Going solo...

[James]

Hi guys,

 

I'm an architect employed in a small practice. However, I've decided to change my position & do my own thing for a while. I'll be doing mostly contract work through contacts I've made over the past few years, working from home most of the time. I'll be on the road now & again, so I've decided to opt for a new laptop.

 

Been posting on this site for advice on which model to go for. That decision has already been made. With a bit of luck, I'll be picking up a new Macbook Pro on Monday (2GB RAM, 2.33GHz, 160GB HD). It'll be setup using Bootcamp, as most work will be done on AutoCAD, with some in Sketchup. That should be enough hardware to get me started. Software & licenses will initially be provided by whoever I'll be contracted to (until I can get the funding together to make my own purchases).

 

I'm looking for suggestions for any other bits of kit anyone in the same position can suggest. Right now I'm thinking A3 printer, & an external drive for backups... maybe a decent chair & desk. Any recommendations for these, or anything else I should be considering?

 

Cheers,

 

James.

[aaron-cds]

I too am an architect who did a year's worth of contract work, with all of my own hardware and software. My contract ended last November. I've been truly out on my own since.

 

My advice would be to save your money, at this point, for hardware and software. Go to a building supply store and pick up two solid core doors for your desk. Get some steel legs and you're set. For a chair, don't go cheap. I've got an Aeron chair which is much more comfortable than the $100 chair I had before. As far as the A3 printer, why? Are you going to be printing renderings for your clients? I email jpeg files and the client prints them. I've got an Epson Stylus Photo R200 that prints out stunning 8 1/2" x 11" glossy renderings for my portfolio, which is plenty. That will set you back a lot less than an A3 printer. I too have an externa drive for backup but soon I'm switching to a Dell PowerVault RD1000, which has removable tapes that I can store safely off site. I just ordered it yesterday. Since I work out of my home, I need to have more protection in case of a fire. It's not like I'm in a sprinklered office building. A house fire would wipe out years of work building a graphics & 3d library if I kept it backed up to a external harddrive.

 

Good luck, it's nice not working for "the man".

[Geoffc]

Any recommendations for these, or anything else I should be considering?

 

A rich wife.

 

 

 

 

 

reminds me of an old joke: What do you call a musician without a girlfriend?

 

 

-homeless