So far, our 2019 holiday gift guide series has covered gifts for those on a budget, gifts for frequent travelers, and gifts for the home. Today, we're turning our attention to the office and general productivity needs.
Below you'll find another hand-picked batch of recommendations based on a year's worth of product testing. These are thoughtful yet pragmatic gifts to help improve your friends' and family's work spaces through technology. From password managers to keyboards to business-friendly laptops, we know firsthand that each of the products below can make productive time less of a slog.
Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
1Password
Most workplaces require you to have more usernames and passwords than you'd like. Instead of clicking that "forgot password" button once a week, 1Password can help organize and store all of your work and personal account credentials. As long as you can remember one password, the program will do the rest of the heavy lifting.
1Password keeps all of your usernames and passwords, along with secure notes, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information of your choosing, in a vault that's secure using AES-256 bit encryption and a secret key that only you know. It also syncs across all of your devices, allowing you to quickly log in to any of your accounts with just a couple taps or clicks. 1Password also has browser extensions for the most popular browsers so, when you inevitably create a new account somewhere on the web, you can quickly save it to 1Password without thinking twice about it.
Solid security, seamless integration, and ease of use have made 1Password one of my most used programs on a daily basis. It's sped up my workflow immeasurably, and I spend much less time fumbling with temporary passwords and emailed security codes thanks to it. And at $2.99 per month, it's one of the most affordable ways you can make your work and personal lives a little bit easier.
1Password
Nekteck 4-port 72W USB Wall Charger
The charger connects via an AC outlet, but at 3.14x3.74x1.97 inches, the station itself won’t chew up a ton of room on a desk. It’s also been certified by the USB Implementers Forum—a body headed by Apple, Intel, and other tech giants that looks over the USB spec—so you can be confident that it won’t fry anyone’s devices over time. Plus, at $30, it’s good value for the amount of power it packs.
Nekteck 4-port 72W USB Wall Charger
Logitech Craft
A good wireless keyboard can be hard to find, but Logitech's Craft is one of the more luxurious ones that stands out. Primarily, it's a solid keyboard that's relatively quiet and has decent travel, and the experience doesn't falter even after months of continuous use. It also has a great battery life—it charges via USB-C and will last weeks on a single charge, even when used every day for hours at a time. It conveniently connect to your PC via Bluetooth or the included universal USB receiver as well.
A peculiar perk is the dial that sits at the Craft's top-left corner. It can be programmed using Logitech options (along with other mappable keys) to do different things like adjust volume, switch tabs, and edit a photo's contrast and brightness, and more depending on the program you're currently using. That makes it a natural pick for creatives who will find the dial's precision better than that of a trackpad or a mouse, but it's also just a convenient tool for regular users as well.
Logitech Craft
Listing image by Logitech
Fnatic miniStreak
The miniStreak’s price is most evident in its ABS keycaps, which are prone to attracting fingerprints and are generally cheaper-feeling than a good set of double-shot PBT caps. But it’s possible to replace these with more premium models if your loved one ever gets to the point of that being a problem. The Cherry MX switches here are more durable than traditional keyboards, and the miniStreak’s case doesn’t sound or feel particularly hollow as you clack away. Not everyone will love the deeper feedback provided with each keypress here, and the noisiness of the switches may annoy anyone else in earshot, but many people swear by mechanical keyboards for a reason. A good model like this might make your recipient’s day-to-day work a little more bearable.
Fnatic miniStreak (Cherry MX Brown)
Apple Smart Keyboard
Again, given how thin the Smart Keyboard is, the actual typing experience here is far from revelatory. It keeps the iPad easily portable, but there just isn't much room for satisfying travel or large keys. But for what it is, it’s fast enough, the fabric coating feels smooth, and the keys are spaced well enough to avoid mistakes. It’s also nice that the keyboard is easy to clean, with no crevices for gunk to fall into. Working from an iPad still requires some level of compromise, but the Smart Keyboard makes it possible without totally ruining what makes Apple’s tablets appealing in the first place.
Apple Smart Keyboard for iPad (7th gen) and iPad Air (3rd gen)
CalDigit Pro Dock
The newest laptops aren't exactly the most connectivity-friendly machines, but CalDigit's Pro Dock can fix that problem. If you have someone in your life that's constantly plugging and unplugging accessories, juggling peripherals, and in general messing with their workspace so they can connect to everything they need to, a USB-C dock could be helpful to them. CalDigit's Pro Dock is a good option for two main reasons: it works with both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C PCs and it's relatively inexpensive at $199.
