Building your PC

What I did after I received my first Odesk payment was I invested for an upgrade of my PC and internet connection. You might settle for a good processing power and increased memory so all your software will work the way you expect them to. I always make it a point to modify my machine even for online gaming. I don’t recommend a standard setup because there are client needs that require optimum performance which some brands lack.

The Basics

I chose a quad core processor to cope up with multitasking activities. I am currently using a 2 gigabyte RAM but there are times my machine overloads, especially when I am processing large files and large projects. Add more RAMs. I also upgraded my monitor from a 15″ CRT to a 19″ LCD. It helps in multitasking because you can adjust all the windows on one screen and you don’t have to use “alt-tab” just to shift windows when doing simultaneous tasks.

Uninterrupted Power

If you are using a desktop PC, you think of a good UPS. If ever an abrupt change in electricity fluctuation or outage happens, your machine stays powered and you can still have the time to save all your work. You don’t want to start all over again on your task, do you? A laptop has its own battery that serves as a UPS so you don’t need to worry about power shortage.

Files In Place

Get at least a terabyte-sized hard disk so all your work are properly archived and have more room for files you cannot yet delete. Don’t forget to partition your hard disk. You should isolate your system files (the operating system), your work files (where all the files that you created or received from clients are organized), and a separate partition for all your media files (your MP3’s, video, virtual CD/DVD’s). YOu can allocate another partition for archived files, but it’s optional.

I usually allocate only 50 gigabytes for my system files, that’s all you need to install all the necessary software. I equally divided the remaining storage for work files, archive files and media files. I advise you have a clean slate before doing any business over the internet. FORMAT all your partitions and install a new operating system so that all viruses, worms, rootkits, spywares and adwares, etcetera are removed prior to starting your business. All your account transaction, payment and banking stuff will mostly take place in your machine and you don’t want all your hard work on the wrong hands. Again, FORMAT YOUR MACHINE FIRST.

Internet Connection

Next is your internet connection. You must subscribe for a 1MBPS connection or more. I don’t recommend wireless broadband, fast they may be. It’s because wireless broadband tend to lose signal and you might experience frequent disconnection and insane lag and you cannot make the service provider accountable for interrupted service. I only use wireless connection as a backup to my regular connection but I don’t rely on them primarily. A prepaid wireless broadband would be a good fit for backup internet connection. I am not a fan of wireless stuff, actually.

Extras

Those are the essential setup for your machine. You might also add peripherals to perform specific tasks such as a decent headset, a webcam, a scanner, a printer, a DVD writer and external storage devices. Now that you have decided to work as an internet freelancer, you might also want to know the software that you might need to boost your career. Do I need to discuss about the chair, the keyboard and pointing device? If you have questions, post it in the comments section of this page. To be continued…