Written by Ken Walker
If your home office is like mine, it’s a jumble of cords, cables, power-surge protectors, and other electronic minutiae. Yet these days my computer desk is less cluttered, thanks to two recent technology purchases.
The first is my wireless ink jet printer. After my corded version started acting up, tried to install itself as my default printer, and proved impossible for printing photos, I ran out of patience.
Since I prefer in-store purchases to online browsing, I headed for Office Depot. Ironically, they were out of the model I liked, but with free shipping I didn’t mind waiting a few days for it to arrive.
Ordinarily, I would have picked the one that used a USB cable, but the wireless version was more economical. Despite my trepidation over setting up a wireless printer, I forged ahead.
Describing my set-up mode experience would be akin to a Keystone Kops episode on technology. It required biting my tongue as I tried to decipher the instructions and longed for the days when they came on printed paper.
However, once I got the hang of it, I was more than pleased. My new inkjet is much faster and produces clearer, crisper copies when I need something in color.
As a bonus, just before buying this printer, the owner of the small computer shop I frequent said he only uses compatibles—cheaper, off-brand versions—with his printers. I followed his tip and now get ink and toner at a fraction of the cost of “authentic” containers.
Even better is the wireless mouse I purchased two months ago after I misplaced (yes, right in my office) the one I had used with laptop #2.
I keep two laptops on hand in order to use my main machine for transcribing notes from video clips or Zoom calls on my main laptop while using laptop #2 for video.
After searching for a week, I quit trying to figure out what I had done with the old mouse and headed back to Office Depot. I was close to selecting the $29 version when I noticed that the $34 model included the ability to use it with three separate computers. I liked the idea of retiring the corded mouse I had been using with my main computer.
The multi-machine aspect is a small bonus. The leading feature of my wireless mouse is the ease with which it glides across my desk (no pad needed). Its trackball moves the cursor up and down the monitor effortlessly, especially in comparison to the old model that required dogged determination.
Now, there were challenges. Especially trying to find the serial number, buried inside the mouse in teensy tiny letters, and only observable by removing the battery. I bit my tongue as much as with the printer setup, but the effort was worth it.
You may have to overcome fear and frustration to set up a new piece of tech equipment. But that’s why they make grandchildren.
Ken Walker is an experienced ghostwriter, coauthor, and book editor who has written, edited, or contributed to more than 90 books. They include a number of professionally published books in the fields of health, personal experience, and teaching, and self-published memoirs—the latter a growing niche in the publishing world. Ken is also an experienced freelance writer, having written for a variety of national publications. He is still a regular contributor to websites of two denominations. Ken enjoys using his writing and editing skills to help others relate what God has done in their lives. Samples of his work are available on his website, www.KenWalkerWriter.com, or you can email kenwalker33@gmail.com.
