Ive been asked what I use for my home working office so here is exactly what I use
- 1x Logitec C920 HD Camera @ $199
- 2x HP E273Q 27″ Monitors (1440p) @ $579ea
- 1x Logitec Z533 2.1 speakers @ $199
- 1x Dell 9410 i7 Laptop (16GB ram) @ $2950
- 1x Dell WD19TB Thunderbolt dock @ $579
- 1x Poly Voyager Focus 2 UC Wireless Headset @ $420 inc GST
Camera – Any Webcam will do, and you can easily bypass this and use the built in Laptop camera.
Monitors – I use 27″ monitors at 1440p, but do note you can get away with 1080p and/or 24″ monitors.
Speakers – Not required, but I listen to music in my down time so something that produces large amounts of clear bass was required.
Laptop – An i5 or i7 with 16GB of ram is what I recommend these days. My preference is actually the HP X360 series, but this dell was about $400 cheaper so I thought I would give this a try.
The laptop is actually amazing, but 2 minor issues i have with it is that 1) the power button is placed on the keyboard and 2) the speakers are underneath the laptop. I like having a button that is accessible with the lid closed (for when Im docked) and the speakers are muffled when I am watching a movie in bed.
I always recommend a 12″-14″ laptop to accomodate weight and size for portability
Dock – I always recommend a dock and monitor when working from home or in the office. This gives you the ability to work as if you are at a proper desktop but also the ability to pack up and walk out by unplugging and walking away. One thing to note is to ensure you have a laptop and dock that supports USB-C power delivery. This way the dock will charge the laptop on the same cable that you connect to. A thunder bolt dock on a thunder bolt laptop or a valid substitute is a DisplayLink USB-C Dock which supports 2x 1080p monitors, and power delivery over USB-C.
Headset – Any UC headset is a valid product for this job (ie the Jabra Evolve 20SE for $82). I am using the Poly Voyager Focus 2 which is pricy but amazing. It has the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously (so Laptop and Mobile) so that you can easily answer a phone call on either device without having to pair and swap. A great buy.
Some other noticeable mentions are the $50 desk from Trademe, the $20 stapler from The Warehouse, $30 logitec wireless keyboard and mouse and the Cabin rental from Just Cabin Rentals for $90 a week.
