Need some help organizing your home office? Move your PC’s tower off your desk and into a cubby to save desk space. Likewise, move it off the floor so you can vacuum the dust bunnies that are currently surrounding it.
Organizing a home office can be a daunting task. Where do you put your equipment so it will be of the greatest use? Think of it this way: every kitchen needs a refrigerator, but you don’t put it in the middle of the room. You put it in its perfectly created space–a space of the correct height and depth, and you make sure it has wheels just in case you need to get behind it to clean or hook up an automatic icemaker. A computer tower is a necessary component like a refrigerator is, and similarly, doesn’t need to be right in the middle of everything to be functional. Like a refrigerator though, you sometimes need to access its backside, so it has to be placed conveniently in the room.
The PC tower contains all of the computer components, and is where the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and other hardware plug into. The tower can go on the desk, the floor, in a special desk cubby, or in the corner, but it should be in a safe place. It should also be accessible, and you should be able to get to the CD and DVD drives easily, and to the back of the tower in case a component stops working.
Getting the tower off of the desk will save lots of space, and the room will look less crowded and be more functional. Unfortunately, many towers only allow for USB connections from the back, and if you often switch out components, you’ll be in a fine mess if you place the tower in a cubby. You’ll likely need access to other parts of the back of the tower too. So, when considering a place to hide the tower, either under your desk, in a cubby, or on a shelf, take into consideration all aspects of your choice. [See Image 1]
Before finalizing the move, does the place you’ve selected to hide the tower:
- Offer access to the USB ports, FireWire ports, and other ports?
- Keep it safe if you spill something?
- Allow you to vacuum or dust around the tower weekly?
- Allow the display cable, power cord, and other components to reach?
- Offer access to the CD and DVD drives?
- Allow you to access the power button?
- Allow air flow in and around the computer?
- In a place so cats and other pets cannot shed on it?
- Near an air filter unit if you smoke?
- Away from your back up unit?
The idea is to find a place for your tower that hides it enough that you free up desk space, while at the same time allowing easy access, a safe environment, and access to all drives.
Tip: While you’re at it, consider installing a keyboard tray. [See Image 2]
For more information on degunking your PC and organizing your home office read my article: The Degunking 12-Step Program – Get Your PC and Your Office in Tip Top Shape.
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