The working from home thread: tips and advice

Which is why no video calls...

smelling

lol

same

Hacked this one together from some Ikea bits about six years ago. Showing its age a bit but still perfectly solid.

2 Attachments

I actually used to use those exact desks, but I moved offices and they didn't really work where I am now positioned, so went to a flat desk. I now have my desk floating in the middle of the room, and I quite like it, certainly makes fiddling with connections on the back of the computer much easier!

31 hours on video calls

how do you get any work done

So I think I am sold on a 49inch curved, current favourite is the Samsung CJ890, I can just about stretch to £800, anyone else seen anything better for the money? As I said I don't do gaming, purely spreadsheets.

This is so odd to me.

Same.

Last week, I spent 31 hours on video calls.

Similar.

Hmmm I should get a bigger monitor etc.

how do you get any work done

lol

The resolution looks fairly standard with a 1200 high resolution, it isn't as high as say a 27inch monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution or a 27inch monitor with a 4K resolution (3840x2160). This means text is large enough for you to comfortably sit quite a distance away from the monitor without straining.

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/samsung-cj89-43-3inch-curved-led-monitor-review-32966

Wouldn't it be better to get something higher res? My LG 5K is about the same height but with 2880px vertical pixels instead of 1200. I guess a super wide retina screen will cost a bomb but maybe sacrifice some real estate for better resolution?

Just found this thread - I caved when WFH as I can't concentrate with the kids running riot all day so I've taken a desk at a local co-working office where I am literally the only person in an office designed for 20 people.

CJ890

It’s only 1080 on the vertical. I would go with 1440p if you can stretch.

I don't know if i'm honest! I get very confused by it all, not sure if it makes a difference but that review is for the 43 inch version rather than the 49.

This acer seems to have the same resolution.

what @kboy said.

Not enough pixels to justify the fragility of a 49" monitor. I have a dell u3415h with more pixels. It's discontinued now but the replacement u3419h is within your budget

A lot of my work is managing other people internally; reviewing work and making decisions / giving guidance.

Most of the rest of the work is providing consultation for clients which, again, is mostly talking.

I do actually produce things too so the gaps I have are emails / documents. I usually work between 8.30am to 7pm with about 30 mins for lunch so around 52 hours a week. Plenty of time.

Ah ha, now I know what to look for; so for example one of these

Samsung

or

Philips

The Samsung gets good reviews and has £130 off. I’d go with that.

I spent ~1% of my gross annual income on my WFH rejig (desk, monitor, keyboard, stool, Ikea stuff[1] and sundries). Put that way it was much easier to justify given it is what I have to use to earn that income and I sit at it for large number of hours each week.

I also clawed back a bit of the outlay by selling the old monitors and desk, and I'll get a further £125 back from HMRC for the WFH tax relief for 2020/21.

1. Flysta, Kallax, Tertial
   
2. Cables, cable tidies, switches, extension blocks, etc.
   

Could be worth checking wirecutter as well https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-ultrawide-monitors/

Tbh I'd look beyond inches and get something with good res instead. I much prefer my 5K 27" over a bigger but lower res screen. Proper retina screen is a huge plus for eyestrain, esp if you sit and squint at excel day in and day out

They only seem to recommend 34 inch screens, not sure if that is because they don't rate any 49s or not...

well since you put it like that, I could do with some computer upgrades.

34 is big. 49 is bigger, but it's not like you'll have a small monitor at 34.

Get a 34" from amazon or somewhere else where you can easily return it and give it a go?

I figured I would go thew other way, try a 49 inch from amazon, if it's too big i'll send it back!

Think that's because it's specifically ultrawide monitors rather than superwide. As far as I can tell the biggest 21:9 monitor you can get is 38".

Edit: LG 38GN950 might be a good compromise between size and resolution.