge expense at small volumes.

But, for large volumes, the cost of cartridges can balloon into something substantial before you know it. Since they only last a few hundred pages, you may have to replace one often. Even a black-only inkjet cartridge, which might be as low as $10-$15, can last only as long as 400 pages for average documents with no graphics.

A color inkjet cartridge will often last less than half that and the cartridges are double or more the price of just black. Full color documents with complex graphics can consume a color cartridge in a few dozen pages.

The most serious drawback, though, comes in at ultra-low volumes. If you print a document only occasionally, the cartridge may not work at all after a while. The ink at the nozzles has a tendency to dry out, making printing impossible if the printer sits unused for a few weeks.

Laser Printers

The initial purchase price of laser printers is typically higher. But sometimes the total cost difference is minimal depending on your use.

A quality black and white laser printer can be purchased for under $100. Desktop color laser printers may go anywhere from $200 or higher. A high output laser printer can be as high as a few thousand dollars.

Cartridges are more expensive, too. A black and white toner cartridge starts at about $40 and may be as much as $100. Color cartridges are $150-$200. However, they may print as much as 3,000 pages before running out, so the cost per page is typically much less than with inkjets.

Depending on the type of document (and the cartridge cost) 2 cents per page is achievable. The average for printing a page is in the 10-25 cent range for a color laser printer. In part, the higher price is due to the increased amount of graphics that tend to appear on a color page.

A good laser printer can reliably print many thousands of pages, producing several hundred to a thousand or more per day for years before wearing out. They also don’t suffer the same low-volume problem as inkjets. Laser toner can sit unused for months and still print a clean, crisp page on demand.

Choose according to your personal circumstances, but keep in mind the longer-term costs.

Sandisk SDSDB-4096-A11 4 GB Secure Digital High Capacity Flash Card

Amazon Price:
Customer Reviews:
» This card is very nice, I get at least 700 pictures on this card. Love it.

» This item was defective and thinking to call the Amazon to get money back or replace the product.

» Not much you can say abo...
HP PhotoSmart C4480 All-in-One Printer (Q8388A)
Amazon Price: $99.99
Customer Reviews:
» I just bought this cyber monday for $19.99.It came yesterday,which was wednesday.It took lesS than a half hour to set it up.It is very user friendly and prints great pictures.

» Easy set up with Wi...
LaCie Hard Disk 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, Design by Neil Poulton 301304U
Amazon Price: $119.99
Customer Reviews:
» I bought this for Dish DVR. I tell you, it is very hard to find a good drive for Dish that will go into powersave when inactive. This drives power-save does not work appear to work with Dish. But...

There are as many shredding machine models today as there are users with different needs. You can choose from a strip or cross-cut style. You have a choice of low or high volume models. Some come with a built-in container, others simply hang over the receptacle next to the desk. Sorting out all these choices can be like… well, putting together shredded documents.

At the lower end of the scale are strip cutters. They tend to be cheaper and have fewer features. With these, you just feed in a sheet through an opening (called ‘the throat’) and the shredder spits out narrow strips of paper. But even here there are several options.

Look for models that have a throat wide enough to accommodate all the paper widths you might need to shred. Don’t limit your research to one that only slices 8 1/2 x 11 sheets. There will be times you need to shred large quantities of larger sizes. Having a small model will force you to spend more time tearing or folding sheets to fit than is worth it.

Next, think about your potential volume. Will you be shredding a few sheets per day or dozens? Most personal shredders are rated for 100-150 sheets per day. But like personal printers, the ratings are usually stated for a brand new or perfectly maintained machine. An office shredder, especially one used by multiple people, will see more action.

Shredders, like printers, are mechanical. Parts wear and blades get dull. Before long, the shredder will slice only half its rated capacity. Buy a little higher capacity than you think you’ll need.

Shredding capacity can also refer to the number of simultaneous sheets the machine will accept. Don’t waste your time feeding one or two sheets into the shredder on those larger jobs. Buy a machine that can shred several sheets at the same time without jamming or dulling the blades.

In this area, too, capacity is often overstated. A rating of 6-8 sheets is realistically only 4-5 after a few months of use, depending on paper type. Twenty-four bond paper is thicker than 20 bond. Take that into account.

To deal with possible identity theft, shredder models are available in a variety of cutting patterns.

Strip widths vary from 1/8-1/2 inch on most models. The narrower the strip the more secure the result. That’s assuming strips are cut perpendicular to the line of type. Strips cut parallel to sentences are very easy to re-assemble. Most people don’t want to have to pay too much attention to the way they feed paper and even vertical strips can still be put back together. Cross-cut shredders solve that problem.

