Home Office Set-up Christmas 2014

My Home Office setup isn't like the video tours that you see on YouTube, it used to similar at one time. It’s now a lot more modest and minimalistic, but it works well for me.   So here’s my text and picture tour of my Home Office as it didn't seem worth while doing a YouTube video.




I've rearranged the living room and pressed into service as the main desk the desk that housed the printer in the previous setup. I've got my Acer C720 Chromebook sitting on a Laptop Riser on the desk with my desk lamp to the right of my Chromebook & a picture taken on my wedding day to the left.

Laptop Riser with 3 Cooling Fans & 4 Port USB Hub

On the Keyboard tray I've got a 2.4 GHZ Wireless Keyboard & Mouse and nothing else.

Under the desk I've got my file box, a shredded, a box of mostly computer stuff and the case for my Toshiba Notebook.

2.4 GHZ Wireless Mini Keyboard & Mouse

Round the back of the main desk it is pretty wire free as the only viable wire on the floor is for one of the rear speakers to my Surround System as all the desk wiring is tied to the frame of my desk using zip ties. The only cables that are tied to my desk is the wire that comes from my desk lamp which uses the back frame & the back of the right hand leg, while the cable for my Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 USB Headset is tied to the left hand leg of the desk & the power supply for my Chromebook is left free so I can take it with me when I go away with my Chromebook.

Main desk setup

To the left of my main desk is my old custom built PC Tower hat is awaiting rebuilding with more up to date parts, with the case for my Chromebook sitting on it.

Old custom Tower PC used as a table

To the left of my old PC Tower is another desk that is home to my printing station, Toshiba Notebook and router and a Bluetooth headset hanging off of a door handle, inside the desk is a spare printer, printer paper, envelopes, a Microsoft PS/2 Keyboard & blank CD's & DVD's. The cable management of this desk isn't as neat as on my main desk as there is a space under the desk that can't be seen without having to look round the back of the desk, and since I don't actually sit at this desk the doors are always shut unless I need to get something from inside the desk. This means that the cables that drop down the back aren't really seen.

Secondary desk setup

My chair is a standard gas lift chair, but in Leather with a full none adjustable back and arms.

My desk chair

When I'm not at my desk I keep my bag on my chair so that I can keep my Office area tidy.

My Chromebook case still has all the same stuff in it as it did when it was the focus of my Home Office setup, and my Lap desk is stored safely for any time that I need to use my Chromebook on my knee.

I've now added an Advent HB212 Powered 4 Port USB 2.0 Hub to my setup that is attached to the underside of my desk.

Advent HB212 4 Port USB Hub

This now gives me the full 4 Ports from my Laptop Docking Station along with one Port from this Hub & my USB 3.0 Port that's on my Chromebook free as I'll be connecting My Laptop Docking Station, Headset & Wireless Keyboard & Mouse from 3 of the Ports on the hub as being attached to the underside of my Desk will make it hard to connect & disconnect USB devices from three of the 4 Ports if I just connected my Docking Station to the Hub, as using just 3 of the 4 Ports permanently I can just use a USB extension cable with the Port placed on my Desk to access the fourth Port on the Hub.

I've now added a pair of Sony SRS-P10Q Speakers that I've had lying around for years to my setup, although the sound quality is lacking in bass compared to the internal Speakers of the Acer C720 Chromebook, it now gives me a choice between the Acer C720 internal Speakers my Microsoft LifeChat Headset and external Speakers depending on my needs.

Sony SRS-P10Q Speakers

I've now added a Keyboard Protector to my Acer C720 to protect the Keyboard both when I'm using my C720 as a Desktop Replacement and as a Laptop to keep the Keyboard safe and to protect it against dust and bits getting into the internals of the Laptop through the gaps around the keys.

Acer C720 Chromebook with Keyboard Protector partially installed

I've now added a small wall/monitor Headphone hanger to the side of my secondary desk to store my Microsoft Headset when not in use.

Microsoft LifeChat Headset on hanger

My plans for my setup are to add a Monitor on a desk mount, whether or not that the Monitor will hook up directly to my Chromebook via HDMI or use a VGA or DVI to HDMI cable depends on what VESA mount Monitors are available that are compatible with my budget.

Roland