- keyboards
- mouse
- scanners
- coffee makers
- office chairs
- computer desks
- KVM switches
- pencils
keyboards:
We generally buy Logitech and MS keyboards. However, for something truly original and bizarre check-out the SafeType vertical keyboards (safetype.com).
mouse or other pointing device:
Only use an optical two-button with scroll wheel mouse. But use a mouse pad anyway (as long as it s not black). Roller ball mice are always clogging up and skipping. Even optical mice need the occasional cleaning but far less often than roller ball mice. We usually buy Logitech optical mice but RadioShack has a nice miniature mouse that is about 60% the length and 25% the volume and weight of the standard size. We use them with our laptops.Wireless is a good option.
All optical mice seem to be USB with PS2 adapter. Use it as a USB unless you are using a PS2 only KVM.
The "other pointing device" would be a graphic tablet. Wacom seems to have this about sewed up. Non-CAD users might want to check out their Graphire pen/mouse tablets. Serious CAD stations will probably be better off with their Intuos3 series.
scanners:
Scanners have become a commodity item. A reasonable scanner can be had for less than $100. When in doubt we recommend Canon. Their CanoScan 4400F (street price ~$88 at Amazon) has tremendous features: 4800 DPI optical resolution, 4800 x 9600 color DPI hardware, 48-bit color depth, film scanning and a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed i/f (480 Mbs - scan a document in 2.5 secs).
coffee makers:
First and foremost get a one-cup coffee maker. Coffee should be drunk within 15 minutes of brewing. Coffee that has been sitting around smells bad (arome de tomcatpiss) and is bad for you. Melitta, among others, makes one-cup coffee makers (part#s MES2W, MES2R). Also see Mr.Coffee, Black and Decker, and various no-name offerings. Or, if you are an over funded SOHO, consider the Keurig Brewers starting at around $180.
office chairs:
Office chairs need to be field tested before bought. Only buy a chair that you can fall asleep in. You should be able to find what you need at such office supply stores as Office Max and Staples. Two important points: the chair should provide neck support so that you can lean back and rest your neck and the front edge of the seat should be soft - preferably softer than the rest of the seat. This last point is an actual health safety concern - a hard edge can interfere with proper blood circulation in your legs. The famed Aeron chair seems to break this last rule, why Herman Miller (who has designed some of the best chairs we have ever seen/sat-in) would make this mistake is beyond us. The Aeron s "waterfall shape" does not mitigate enough against the harder edge.If you want to spend more time on this item than is justified (pun intended) you can look into all of the different classifications of chairs: task office chairs, multi-function office chairs, contemporary executive office chairs (e.g., Aeron), traditional executive office chairs, and the ever popular mid-level manager chair.
computer desks:
These days we buy our computer desks at Ikea. Back in the day, we bought them at closeout sales. Actually, what we bought were electronic workbenches some of which we kept as such and others we converted by buying desk legs at (drum roll) Ikea.
KVM switches:
Only buy KVM switches that come complete with cables. Otherwise you will spend far more on cabling than you ever would on the KVM switch itself. Linksys makes several excellent inexpensive 2-port KVMs. We also recommend the IOgear 4-port KVM. Remember that if you have USB mice and keyboards not to buy a PS2 KVM and vice versa.The Linksys KVM2KIT is an example of an inexpensive 2-port PS2 KVM. IOgear s offerings are broader and some products include the ability to switch audio. Additionally, some models are available in either PS2 or USB configurations.
pencils:
Only use a 2mm mechanical pencil (leadholder) with a medium hard lead (e.g., 3H). Trust us on this one. Recommended models:- Koh-I-Noor Technigraph 5611 C or
- Staedtler Mars 780 C.