Choosing Extras For Your Home Office

Hi All,

Within my last post, I mentioned that there is a lot of extras that can come with your new computer. These extras can include other hardware, and/or software. When designing your home office, you will want to have an idea of what you want or need to get going so you are not making multiple trips to your nearest store.

A good way to determine what you will need is to have an idea of what your office will be used for. Are you looking to do all functionality that you would have at your work? Are you just looking for simple, basic extras that are easy to manage? Do you have a need for Microsoft Office? And also, on the subject of Office, which version is best for you?  If you get a printer, do you need to have fax capability with it? Do you want your office to be mobile? These are some of the questions that you should consider when listing out the extras for your home office.

The need for Microsoft Office is a big one. There are a few free versions out there that will allow some functionality but if you want the Microsoft version, then you are looking to spend some money. With the different versions, you will able to get more applications. The basic applications for Office are:

Word - Documents
Excel - Spreadsheets
Powerpoint - Slide shows

As you spend more money, even more applications become available. The latest version is Microsoft 2013. (There is a version called Office 365, which is a subscription service to the Office products.) Here is a link for a complete breakdown of prices and features that come with each version available for download.

Microsoft Office Products

For basic home use, Office Home and Student 2013 is probably the best route, but it is all up to your needs.

I know I spent a lot of time talking about Office, but Office is one of the key extras when determining what is needed for your home. There are a lot of other extras that I brushed on earlier as well. I could compile a list of all the extras, but I will just touch on a few.

• Wireless Mouse
• External Hard Drive
• Speakers
• Printers
• Basic
• Printer/Copier
• Printer/Copier/Scanner
• All in One 
• Print
• Copy
• Scan
• Fax
• Photo
• Anti-Virus

Most extras are equal in price and some people can get lost when trying to find the perfect blend of what you need and what you want. All computers come with everything you will need out of the box, so extras are not necessarily needed but are good to have. Depending on how you are going to be using your new computer determines which extras are actually necessary.

As always, I am open to constructive criticism and also willing to help with steering you in the right direction. Feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Dan Stinson
Stinsontech@gmail.com
C.E.O. of Stinson Technology