The first and foremost advantage with using a laptop is of course the portability factor. Considering that modern laptops are on par with a decent desktop PC, it makes a lot of sense to use the laptop as your primary computer. That way, there’s no need to constantly go through the hassle of transferring files and settings between home and workplace, laptop and desktop computers – you simply use the same computer all the time.
Working in front of a laptop all day, on the other hand, can be pretty exhausting and is hardly the first choice for graphic design or developing web content. To add usability and ergonomics to your workplace, some peripherals can be really helpful. Here are a few tips.

Docking Stations

To simplify moving between home and office it’s nice to have a docking station with a port replicator; that saves you the trouble of connecting and disconnecting cables all the time. If you have a company laptop, maybe an HP or a Dell make sure the IT department forks over a little extra for that docking station (should be easy to get by). If you’re not so lucky, or can’t find a compatible port replicator you could try a generic solution such as the Logitech Alto ($99) with an integrated keyboard and USB hub, or a simple stand from Targus or Belkin. Naturally, in that case you’ll have to spend a few extra seconds to plug in the cables.

Displays

The size and quality of laptop screens is rarely suitable for professional use. Regardless if you use a PC, Mac, desktop or laptop computer, one of the prerequisites of a professional workstation is a high-quality monitor.
Many graphic designers still argue that CRT screens are the best, but when you start to run out of phosphor you may have trouble finding a replacement. Besides, the quality of flat panels continues to improve. If you have some spare cash lying around, you may want to consider a BenQ FP241W for example, which has beaten the competition in several tests: a 24-inch 1920×1200 LCD with HDMI input, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 500cd/m², 6ms response time etc.

Keyboards/Mice

Keyboards and mice may be the cheapest peripherals you get, but have a large impact on the overall ergonomics of your workstation. What type or brand of keyboards and mice you use is mostly about personal preference. I would hesitate to order this stuff online; it’s almost certainly better to try out these gadgets at your local retailer first. My personal favorite is an old trackball from Logitech, but it’s quite large and heavy and I wouldn’t bring it on business trips. For that purpose, I have found a Cordless VX Nano Laser Mouse better suited for the task. An advantage of the Nano series from Logitech is the tiny receiver that hardly protrudes from your laptop at all.

Cooling Systems

Whereas a docking station is important, it comes second behind a good cooling system (a problem laptop manufactures haven’t mastered as yet).
A very simple and cheap solution (only $13) are Cool Feet Laptop Stilts. You simply place the small suction pads on the base of your laptop, and hey presto, you have a clever (and portable) cooling system.

On the other end of the scale you have the Enermax Aeolus , a fairly weighty (1.3kg) but a truly amazing cooling system (it has a 22cm fan, honestly!!!). Its outer shell is made from steel mesh and brushed aluminum with diamond-cut edges,
it has an integrated slim monster fan with adjustable speed to eliminate hot spots,it will cool your notebook by 22C and it is ergonomically angled with full size wrist-rest to reduce neck and wrist strain.

Cool Chair

I have mentioned the La-Z-Boy Recliner chair before, I simply love it. But there isn’t a more comfortable looking chair, with the added extras of having two armrests that open up. On the one side a keyboard folds out and on the other there is a drinks holder and plenty of space for anything else you can think of. Inside the tray table arm, it has outlets for power (for a coffee machine?), phone, and DSL (for your laptop).
You could just imagine sitting back and working, couldn’t you.
Price is a whopping $1299, mind you. And I don’t think you can take it on your travels.

3 Comments so far

1. SEOAdsenseThemes.com on September 17, 2008 8:37 am

   I can’t stress how much a big LCD monitor helps to increase productivity and overall working speed.

   I’m a programmer not a graphics person but my needs for screen real estate is important because having most of the time I deal with several different pages of codes simultaneously.

   Seriously guys, nothing smaller than 24′ if you wanna build a professional workstation.

2. John Thompson on September 18, 2008 6:54 am

   I would say that another great mobile workstation that is even higher-end than what Dell, HP and Lenovo have to offer is the NextDimension from NextComputing. Check them out here: http://www.nextcomputing.com

   Dual quad-core Xeon or Opteron, Quadro FX 4600 & 5600 SDI cards, up to 3 TB storage and up to 24 GB RAM! There is no better mobile workstation on the market than what NextComputing has to offer! I have one of these for personal use, and it is the best thing I ever purchased (as everything in the machine can be upgraded, making it obsolete-proof!)

3. Utterlytest on September 30, 2008 12:52 am

   nice post i haave RSS’d you, please update more often

   thanks

Our Sponsors

Looking for Something?

Popular Articles

Latest on Speckyboy