Thunderbolt 3 is the fastest and most advanced version of the USB-C connector type, but Thunderbolt 3 and other types of USB-C ports look the same. It can be hard to determine which type of connector is on your PC, but the Pro Dock makes it so you don't have to know. When connected to a Thunderbolt 3 machine, it will provide the fastest data transfer speeds capable of Thunderbolt 3 ports. When connected to another USB-C port type, it will adjust speeds and capabilities appropriately.
This makes it an easy gift because you don't have to ask your loved one what type of connector their PC has. Also, most Thunderbolt 3 docks cost more than $200, so the Pro Dock's $199 price tag is on the low end of the spectrum. CalDigit's Pro Dock is a solid gift that will make a big difference in any workspace, and it won't break the bank as much as other docks would.
CalDigit Pro Dock
Logitech C920S HD Pro
Most importantly, its video quality is strong out of the box. It takes clear 1080p video at 30 frames per second, with a nearly 80-degree field of view. Its autofocus works relatively quickly, and while it’s not quite as impressive in darker settings, it does a decent job at automatically adjusting exposure when lighting is less consistent.
A 1080p resolution and 30fps should be more than enough for most people’s needs: Logitech sells a C922x Pro Stream webcam that supports 60fps video at 720p, but its video and microphone quality is otherwise similar despite costing around $20 more. That might only be worth it if your loved one wants to dabble in streaming on YouTube or Twitch. The Logitech Brio, meanwhile, steps up to 4K video, a 90-degree field of view, and a USB-C port—the C920S requires a USB-A port somewhere on your device, but it costs nearly $100 more, putting it closer to the professional-level tier. For simply helping your loved one look and sound clearer on group calls, the HD920S is simple and effective.
Logitech C920S HD Pro
Creative Pebble Plus
All of this is too cheap and compact to get close to “premium” sound quality: the subwoofer boosts the low-end but implies deep sub-bass more than actually delivering it. Tracks can sound distorted when the volume is cranked to maximum levels. Hooking everything up means dealing with a buffet of cables, too. Even still, the Pebble Plus performs exceedingly well for such a low price, with good clarity in the mids, solid separation, relatively crisp highs, and an overall sense of balance. The speakers are smartly designed to fire sound upwards from a 45-degree angle, so you get something close to the full brunt of whatever’s playing.
Actually setting up the Pebble Plus is as simple as plugging them into a USB wall charger, connecting the subwoofer into the right speaker, and jacking in the included 3.5mm cable. A volume dial on that speaker is all there is as far as playback controls. Both speakers measure 4.5x4.8x4.5 inches, while the subwoofer measures 8.0x5.9x7.7 inches, so the whole setup shouldn’t dominate desk space. We think their minimalist, egg-like shape looks pretty clean as well.
And, well, that’s about it: the Pebble Plus isn’t a miracle, but it is great value, providing easy operation and genuinely decent 2.1 audio at a bargain-bin price. It should be a nice first upgrade for anyone who spends all day at a desk but hasn’t improved their monitor’s sound just yet.
Creative Pebble Plus
Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD
To be clear, your recipient will still get the most out of the Aorus AD27QD if they use it for gaming, too, whether it’s hooked up to a PS4 or a full-on gaming PC. Its 144Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and minimal motion blur help keep moving objects nice and smooth even during fast-paced scenes. There’s native support for AMD’s FreeSync variable refresh rate standard, and the monitor is certified as “G-Sync Compatible” for rigs powered by Nvidia graphics cards. And while the RGB bias lighting on the back isn’t nearly as intense as some other gaming monitors, it’s still there.
