An average human brain isn’t really wired for
multitasking. Nonetheless, there are times where we can benefit more by
joggling multiple tasks at once. The question is, is there a way to do it properly?
During our previous article, we made mention that
most professionals are no longer contented with owning just 2-3 smart gadgets.
Studies show that a great deal of professionals own more than one computer. To
some it may seem excessive to own several machines however, if correctly used,
it may be worth the extra cash. Here’s a look at how working with more than one
computer at a time can make you more productive and efficient.
Offload
heavy tasks to a desktop
Most users are now enjoying high-speed multi-core
processors in their desktops or laptops. However, this doesn’t guarantee that
multiple tasks will be processed quickly since other resources (like RAM) will
be shared to all running processes. Most modern applications are also
resource-hungry that multitasking them would likely lead to a system hang-up. For
those who are still using single core processors, multitasking is even worst.
Since most of us work on our laptops, it is wise to
offload all those heavy tasks to a desktop for two reasons: One, desktops are
relatively faster, and two, laptops tend to get super hot when doing heavy
processing. The only challenge in this setup is that one will be doing a lot of
file transfers from one machine to the other. A normal approach will be to use
a portable external storage. This drive must be relatively fast and since you
will be accessing the drive frequently, you have to be careful. For smaller
files, you can use applications like Dropbox or Sugarsync that will allow you
to access those files from virtually any computer.
Work on any
file from any machine anywhere
In the last section we discussed about the
advantages of synching your files. Its primary advantage is being able to work
on your files from anywhere (even in internet cafes) without bringing any flash
drive. On a private network setup, setting a NAS or a shared file folder would
also be wise. The only challenge when working on different machines is to
ensure that all machines must have the same software to read your files. Let’s
say you’re using Photoshop in your laptop and decided to continue what you’re
editing in your desktop, the only way it will work is if you have Photoshop
installed in your desktop.
Get rid of
those distractions in your primary machine
When you are fixed on finishing most of your tasks
in your primary machine, it would be wise if you log out from your email, IM,
Facebook, Twitter or other feeds that pushes pop-up notifications. You can set
them all up in your tablet or any secondary machine and look at them during
free time or when you are stretching your arms. This will allow you to focus on
your current task and not be distracted by all those beeps and pop-ups. On the
downside, you might think that it can become pretty annoying when dealing with
multiple keyboards. These can be answered by using tools like KVM or Synergy
which allows you to manipulate multiple machines using a single keyboard and
mouse. Call your local technical experts to help you set this up.
We hope these tips will help you be
able to maximize your machines and be more productive. If you have other insights
that you may want to share, feel free to post them. Together, we can make a
better workplace.
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