This week I've been shopping around for a new monitor. That got me thinking about what editors need in the way of computer equipment. If you work for a corporation, the powers-that-be probably think like this: "Editors just do word-processing, so they don't need much of a computer." Then they buy you something cheap and slow.
In reality, however, editors need something more than a garage-sale 486 with 16 megs of RAM. If you're serious about editing on the computer (which you should be), you'll need the fastest machine you (or management) can afford. Why? Because you're doing more than rearranging commas in a one-page letter. If you're like me, you're working on books with hundreds of pages, dozens of headings, complex formatting, and thousands of footnotes. And you're probably doing time-consuming stuff like this:
* Converting batches of files from one format to another (WordPerfect to Microsoft Word, for example).
* Running numerous search-and-replace routines to clean up text and make things consistent.
* Running macros (such as our add-in programs) to torture text and formatting into the form you need.
The most expensive resource you or your employer has is *your time.* If you have to sit for ten minutes while your computer huffs and puffs its way through some automated procedure, you need to invest in a machine that will make you more productive.
Don't focus solely on speed, however. For someone who's editing for many hours at a stretch, other things are equally (or more) important:
* Your monitor should be as large and as clear as you can get. Seventeen inches should be the *minimum* size. Back in the '80s, I wrote a book using a suitcase-sized "portable" with an eight-inch monochrome monitor. Never again. I've also worked on a 21-inch flat-screen beauty with .24mm dot pitch and a fast screen-refresh rate. Sheer bliss. If you have to choose between a bigger, better monitor and a faster processor, you should probably go for the monitor, which you'll be looking at all day long. Not convinced? How valuable is your eyesight? By the way, ten minutes of *looking* at monitors at your local computer store will give you a much better idea of what you like than two hours of researching the Internet.
* Your keyboard should be responsive, reliable, and comfortable to use. Keyboards are relatively cheap, so get yourself a good one. For example, you might like Microsoft's Natural Keyboard Pro:
http://shop.microsoft.com//Products/Products_Feed/Online/NaturalKeyboardPro%5B679%5D/ProductOverview.asp
Using a good keyboard may spare you the pain and expense of having carpal-tunnel surgery, which more than one of my colleagues has had to endure.
* Your mouse should feel good in your hand and not have to be babied along. If you have a bad mouse, you're probably not even aware of how much time you spend fighting it. Check out the Intellimouse Optical from Microsoft:
http://shop.microsoft.com//Products/Products_Feed/Online/IntelliMouseOptical%5B10037%5D/ProductOverview.asp
You might also be interested in a trackball, mouse-pen, or other input device.
There are many other things to consider: desks, chairs, wrist pads, screen filters, copy holders, and so on. You may not be able to afford everything you need all at once, but if you keep upgrading as you can, you'll be investing in your health, your comfort, and your productivity.