But even if all that means nothing to you, the Aorus AD27QD is just a good monitor first and foremost. It’s a 27-inch display, which seems like the sweet spot for most use cases. It has a 1440p resolution, which isn’t as ultra-sharp as 4K, but will still look plenty crisp for most and won’t suffer from any stray app scaling issues. It’s also an IPS panel, which we consider the best compromise of the major display types: it doesn’t have the deep contrast of a VA panel or the ultra-fast responsiveness of a TN screen, but it does well to walk the line between the two, with better viewing angles and colors than either. In general, color depth, accuracy, and uniformity are all great out of the box, so your loved one won’t have to fiddle with the monitor’s settings to get a picture that works well with videos or web browsing. That said, Gigabyte’s on-screen display isn’t overly complicated when it is needed.The Aorus AD27QD’s ergonomics are a plus as well. It has around a 40-degree swivel range, can be raised about five inches, and can rotate a full 180 degrees if needed. The monitor’s “legs” sit out a little wide but are thin enough to not take up a particularly large amount of room. The stand has a convenient carrying handle built into it, and the display itself doesn’t have any obvious creaking or cheap-feeling points. The borders around the screen itself are thin, too, so it can fit well in a multi-monitor setup if needed. There are unfortunately no USB-C ports or built-in speakers, but the two USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and DisplayPort 1.2 should provide enough connectivity for most. Again, we can’t say the Aorus AD27QD is the best monitor for all needs, and it certainly counts as a high-roller gift, but if your loved one has any side interest in gaming it should make for a treat.
Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Everyone's work needs are different but we wanted to highlight Lenovo's exceptional ThinkPad X1 Carbon as a laptop that almost anyone could use to get real work done. It's been one of our favorite business notebooks for quite some time, and that's mostly because Lenovo hasn't concerned itself with gimmicks when it comes to think X1 Carbon. All of the most recent updates to this laptop have been purposeful—instead of trying to get the X1 Carbon to be the thinnest, lightest, most flashy-looking laptop around, Lenovo instead has worked hard to fix any serious flaws and improve upon what people love about the ThinkPad line.
The newest X1 Carbon models have Comet Lake chips inside, but we recently tested the model that came out right before that and the performance was solid. In addition, Lenovo changed the design slightly to be thinner and lighter, but it didn't remove anything to make it so. The X1 Carbon has a surprisingly light frame that's also MIL-spec tested, and it has a variety of ports: two USB 3.1 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card reader, a headphone/mic combo jack, and a lock slot. When connected to one of Lenovo's docks, you can get other connectivity options like an Ethernet port.The X1 Carbon still has Lenovo's signature ThinkPad keyboard, which is one of the best on which to type for long periods of time. The webcam still has a physical shutter, but if you prefer having an IR camera, you can configure the X1 Carbon to have that instead. It comes standard with an FHD display, but Lenovo offers a 4K IPS panel option that also supports Dolby Vision and HDR400. The company also added a panel option that has its PrivacyGuard filter that will prevent prying eyes from seeing information on your screen.
But our favorite improvement in the newest X1 Carbon models is the prolonged battery life. By our testing, you can get up to 17.5 hours of life on a single charge (with the FHD display model). So no matter if you're working in your office or out and about, the X1 Carbon will have enough stamina to work as hard as you need to. Price is the main drawback as the X1 Carbon can get expensive quickly as you spec it out, but many other Windows (and macOS) machines have the same problem. If you want something a little less expensive but still a strong workhorse of a machine, HP's Envy 13 laptop could be a good fit.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vYXJzdGVjaG5pY2EuY29tL2dhZGdldHMvMjAxOS8xMi9ndWlkZW1hc3Rlci1nb29kLXRlY2gtZ2lmdHMtZm9yLXNwcnVjaW5nLXVwLWEtbG92ZWQtb25lcy13b3JrLXNwYWNlL9IBcmh0dHBzOi8vYXJzdGVjaG5pY2EuY29tL2dhZGdldHMvMjAxOS8xMi9ndWlkZW1hc3Rlci1nb29kLXRlY2gtZ2lmdHMtZm9yLXNwcnVjaW5nLXVwLWEtbG92ZWQtb25lcy13b3JrLXNwYWNlLz9hbXA9MQ?oc=5
2019-12-11 12:30:00Z
CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vYXJzdGVjaG5pY2EuY29tL2dhZGdldHMvMjAxOS8xMi9ndWlkZW1hc3Rlci1nb29kLXRlY2gtZ2lmdHMtZm9yLXNwcnVjaW5nLXVwLWEtbG92ZWQtb25lcy13b3JrLXNwYWNlL9IBcmh0dHBzOi8vYXJzdGVjaG5pY2EuY29tL2dhZGdldHMvMjAxOS8xMi9ndWlkZW1hc3Rlci1nb29kLXRlY2gtZ2lmdHMtZm9yLXNwcnVjaW5nLXVwLWEtbG92ZWQtb25lcy13b3JrLXNwYWNlLz9hbXA9MQ
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar