I love working from home.
After the squalor of working in underfunded schools as a teacher, it’s wonderful to have equipment that is state of the art and not state of the ark.
When I began this business, I perched on a second hand desk and chair and a MacBook Pro from 2011, which has since gone to Apple heaven.
Time moves on though and that equipment was recycled onwards as my earnings grew and my office became a branded extension of this, now, very successful business.
I’ve recently reached orgasmic heights in bedroom 3, or the home office, with a spending spree that would make Viv Nicholson look tight. She was the woman who won £150,000 in 1961 on the Football Pools and vowed to “spend, spend, spend”.
The standing desk is, as I type, marooned still in Rotterdam due to Brexit but, once it turns up, I’ll dedicate a blog and vlog to that long awaited wonder.
Until then, here’s my top 10 things:
- The new Mac Mini M1. This was a direct replacement for my 2017 iMac Pro and it’s performing brilliantly. I upgraded the RAM to 16GB on placing the order and went for 512GB SSD and so far, no buyer remorse. The M1 silicon chip makes it fast and it is silent. I’ve mated it with a matching Satechi hub in silver livery and additional ports. I love both.
- The Dell 3419W monitor. I was getting bezel fatigue with the iMac Pro. I wanted a Pro Display XDR but the £4500 price tag deterred me so I went for a 34 inch Dell curved IPS monitor. No regrets. It has poor speakers, which are still better than the dial a disc quality of the Mac Mini, but the HomePods act as speakers via wifi and AirPlay. Like the Mac Mini, the Dell is silent and relatively inexpensive. It’s now on a Dell swing VESA arm too to maximise desk space.
- An IKEA Skadis pegboard. We live miles from an IKEA – we have a click and collect in Norwich but for the full warehouse experience, we have to travel to Lakeside in Essex or Milton Keynes, each just over 2 hours away. I bought a pegboard to hang cables on and scissors as YouTubers seem to all have them and I desperately wanted to fit in! £25 with all accessories is good value I reckon. I like it. A lot.
- A BenQ monitor light. This is a class piece of kit that powers from USB and is smart in that you can change colour temperatures with a wired remote. Beautifully made too, though not cheap at £129, It’s supposed to reduce eye strain. I’ve just received reading glasses, so you go figure about its claims. You can see it here.
- Dual HomePods paired in stereo. These are still the original and best smart speakers in my opinion. Siri is a bit dumb but the HomePods sound amazing. With Apple Music, they can’t be beaten for aural experience. I bought a HomePod mini for bedside and it’s a bit average tbh, after the full fat ones.
- My IKEA Fjallbo unit and shelf. This has a pared down industrial quality redolent of 19th century workshops but in black meshed metal it has a minimalist vibe. Assembly was a cinch too with both. Unusually.
- Logitech MX keyboard. Moving to Mac Mini and Dell monitor meant new peripherals. I toyed with a new Apple magic keyboard but, after watching and reading keyboard reviews, plumped for the MX Keys keyboard. It is brilliant. It charges from USB C and has a smart backlight that illuminates as your hands approach. The typing experience is beautiful too as the keys have dimples on each one, which means accurate typing.
- Logitech MX Master 3 mouse. I’ve always been an Apple Magic Trackpad fan boi, but scrolling through web pages and documents with swiping was too slow and inaccurate. Cue the MX Master 3 mouse, not cheap at £99 but absolutely amazing with twin scroll wheels and customisable buttons. If I wasn’t already married, I’d propose to this mouse and run away to Gretna Green with it.
- AirPod Pros. I love these little white audio pearls. Noise cancelling is ace and the form factor is delectably petite.
- Rode NT USB microphone and rig. I don’t use this much at the min, as I’ve little time for podcasts and avoid Zoom meetings with clients like the plague. But I love its solidity and design. Sounds great too.
Next week, perhaps the new electric sit-stand desk will become my new favourite office toy. Time will tell.
Please proffer thoughts and prayers too for its safe arrival from Rotterdam.
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