Cross-cut shredders cut paper horizontally and vertically in the same pass. You feed the paper normally and two sets of blades slice the paper into small rectangles. They tend to cost a little more and require a little more maintenance, though. The blades require simple-to-do oiling from time to time. Also, since there are two sets of blades with more mechanical controls, the price is higher.

Whichever type you buy, look for models that have extra, convenient features.

Some have auto-paper sensors. When you feed the paper into the throat a sensor detects paper and automatically begins the shredding cycle. No need to press a button. Just feed and forget.

Low-maintenance shredders are handy, too. Some use a type of carbon dust commonly used to lubricate locks, rather than oil. Some have an oil reservoir that you fill once and can forget for months on end. Some will have a light indicating when more oil is needed.

Some models have a jam light and an automatic shut-off feature. A reverse feed option is helpful for clearing paper when jams do happen.

Some shredders provide only the shredding unit with no paper container. They’re designed to fit over a standard office wastebasket. Others have adapters that can fit over round or rectangular containers. You might want an in-built receptacle designed for the unit, though.

Which one is right for you depends on your volume and security needs and budget. Still, don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. In this age of identity and credit card theft, spending a little more up-front could save you big time in money and grief.

Fellowes 32057 Powershred P-57Cs Shredder

Amazon Price: $48.99
Customer Reviews:
» I love this product. I've had several cheap shredders from office supply stores and decided to splurge on this one, which really wasn't that much of a splurge, and it's worth every penny. It's relati...
Aurora AS810SD 8-Sheet Strip Cut Paper/CD/Credit Card Shredder with Basket
Amazon Price: $29.99
Customer Reviews:
» The shredder works great. Sometimes if you only put one sheet of paper in you have to move it around before the sensor picks it up. It does a great job shredding CD's and old credit cards. :)

» Fi...
Fellowes 32197 Powershred SB-97Cs Shredder
Amazon Price: $159.99
Customer Reviews:
» Recieved in undamaged condition in a timely manner.
Somewhat larger than expected so check dimensions.
Shreds multiple pages well without jamming.
Would recommend this product for general use of tho...

If you have an office printer, you may not need a copier at all. You simply print a few extra and you’re done. But for larger volumes, and in particular for copying documents that you didn’t create, a copier is indispensable.

But with so many types and brands on the market, which to choose?

Cost is a constraint for every business. For a plain black-and-white desktop copier you might outlay as little as $50. Larger color models may be as high as a few thousand dollars. But be sure to consider the long term costs, not just the initial purchase price. Lack of reliability increases downtime and repair costs that may have to be paid for.

Before you can even think about the price, though, you have to decide which type of copier best suits your needs. The choices are roughly: desktop, stand-alone or multi-function.

A desktop copier is about the size of a personal printer. Some personal printers have the ability to copy as well. Depending on the model, it may be single sheet feed or have a capacity of only a few pages. How much time do you want to spend feeding the copier? That depends on whether you copy a page occasionally, or feed the machine often. You will generally pay more for a larger capacity.

Desktop copiers also have a smaller output capacity, both in terms of speed and expected lifetime. In other words, they take longer to make an individual copy and they wear out sooner than larger models. That may suit you fine if your needs are small.

A larger or stand-alone copier often has a moving platen. That means that the copier doesn’t merely scan the page where you placed it and spit out the copy. It moves the original through the machine. More moving parts can lead to more repairs, depending on the reliability of the model.

But the risk of increased repairs is offset somewhat by the greatly expanded feature set of larger copier models.

They can typically copy much faster. A desktop copier may take as long as 30 seconds to copy a single page, a larger model might do the same job in two.

Also, larger models are able to produce many more copies more conveniently. A desktop copier will typically make no more than 30 copies or so before it has to be either filled with paper or emptied. A larger model will hold several hundred sheets and output almost as many before it requires attendance.

Check the monthly duty cycle and compare the rated outputs. This number is the expected maximum number of copies made per month. It’s related to the odds of the machine breaking down or wearing out sooner. Exceeding the rated output ups the odds of the copier requiring maintenance or replacement sooner rather than later.

Other features can be important, too, depending on the type of copying required.

Is the ability to collate important? That allows the copier to output multiple sets in the proper order when fed a multiple-page document. Is duplexing needed? That’s the ability to copy both sides in one pass without manually moving the input page or turning over the copied pages in the hopper. How important is it to be able to use different sizes or types of paper? You may need to copy legal-sized documents, photos at high quality or more.

