Home Office Computer Management Tips

Designate An Electronics Drawer

Does your home office have various cords and plugs and gadgets scattered around, laying on shelves, in the bottom of boxes, and at the back of a drawer? You find random USB cords that you *think* came with your digital camera, but you’re not really sure… Hmmmm.

Solve this chaos by designating one spot for all cords. Go to any Walmart to the plastic bin section and purchase a $15 3-drawer tabletop plastic chest. Also buy a pack of file folder labels. Go back home and treasure hunt for all your random cords, gather them around you and sit down on the living room floor and get organized.

1st: Label the drawers something like this…  

  – USB Cables and Miscellaneous Accessories
  – Old cell phones and chargers
  – A/V cables, Printer and Monitor Cables

2nd: Label the cords

  – Write the cord’s name on a file folder label, then use it to tag the cord.
  – Use rubber bands or bread bag ties to keep them from sprawling out of control.

In fact, I even tag all the cords plugged into power strips. You will eventually have to unplug one of them, so isn’t it smart to know which one you are pulling? Yes!

3rd: Put them into their designated drawers, properly labeled and the last and most important part of this project…..

Tell Your Family!!! Announce the new system!!! They will soon come to appreciate that one spot and no more frustration finding cords.

 

Computer Gadgets Worth Having

There are just some things in my home office that I can’t live without. I highly recommend these simple and inexpensive items so your computing time is streamlined.

I buy as much of my stuff online at Newegg’s Electronic Store as possible, but I also take a look at clearance tables at my local office supply stores. I use a laptop, so a laptop stand recovers desktop space and I store my notepads and post-its under my laptop. I use the ALLSOP stand from Office Max.

I also have only 3 USB ports on my laptop, but about 8 USB items to plug in. So a USB Hub is vital to keep me running efficiently. The Kikkerland Hub Man is awesome and entertaining. I LOVE IT.

I use a variety of color coded USB Flash drives. These are very inexpensive and get better/bigger all the time.

A second monitor keeps my email on one screen and my active project on the other. A very efficient setup, but not necessarily a cheap addition.

 

New vs Old

This is an important topic; have you seen the price of computers? They’re incredibly low! Buying a new computer isn’t such a bad idea. But it’s a hassle to buy a new one. All that time to transfer files, install software, the expense of buying software you already have on your old computer, and the list goes on.

Instead of buying a new computer, I’m going to upgrade the one I’ve got this week. Just one easy click into The Crucial System Scanner takes the guesswork out of upgrading your memory. (By the way, the Crucial Memory company was started in Boise, Idaho.)

It’s going to cost me $58 to double my RAM, speed up my Window’s delay and web page loading. That’s alot cheaper than $800 (+ tax and setup time) for a new computer. When the memory sticks arrive, you will get a set of instructions on how to install them. (Involves removing a side panel on a PC and a bottom panel on a laptop. Fairly harmless. I’ve done it multiple times and have survived it.) *smile* I MEAN IT!!

See this article with pictures at my blog post:
http://ComputerManagementTips.blogspot.com

 

About the Author

I’m Andy Lanning from Boise, Idaho and I teach people how to use computers.

Excel Certified Expert
Word Certified Expert
20+ years computer use
15 years instructing at local college and businesses

I’m strictly a laptop owner (2) and 1 amazing Mac.

My vices: I’m an Excel junkie and an Email addict. There must be a support group out there for this…

Want more great tips? www.ComputerSuperSecrets.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TopNotchNerd

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