What sort of computer do I need?
Either a Windows PC or an Apple Macintosh will be fine. Both machines are excellent and have a loyal following. On the whole, buy what you are used to using as it doesn't make sense to re-learn a whole new operating system.
I like using a laptop as I can take it with me wherever I am and work within companies on their projects. I can also plug a monitor, keyboard and mouse into it when I am working at home.
You can pick up second hand monitors at computer fairs for about £5 – Add a keyboard and mouse for another £10 and you have an instant desktop system.
In my experience, people tend to use both Macs and PCs for word processing, but Macs are more commonly used for DTP. Both can be used for e-mail/WWW although I think the PC has the edge for web design as there are slight differences in the way Macs and PCs display web pages.
Even if you author on a Mac you will have to check what you produce on a PC anyway. The biggest problems tend to be that a PC screen shows slightly more than a Mac and the fonts are slightly different sizes too. That isn't to say that you can't use a Mac, but you must be aware of the differences
What about a printer?
All of the cheaper ink-jet printers are very good value for money, although the ink cartridges are expensive. I prefer HP to Epson as the latter do appear to suffer from blocked print heads. On an HP you get a new print head every time you fit a new cartridge although you pay slightly more for the cartridges. Epsons generally print out photographs better, but if you are doing a lot of this it is easier and cheaper to use an online service like www.photobox.co.uk.
What software do I need?
The standard for word processing is Microsoft Word. Clients will expect you to be able to send and receive Word files so it is worth getting. If you are buying a new computer look out for bundles that include the MS Works Suite as this include Word 2000. The cheaper MS Works does not and although it does offer some compatibility it is worth getting the MS Suite in the first place.
If you are going to do any page design the industry standard is Quark Xpress. Although this is expensive, it is virtually essential if you aim to produce newspapers and magazines that will be commercially printed. At nearly £1,000, it can run on either a PC or a Mac, but the majority of commercial designers and printers tend to use Macintosh.
There are cheaper packages around, such as Serif''s PagePlus for PC, but be prepared to find a printer who can handle the files. They also lack a lot of the functionality of Xpress. But for about £50 there is quite a cost saving, but you will loose compatibility with the majority of design houses and agencies.
If you are going to send page proofs to clients electronically you will need Adobe Acrobat to produce PDF files if using a PC - Macs do it for nothing. Sending them native Quark Xpress files just won't cut it. Acrobat PDF will pay for itself in no time.
Adobe Photoshop is also the industry standard for photo manipulation. Adobe Photoshop Elements is much cheaper, but has slightly limited functionality, the worst being that it can't convert RGB images to the CMYK format needed to print commercially. If you are only ever going to produce images for the web they are probably fine. An alternative is Paint Shop Pro at about £50, which offers a lot of the functionality of Photoshop at a bargain price.
If you are creating web sites or intranet pages then Adobe Dreamweaver is an excellent package and relatively easy to use. Microsoft's FrontPage is cheaper and appears to be an industry standard within large corporations, but it is clunky and hard to use for anything other than very straightforward layouts.
I would put my money on Dreamweaver any day. Its sister package Fireworks is also excellent for producing web graphics such as headings, buttons and clickable image maps and I prefer it to Photoshop for this type of work.
Do I need a fax machine?
Not really. You can send faxes straight from your machine using inexpensive software – I use MightyFax. You can also receive faxes using the JFax service that gives you your own telephone number and delivers them as email attachments. The base level service is free and works very well. It also means you can pick faxes up wherever you are in the world and you don't get woken up by junk fax transmissions in the middle of the night – don't laugh, it happens!
Do I need my own domain and web address?
It helps. The email address john.smith@brilliantcopy.com is much better than john124567@tesco.net and only costs a few pounds a year. You can also use free webspace and design your own site. A URL redirect will invisibly take people from www.brilliantcopy.com to www.john12467.freepace.tesco.net or whatever. Which looks more professional? Take a look at www.freeparking.co.uk for more details.
Do I need a separate phone line?
I got by for years with one line, but if you have small children it can be a nightmare! I finally succumbed to a second line and haven't looked back. It isn't that much more expensive and if you have ADSL you can use the Internet and still take calls. If the phone rings you KNOW it's business. If you have a BT Home Hub you can get another line as part of the deal.
Do I need a mobile phone?
Certainly. Make sure you personalise the answerphone message and keep it on between at least 9-5 every working day. If possible, buy one that can be connected to your laptop if you have one. I use a Nokia 6300 and I can send and receive email anywhere in the UK. Overseas is a little more problematic. If you intend to work in the USA get a tri-band phone otherwise you will be cut-off while working in the States.
Do I need an answerphone?
Certainly, and make sure you can check it remotely. Alternatively, use BT's 1571 service.
Anything else?
I would sign up for a web-based email service such as Yahoo or Google Mail. That way you can access and send email from any internet-equipped machine in the world. Make sure you set the 'reply to' address to your normal email address and clients will probably never even know.
Do I need a digital camera?
If you are used to taking your own pictures to illustrate stories then yes, a digital camera makes life a lot easier. Go for one with at least six to eight MegaPixels though and learn how to use it properly. Poor digital images are worse than useless, while good ones are indistinguishable from conventional. Look to spend at least £500.
And finally?
Don't go out and buy more than you need. A good, reliable PC or Macintosh, plus MS Word, an ink-jet printer and an Internet connection are all you need if you are going to be a freelance writer. The rest will depend on what you ultimately aim to do.
Steve is the IoIC webmaster, editor of its monthly zine and runs InfoTech Communications. InfoTech specialises in online communications and has acted as intranet consultant and trainer for many blue-chip companies including Aviva, AWG, Shell, BT, Standard Life, HBOS, BNFL, Accenture and Australia New Zealand Bank.
Contact Steve at steve@infotechcomms.co.uk.
