Yukon setups: Anthony DeLorenzo
April 19, 2010
This is the fourth in a series of seven interviews - first was Patrick Goruick, second was me and third was Dave Rogers - with creative people who live and work in the Yukon. Up next is Anthony DeLorenzo.
Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is Anthony DeLorenzo and I’m a management consultant. I specialize in strategic planning, policy development and communications and most of my clients are in the government sector.
When I am in the office, my day-to-day work involves a lot of collecting, organizing and analyzing information and then writing about it. When I’m out of the office, I’m likely in a client meeting or running a planning session or workshop.
What computer hardware are you using?
I just bought a new Sony Vaio CW23 with an i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB drive and 14-inch screen. I’m not a designer or a programmer, so a fairly modest system meets all my needs very well. The HDMI output and BD-ROM drive are a nice bonus for watching post-work movies.
I’m happy with this machine, especially on value for the dollar. The main downsides are that the so-so battery life and somewhat flimsy construction. These are minor issues as I don’t plan to take this with me very often.
The keyboard on the Sony is very nice, but when I am at my desk I have a wireless keyboard and mouse.
Until recently, my primary machine was an Asus Eee PC netbook that will still see some use if I need something smaller to drag around.
My 32GB iPod Touch is always in my pocket. It syncs with most of my business applications and it’s often the only thing I take to meetings.
I use an Apple Airport Express (802.11n) for networking and streaming iTunes. My HP Officejet 6500 is wireless so I can print, scan or fax from any location or machine in the house.
What about software?
I’m running Windows 7 and, for the the first time in years, I’m not wishing for a Mac. It’s been nothing but impressive.
There are few programs installed on my machine. My main tools are the Google Chrome browser, Openoffice.org for documents, and Evernote (synced to all my devices via the cloud) for organizing research and notes. I’m still getting in the habit of using Evernote but it’s been a major benefit for some of my projects.
I rely heavily on a set of online applications, which are accessible from any of my devices.
- GMail handles mail, contacts, calendar and RSS reader;
- Freshbooks is like having an extra staff person and handles all my time tracking, billing and expenses; and
- Tungle makes it simple for people to schedule meetings with me
I’m a GTD guy so I use Things on my iTouch. Along with Gmail, this is how I keep myself organized and manage all my projects and action items. Much like Twitterific, I dearly wish that they would port the Mac desktop version to the PC, but the mobile app is so good that I don’t want to change to something else.
Where does the magic happen?
I have a home-based office. For a desk, I use a drafting table with a keyboard tray hacked on to the bottom and a couple of old filing cabinets. This setup works well because I’m quite tall, and the table was something I already had.
One nice touch is that I have a full chalkboard wall for writing big thoughts or organizing ideas on sticky notes.
Good work doesn’t happen without good coffee. Mine comes courtesy of our Technivorm Moccamaster, which happens to make the best cup of drip coffee I’ve ever had. I use only fresh-roasted beans from Midnight Sun, of course.
What would be your dream set-up?
If money were no object, my computer setup would probably be pretty close to what I have now. Swap out the Vaio for something more powerful, throw in a flat-panel display just for fun, get an iPhone and of course an iPad or two.
I listen to music all day, so I’d love to have 3-4 sets of seriously good speakers throughout the house, all networked over AirTunes of course.
I use a basic stool with my drafting table desk. Reading through Geof’s other interviews I now have a serious crush on the Herman Miller Aeron Stool.
On the coffee front, I covet a fully manual, lever-pull La Pavoni, along with the skill and patience to learn how to use one properly.
Thanks for reading! Questions or comments about anything, just give me a shout at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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