In the end, consider also the hassle factor. The annoyance (not to mention lost productivity) of having an unreliable copier often far outweighs the money spent. Think ahead about which one to get, so you can get one you don’t have to think about afterward.

HP Deskjet F4280 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier (CB656A)

Amazon Price: Too low to display
Customer Reviews:
» The HP deskjet F4280 printer was purchased for my personal use & so far it is exactly what I need. I wanted a simple printer/scanner without a lot of extras; this describes the HP purch...
Brother TN350 Black Toner Cartridge
Amazon Price: $46.24
Customer Reviews:
» amazon sent a generic "ST-350" instead of the product in the picture. I purchased the authentic Brother product 1-2 years ago, same web page, no problems. This time, Amazon sent me a generic instead...
HP 74XL Black Inkjet Print Cartridge
Amazon Price: $30.26
Customer Reviews:
» I was unpleasantly suprised to find that the two items ordered has to come from different suppliers. This of course requires double shipping charges. One would think that the 74xl and 75xl ink cartr...

Central or personal, hard or soft?

There are dozens of quality fax machines on the market. But before considering any of them, there are decisions to make. Should you get one that attaches only to your computer, or is it better to have a central fax system? Do you even need fax hardware, or should you use software on your own computer?

Part of the decision hinges, of course, on whether you have more than one worker in your office. There’s less point in spending extra money or time to have a separate fax machine when only one person will ever use it.

But even if you are a one-person office, you still need to consider whether to invest in extra hardware at all. One alternative option is to use the equipment attached to your computer, along with software to send or receive faxes.

The pros and cons of this alternative are easy to list.

For sending a fax of a document stored on your computer, it’s ultra-easy to use your existing phone line or Internet connection to ship it anywhere. Most Internet connections allow you to integrate a phone line if you use it to send or receive faxes. Software and sites are not hard to find to use web-based software to send a fax almost as easily as you would an email.

But, for sending, that assumes you already have the document stored in the form of a file on your computer. If you have to fax a hardcopy document the situation can get a little more tricky. A scanner can easily overcome that problem, though. If you have one, attach it to your system and scan the document. Then you’re in business just as before.

Receiving faxes is as simple as plugging your phone line into the modem built-in to your system and configuring software that comes with the operating system. If you need a hardcopy, you can easily print any received fax on your personal printer.

If you don’t already have a scanner or perhaps even a printer, though, the decision requires a little extra thought. In those cases, it may well be worthwhile to buy a separate fax machine. Models that combine printer/scanner/fax/copier features are perfect for this purpose.

That leads to the decision of whether to centralize. For an office with only two computers on a small network, it may still be less expensive (and simpler) to attach the fax to one or the other. For an office network with multiple computers it often is simpler to centralize. That means using either a network-attached fax machine or a standalone model.

Building one central server that provides printing, faxing, Internet and other services requires only modest expertise today and a modest additional investment. It can be used as a backup server as well to store documents that are saved, sent and received.

For many, the use of a standalone fax machine (sometimes in a fax/copier/scanner combination) remains the best option, though. It’s ultra-easy to implement and use and requires only a phone line to operate. There’s no need to install, configure or learn any special software.

Which approach to faxing is best will vary, of course, with personal circumstances. Give some thought ahead of time to your solution and you’ll be free to give almost none to it later on.

Brother TN350 Black Toner Cartridge

Amazon Price: $46.24
Customer Reviews:
» amazon sent a generic "ST-350" instead of the product in the picture. I purchased the authentic Brother product 1-2 years ago, same web page, no problems. This time, Amazon sent me a generic instead...
HP Officejet 6310 All-in-One Printer/Fax/Scanner/Copier (Q8061A#ABA)
Amazon Price: Too low to display
Customer Reviews:
» I bought this printer over a year ago and LOVED it. Did everything it claimed to, etc. Then it all of a sudden it had a "Reset Power" error and all of the lights began to flash. I did ...
Canon Pixma MX700 Office All-On-One Inkjet Printer (2186B002)
Amazon Price: Too low to display
Customer Reviews:
» This is a beautifully made and operating product that I have not had the time to test all of it's capabilities. Like so many electronic products making their appearance, each generation i...

The phrase in the title does not, unfortunately for most of us, refer to a butler who brings coffee to your desk in the morning. It refers to a computer in the office that has a few special tasks to perform on behalf of others. So, perhaps in a different way it’s a little like a butler.

