Working remote? These last-minute tech accessories might help
After working remotely for more than a decade, I've learned some lessons on what works — and what doesn't
Whitson Gordon
Whitson Gordon
If you absolutely need Windows for your job, Acer’s long-running Aspire 5 line has some of the best performance you can get for the money. I recommend the Ryzen 5 version with 8GB of RAM, which should serve most people well.
Alternatively, if you have an iPad at home, you can turn that into a halfway decent laptop with a few extra pieces of hardware.
A keyboard case can turn your iPad into something actually useable for work, though I generally don’t recommend Apple’s own keyboard cover. Instead, grab Logitech’s offering, which has a much better keyboard with less mushy keys (not to mention a protective case that goes all the way around your iPad). Make sure you get the version that matches your iPad, as Logitech makes them for various models — old and new.
You might not realize this, but the latest version of iPadOS allows you to use a mouse with your iPad — yes, a mouse. Technically, it’s an accessibility setting (find it under Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch), and it doesn’t work quite like a real cursor, but it’s still a big improvement from reaching your hand up all the time. You’ll want a Bluetooth mouse that pairs easily with your iPad, and Logitech’s portable MX Anywhere mouse fits the bill beautifully. The brand recently released a newer model, the Logitech MX Anywhere 3, which might be nice-to-have but isn't substantially game changing.
Finally, if all else fails, you can grab that old computer sitting in the basement and hook it up to your TV for an impromptu work-from-the-couch setup. You just need the right cables and adapters.
If that old computer is a laptop made after 2008 or so, it’ll either have an HDMI port — in which case you can just use any old HDMI cable — or it’ll use something like Mini DisplayPort, necessitating its own cable like this AmazonBasics model. Check that old laptop and see what it supports. If it’s even older, it may require Mini-DVI or even VGA, which requires a converter box to connect to HDMI-based TVs.
If you want to really make things ergonomic, grab yourself a real desktop monitor (or two). It isn’t a top-tier display, and the price is likewise appropriate. BenQ has crammed some solid specs into this display: It’s brighter than much of the competition (so you can still see it in a well-lit room) and even has decent specs for a little gaming in between work sessions. Its stand isn’t height-adjustable but you can stack a few books under it to get it up to eye level, if need be.
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