Given the rising popularity of condo and apartment living, most people simply do not have the same kind of space in their homes that they may have had in the past. This is especially true in bigger cities like Vancouver where it’s hard to even find a decent 600 square foot condo for under $300,000. Yup, we’re living in some rather cramped quarters these days.
The situation is further exacerbated for people who work from home (like me). It’s important to have a separate space to serve as a home office, but you may not be able to dedicate an entire room to this purpose. How can you deal with the limited real estate while still being able to achieve the same level of functionality and productivity that a larger home office would offer? The following list of product ideas is far from exhaustive, but these items will certainly help in maximizing the limited space that you have at your home office or even your dorm room, whether you’re a Campus Bawler or a Starving Student.
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
There are a few reasons why you may want to invest in a wireless desktop solution like the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 5000 pictured above. If you were to buy your keyboard and mouse separately, it would typically mean that you would need to have two separate connections to your computer. If you buy a wireless desktop, they connect to your computer using a single wireless receiver. This can significantly reduce clutter on your desk or table.
Another major advantage of going with a wireless desktop rather than a wired one is that you don’t have to mess with any tangled cables. If you have to use your computer table for some secondary purpose, it is a lot easier to stow a wireless keyboard and mouse away somewhere rather than having to disconnect a set of cables. It’s just much more convenient. Need the space to organize your bills and income tax documents? No problem. (Just don’t come to us for tax advice.)
Speaking specifically to the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 5000 pictured here, I appreciate the relative accuracy and responsiveness of the wireless laser mouse, as well as the comfortable scroll wheel and two thumb-side buttons. The keyboard is similarly equipped with programmable buttons and dedicated media controls.
The Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 5000 can be found for around $50 online. It’s not the newest thing in the world, but it gets the job done.
KVM Switch for Multiple Computers
Do you use multiple computers in your home? Perhaps you have a MacBook and a PC-based notebook? I know a couple of people who use a Mac Mini at home, but they have a Windows-based laptop for when they are on the go. How can you rectify this situation without taking up twice as much space as a single computer?
The KVM Switch — which stands for Keyboard, Video, Mouse, in case you didn’t know — effectively lets you share a single monitor, keyboard, and mouse with multiple computers. In this way, you don’t have to invest in multiple items to handle your multiple computers. This can save you a lot of space, because one desk can do the job of up to four desks. Some KVM Switches can only handle two computers at a time, but many can do up to four.
A good option is the Iogear GCS634U MiniView USB KVM Switch. You can share audio and video among up to four computers using a single USB keyboard, monitor and USB mouse. The Iogear KVM switch is self-powered and features a unique USB sniffing technology that is designed to ensure smooth operating and support for plug-and-play monitors.
It is capable of outputting the video signal at a resolution as high as 2048 x 1536 pixels. Unfortunately, the video output is VGA (analog), so you may want to look elsewhere if you want a DVI (digital) connection.
The Iogear GCS634U MiniView USB KVM Switch retails for about $70 or so.
Laptop Stand with Dual Monitor Configuration
The smaller screen of a laptop may be great for when you are on the go, but isn’t it much more enjoyable to do your computing on a larger LCD monitor when you find yourself back at the home office? Sure, you could do a simple output, but wouldn’t it be better if you could use your laptop’s screen as well? They say that as soon as you go dual display, you can’t really go back.
Yes, you can do the dual display thing natively on your notebook, but the typical result is that the two displays (your notebook and your external LCD) are not in line with one another. The laptop screen will be lower and you’ll find your eyes jumping between the two screens. This effectively nullifies the advantage of a dual display configuration.
The Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand solves this very conundrum by mounting your notebook right next to the LCD monitor. They are perfectly in line with one another and they are both right at eye level. This design allows for ideal productivity and ergonomic comfort. The base has 360-degree pan rotation as well, so you can show that funny YouTube video to your buddy with a quick spin of the base. Dramatic gopher would be proud.
The Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand is listed at $179 but you could probably find it online for less. We have a test unit in the FutureLooks labs, so we’ll have a review for you guys some time in the near future.
Card Readers and Docking Stations
It’s all about convergence. Why have a single product offer just a single function when something of exactly the same size can offer so much more? Going through the iPod accessory market, you are bombarded with a wide assortment of docking and charging stations, but most of these offer but a single function: to connect your iPod (or iPhone) to your computer. Well, they usually do charging too. I guess that’s two functions.
By the same accord, you may have invested in an external card reader, because your laptop is only able to handle SD/SDHC memory cards. What about those Memory Sticks from your PSP or the CompactFlash cards from your digital SLR camera? Continuing with this line of thought, you may also have a USB hub, because you got a MacBook Air and it only has one USB port.
Griffin Technology knows that we only have so much room on our desks these days and that’s why it has introduced the Griffin Simplifi. As you can probably surmise, this handy gadget combines the funcitonality of an iPod/iPhone synchronization and charging dock, a multi-card reader, and a powered USB hub into one neat little package. There are only two powered USB ports, but it’s definitely a good start. The Griffin Simplifi has a sticker price of $70 and can be found anywhere you find Griffin iPod accessories.
Multifunction Inkjet Printer
Multifunction. Just like the Griffin Simplifi described above, one of the greatest keys to dealing with cramped quarters is to squeeze as much functionality into a single device as humanly possible. You’ve got a crowded condo and you simply don’t have the space to have a bunch of single-function products.
Printers, as you know, are no exception to this rule. I’ve seen some rather compact photo pritners, but they’re not very useful for printing documents. In the interest of frugality, I’d say that most people would be happier with an inkjet multifunction printer than a laser one, especially if they need color or photo printing. One of the greatest products that fits this bill to a tee is the Canon Pixma MP620.
Some of the core features on the Canon Pixma MP620 include 4×6 borderless photo prints, preview screen, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth 2.0, multi-card reader, Ethernet, PictBridge, integrated scanner with 2400 x 4800 dpi optical resolution, built-in copier functionality, and a color printer (up to 9600 x 2400 dpi).
Its greatest shortcoming is the lack of fax functionality. If you need something that can also do fax, you may have to look at some of the larger business solutions out there. Bear in mind that fax-equipped multifunction printers usually aren’t very good for printing photos. The Canon Pixma MP620 Multifunction Printer is listed at $150 and can probably be found online for less.
Other General Tips and Hints for Cramped Quarters
In general, there are a few other things that you may want to consider if you are setting up (or modifying) a home office in your cramped quarters.
First, don’t just focus on the horizontal space available to you; also consider the vertical. You can build shelves into the wall, for example, to store your books, CDs, and other stuff. Second, make extensive use of organizers and other items that can help clear up tht clutter. A pile is, well, a mess. Organize that chaos in such a way that you maximize the use of your space, but at the same time, don’t buy organizers for the sake of buying organizers. Third, don’t forget about the space behind your chair. You can find simple “inbox” style organizers at dollar stores that offer several pockets. Use this to organize some of your documents before you have a chance to file them away.
This is just the tip of the cramped and cluttered quarters solution. Do you have a tip that you’d like to share? Click the link below…
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