In February, I wrote about the quest to replace my trusty Mac mini, Sergio. I purchased my first Mac mini in 2006. After 3.5 loyal years of operating splendidly and 2.5 excruciating years of driving me crazy, I finally needed to move on.
Fast forward to late April. I searched a number of online venues selling quality PCs because I’d had enough of Apple’s manipulative tactics. I made my list, prepped my cashflow and waited.
I was perfectly willing, ready and able to buy a PC again, but my conscience plucked at my pride. Did I really want to defend my reasoning to every knucklehead devoted to the cult of Mac? Did I want to give up the choice real estate in my office setup? Did I want to deal with the extra virus protection I’ll need in exchange for more autonomy?
I needed a sign. So I took to eBay to find a 2010-model Mac mini in good condition. I found a few computers at reasonable prices. They all were listed “like new” and the pricing hovered just below a new 2011/2012 model (i.e., without the optical disk drive seen above).
Those offers were okay, but they still left me on the fence. Nothing screamed “Mac is your home. Why won’t you just go to your home?!” /Happy Gilmore.
Until … I discovered Toshiko. That’s her name. I christen all my computers and Toshiko was the sign I had been looking for.
She arrived as a 2010 Mac mini with the plastic cling wrap still attached. After transferring all my files via Crashplan, I started her up. Her optical disk drive hummed perfectly, and her applications ran on all eight.
I purchased Toshiko not only because she came with a top eBay seller’s reputation, but she also has MS Windows for Mac 2011, Aperture, Pages & Keynote, and Adobe Acrobat Pro already loaded. For the same price of a new model with nothing installed and a valuable component missing, I felt Toshiko was a great deal.
So yes. I guess I’m staying in the Mac-lovin’ cabal for another 5 or 6 years. I’ll keep my PC skills sharp with my netbook, but for my freelance business and general home-life use, I’m apart of the Apple herd.
Although that may sound regretful and arrogant, I am grateful to have a personal computer at all. I know many around the country (and the world) do not.
I’m blessed not only with a quality computer I can call my own, but also a lovely office space. When Virginia Woolf wrote about women needing a “room of one’s own,” she probably wasn’t talking about modern home offices, but the concept still applies.
Freelancers need a place to get messy. Whether it’s a separate den-turned-recording-studio in your house or a computer desk stuffed in the corner of your living room, artistic professionals need a place to create.
My slice of freelance real estate is my dining room. Perfectly situated so my eyes never peer into my kitchen, I placed my black Mission-style writing desk against the wall and my mobile filing cart with multi-colored folders to my right. Above that, a collage-in-progress to remind me of my vision and business plan.
It’s nothing special to look at, I know. But it suits me fine. I don’t have a window, but I fight enough distractions with the internet as it is. My daily inspiration? A 27″ x 40″ poster of one of my favorite films, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain. My favorite surprise? My red lantern on the bottom bookshelf adds a nice pop of color in such a small space.
The only thing missing to make my creation studio complete is a rug. But not just any rug. One that won’t impede my swivel chair or clash with my color scheme. What goes with black again?
As a matter of fact, with the dark palette and the occasional flash of color, Toshiko really stands out in her silver casing with the black Apple logo on top.
My office isn’t for everyone. I’m sure others would prefer a window or more space to roll their chair about. But like my choice to stay with Apple (for now), I need a room that serves my needs specifically and reflects my ever-adapting lifestyle. Most importantly, I need an office that inspires me to do great things while making the best of my money, my time and my energy.
Share a description or photo of your workspace.
How have you adapted it to your freelance needs?
This post came right after another weekend of guests sleeping on the futon in my home office. (I actually had to share it with my daughter for nearly a year.) AND I also experienced a PC crash after a Windows update that sent me into another inconclusive debate about Mac vs. PC. I worked on Macs in the early 1990s, then switched to PCs again about 1995. But I have an iPad and an iPhone. So I'm in both camps. Frankly, I have no idea what a Mac mini is! I'll have to look that up. And I remember Virgina's book very well from Women's Studies in college. I think of that often. I have a whole spare bedroom to myself now, except when visitors arrive, with a big window that looks out on a cedar tree and the hills behind my house. It is painted a lovely sage green and has a colorful rug. And a futon to sit on in addition to the large desk, antique table, and filing cabinet, which is ugly but very useful. Thanks for helping to remind me how lucky I am. I just wish I was better at ignoring the distractions of laundry and a busy household…
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I would like to get to the point where I had a separate room for an office, say a spare bedroom for guests and my workspace. But for now, since I rarely have dinner guests, let alone house guests, turning my dining room into my office seemed like the most natural choice. My dream office is a bit grandiose, but I guess that's why it's a dream. 🙂
LOL! The Mac mini was introduced in the early '00s as a great way to ease PC users into the world of Mac. They're the cheapest desktop option for Apple computers, running roughly $600-700 depending on the memory and model. I'm happy to be the first to tell you about it. My mom calls it my little breadbox. You can see how small it is on my desk in that second photo (click on it to enlarge). A friend of mine, when she saw it for the first time, said, "That's a computer! It's so tiny."
Your office view sounds amazing. Very picturesque. It reminds me a little of the view from my bedroom window. No hills, but there's trees and a lake. And don't worry about feeling bad for not ignoring the distractions of laundry and a busy household. I need to worry about ignoring the distractions of Netflix and Pinterest. 😛
My recent post Creating A Room Of One’s Own
Right now, I still have a little home office in my 3 bedroom apt in Queens. But soon I'll be moving to Brooklyn and we're downsizing. (Actually, it's just a more expensive place with less space.) In Chicago, I didn't have an office but I used my very large dining room as office space. I think it was better because I had huge windows lining one whole wall and could watch the people go by. I loved it. For the future, I may go back to being officeless. As stressful as it could be, it was also very nice to have a change of scenery each day.
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You're moving to Brooklyn? I'm scared of you. 🙂 A more expensive place with less space? Sounds like BK alright. Congrats on the find. I actually won an opportunity to attend an event in New York in 2 weeks, but I'm not going to be able to make it. If I was going, I wanted to see if you'd like to meet up for lunch. :-/ Maybe next time.
I remember you talking about your office in Chicago. It sounded like you had a lot of room. /jealous.
My dining room is a bit out in the open, but since it's just me and my cat, I don't worry too much about it. I do need to keep my file trays under control and there's a stack of papers that usually sit on my desk missing from that second photo up top. But for the most part, I keep the area decent. I imagine if I had a separate room for an office that may not be the case.
I'd love a window, but it couldn't look out on a busy street because I'd never get any work done. LOL!
My recent post Creating A Room Of One’s Own
I love the part about not peering into the kitchen, Candace – got to avoid those domestic distractions. 🙂
My recent post A Working Writer’s Desk
Thanks! I wish I could say the urge to clean that kitchen is a fight I struggle with daily, but looking at it now … not so much. 😀
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