The Ultimate WFH set up

WFH Gadget guide - Post COVID Special edition

We will never be working the same way again, COVID or no COVID. I wanted to share with you my WFH set up which will hopefully give you some ideas about what you can do to make your WFH set up super tech-tastic.

Desk

Omindesk $600

In this post-COVID world we need to do as much to help out our local businesses as possible. It is even better when those businesses are also the best in the world at doing what they do. My electric standing desk is from Omnidesk and is the best desk I have ever owned, hands down.

Features:

1. The wood is sustainable Bamboo and features a curved, sloping edge. This is a game-changer for resting your wrists. No more marks from edges digging in. Also the table is gently curved inwards which bring you closer to your screen

2. 4 height settings. This is actually not just a gimmick. I have 3 settings: sitting, standing for typing and standing for Zoom calls. All at the touch of a button.

3. Built-in gang plug - so no more unsightly wires going to the wall (it is hidden away so you can’t see it)

4. Soft gel standing pad - makes all the difference. It is surprisingly painful standing for long periods whilst working in bare feet

I went for the one motor version which I think is totally fine, honestly, you don’t need the speed of the two motor version. The desk is the smallest one they have but I regret not going bigger. If you can go for the medium or large.

Monitors

LG 24 inch Widescreen (Vertical) $146

LG 29 inch Widescreen (Horizontal) $226

Dual-arm monitors $100

My screen setup is inspired by techie friends of mine that would have a vertical screen for reading code. I am totally hooked on it now. The vertical screen for putting Whatsapp, articles or blogs is so efficient, you never want to go back to even a widescreen setup. My middle screen typically has email on one half and then Chrome on the other. If I am doing work on Excel, maximising it across the widescreen makes editing and error checking hassle-free. Make sure you get heavy-duty arms to hold them both up

PC

Aftershock Vision Mini $600

Firstly the question is why a PC when you have a perfectly good laptop? Three reasons:

1. Speed - Even the best laptops today can’t match the speed and power of a mediocre PC and are a fraction of the cost

2. Display - a laptop will really slow down if you try and run two monitors from it

3. Ethernet - Even the best laptops and PCs struggle with WIFI sometimes. Have you ever had random interference or poor quality with Zoom? Its likely just WIFI interference. Reality is now the WIFI channels are so crowded its going to happen. Having a PC hardwired into the internet means you will never have any trouble

Another local champion making super sexy PCs called Aftershock. I looked around at a lot of the mini PCs, some from Dell (Too boring and office-like) and Louqe but what tipped the Aftershock Mini PC over the edge was the flexibility of the port setup and its size. You need two display ports to drive the two monitors (one HDMI and one Displayport with an adaptor). The PC is small enough for the table and is super quiet so you barely even notice it.

Keyboard

Logitech G815 $174

I absolutely love the keyboard on Yoga X1 but I knew I had to get a desktop keyboard to use with the computer. Moving between desktop keyboards and laptop keyboards can really mess with your typing efficiency. This Logitech keyboard’s profile is actually the closest thing to a laptop keyboard you can buy. This keyboard has special mechanical keys that have the perfect “give” and “rebound” when you type. For this reason I recommend going to a shop to try different keys to see which you like best before buying.

This is actually Logitech’s high-end gaming keyboard so there are a bunch of fancy features on it that I barely use such as macro shortcuts, light configurations and much more. The one useful feature is the ability to use the wheel on the top right to adjust the volume quickly. Excellent whilst on conference calls.

The big question for keyboards is whether you should get wired or wireless. I was super torn. But I went for wired because of (a) cost (b) frustration of keyboard running out batteries would drive me crazy (c) I won’t be moving around much from the desk wireless was really just for looks. However, its personal preference

Camera/Microphone/Speakers

Having a strong audio-visual setup is the simplest way to go from WFH beginner to expert level. There are three choices

Laptop

Use your Laptop’s setup? hell no! Laptop cameras are universally bad because of the size of the camera and the microphones are pretty terrible should only be used if absolutely necessary.

External set up version 1

1. Get an external webcam - There are some excellent webcams that you can buy. I would recommend the Logitech Brio ($180)

2. Get a good microphone like the Blue Yeti ($140)

3. Get some decent speakers like the Razer Nommo ($120)

External set up version 2

Use your existing DSLR or digital camera and get the Elgato Cam link ($112) to convert your DSLR into a webcam. This will have the benefit of not only using something that is probably gathering dust but also gives the excellent blur effect whilst on calls.

OR External setup version 3 (Which is what I have)

Get an elegant all-in-one solution like I have which is the:

Polycom P15 $584

I LOVE this solution vs getting all the bits separately. Why?

1. If you don't have a DSLR this setup is actually cheaper than buying the whole thing separately.

2. The camera tracks your movements automatically. This is useful if you move your desk from standing to sitting and also if you are shifting around during calls

3. The microphone uses AI to block out any noise that isn’t right in front of it and so your voice always sounds clear and distraction-free.

4. It looks cool

5. Camera looking down is always more flattering than looking up at your double chin (just take note of the angle that any instagrammer uses)

Light

Elgato Key Light $207

Apart from the visual setup, the final thing that makes your WFH setup move from amateur hour to beast mode is lighting. I cannot tell you how much this has positively impacted the quality of the picture on calls. I now pretty much have the light on for every call even if it’s during the day as I can adjust the brightness based on the sun so you always look bright. The light can be controlled from an app or your desktop and can the big difference between this and cheaper lights its the immense control you have over the power of the light (from barely on to “ouch this hurts my eyes”) but also the temperature of the light which you can adjust to the perfect warmth. I really love it and the question you should ask more is: do you need two Elagto air lights (smaller version) or just one big one like I have.

Mouse

Logitech MX Advanced Ergonomic $76 with mousemat $29

Just like your keyboard, having a good sturdy mouse is super important. The vertical mouse takes a little getting used to but is so much better than the flat mouse for your wrist and you will find gives you much more control as well vs the regular mouse. This beast has a battery that seems to last forever. It is so good I bought two, one for home and one for the officer

I hope this helps make your WFH setup a little bit more comfortable! Please do forward this or post the link on your social so that we can grow this list!

thx

Billy