You could store all your files, emails, photos and more on your own computer. You could use only your computer for access to the Internet, printing, faxing and more. But that setup has some potential downsides, especially when your office grows to hold multiple desktops.

If your personal machine goes south, you could be out of business (at least for a while). Even if your machine doesn’t completely crash and burn, you could still be in serious trouble just by losing one file. You could make backups locally, say on a USB flash drive. But storing and using those small devices could lead to complicated and duplicate effort if your office has multiple computers.

If your machine is directly connected to a DSL, cable or satellite modem anyone else on your office network accessing the Internet has to go through your machine to get to the web. That drags down the performance of your machine while you’re using it, and slows down Internet access for the others.

All these problems and more can be solved by investing in a single computer that performs services on behalf of others. That’s the role of an office server. It centralizes your local email system, so everyone can take advantage of it without slowing down anyone else. It gives you a place to attach a printer, network fax machine and more so that everyone can use them without slowing down or relying on anyone else. Most importantly, it gives you a central storehouse for file backups and - heaven forbid - restores, if and when they’re needed.

With the enormous hard drives available on even ordinary computers today, servers are no longer critical for housing raw space. But their role is still important. They provide a convenient place to centralize documents, images and more that is accessible by every computer on the network with the security rights to get to them.

The alternative is what’s known as a peer-to-peer system, in which all machines on the network are equal. The Internet and all the personal computers that use it are somewhat like that (although, it also uses millions of servers).

For example, you may store your email, files and more on Google, which acts like a central server for you. Or, you may just pass files back and forth with other users, each one acting as a peer to the other. That method has its benefits and drawbacks as well. But for those who maintain an office of anywhere from two to two thousand computers a central server provides numerous values. You gain reliability, security and performance benefits from having a central system that does work on behalf of others in the office.

Now if you could only train one to bring coffee in the morning…

Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router
Amazon Price: $57.94
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» We purchased this router after trying two other routers that we had problems with. This router is so reliable and easy to set-up. The easy connection set-up button on the front of the router is uni...
TRENDnet TK-209K 2-Port USB KVM Switch Kit with Audio (Includes 2x KVM Cables)

Amazon Price: $21.99
Customer Reviews:
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Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch (BEFSR41)
Amazon Price: $46.94
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» The router was easy enough to set up. However, contacting a knowledgeable technical support rep when setting up my network with the Xbox 360 & LIVE services was not. The technical support dept. obvio...

When buying office furniture, we often tend to think only in terms of utility. But appearance can play a valid role, and not simply in order to impress clients.

When you look for an ergonomic chair, you’re interested in one that is comfortable, with controls to adjust the back angle and arm rest height. A desk with a keyboard shelf should be adjustable in terms of both height and angle. These features help make the furniture more usable and reduce the odds of back or wrist pain. That allows them to fulfill their primary role, the reason you buy them in the first place: to increase productivity.

But how they look also fulfills that goal, in part, though perhaps in more subtle ways.

Going to the office, especially a home office, requires motivation. For those running a small business, keeping that motivation high day after day through 14-hour, seven-days-a-week challenges can be tough. Disappointments are frequent, rewards often less so. Many entrepreneurs report that keeping their spirits up is actually the hardest part of running the business.

A fine looking piece of furniture can well help ease that burden. Even the most practical-minded persons are affected by the environment around them. It’s no accident that motivational posters, photos and prints continue to sell well. Even a child’s drawing can be a reminder of why we work so hard. An elegant desk can draw you to the computer.

Most successful business-people are so in part because they have good focus. They can really concentrate, shutting out distractions. But even the most dedicated will take a moment to look up, scan around and see the office decor. Filling it with a fine looking set of document holders or a stylish pen holder brings a smile. Having a work table that is a thing of beauty as well as function is a delight.

The objects we choose are a reminder of who we are and our unique personalities. We feel more at home when the furniture and accessories reflect our values. Since those vary from person to person, every area will be different. Even in relatively large, impersonal settings like big corporations you see cubicles adorned with personal items. But every one tells us something about who works there.

It’s not a mere indulgence to choose items that dress up the work area just the way you like. It lifts your mood, which has a direct bearing on how eager you are to work there. When you’re excited about getting down to business, you get down to business much better.

Beauty, after all is said, is a very practical value.

Eames Design

Amazon Price: $59.85
Customer Reviews:
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Furniture Factory Outlet Guide 2006 (Furniture Factory Outlet Guide)
Amazon Price: $16.47
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Build Your Own Home Office Furniture (Popular Woodworking)
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