Most of us spend so much time buying, installing, and scratching our heads over the high-tech gadgets in our lives (phones, PDAs and computers), we often neglect the low-tech tools we need just as much... maybe even more. The current industrial design "revolution" that's brought us the iMac, the VW bug and the Palm V has also come to office organization. Now your office tools can be as stylish as they are utilitarian and affordably priced. Here are a few of our favorite products for combating the chaos on THIS side of the computer screen.
 Italian Style at K-Mart Prices
The Italian design firm Kartell has been in the business of creating functional-yet-fashionable task furniture for some fifty years. They started during the modern design revolution of the fifties that exploited new materials and manufacturing processes to bring upscale design to the post-war masses. Kartell has never wavered from this mission.
 Their current line of brightly-colored ABS plastic furniture and office accessories are designed to stack, configure, and appropriate as needed. They carry everything from rolling suspended file cabinets to computer carts (shown in photo at top of page) and sleek, modern desk sets. While "K-Mart prices" may be an exaggeration, Kartell products are very reasonably priced given the obvious smarts that go into them. Kartell is sold through many mail order catalogs and their own chain stores.
 The Paperfull Office
Let's face it, that paperless office we were promised isn't coming to a workspace near you anytime soon. We're still felling forests as fast as we can grow 'em. To help make intelligent sense of all this tree skin, the Bindertek office system was created.
 On the face of it, they just look like regular ring binders, but these are ring binders that actually work! The rings always stay locked and work smoothly, the binders are constructed for years of use, and they have finger holes on the spines for easy shelf access. "Archiving clips" allow you to take projects out of binders and store them in cabinets. The holes in the documents are also situated in such a way that you can easily rifle through the documents from the top. Sometimes smart, simple improvements make the biggest difference. This is one of those times.
 The OTHER Mobile Office
When you think of computer mobility, you probably think of jet-setting businesspeople, laden with laptops, cellphones and pagers. For years, Anthrocart has been building best-of-breed products for another type of computer nomad: home-office and corporate users who need their desks and all their gear to move from place to place, be it within a work area, or from work area to the family room closet. They make a full line of component-based systems and are known for their excellent service in trying to design a system that's right for you. Anthrocarts are not cheap, but users swear that the quality of construction and the ergonomic designs are worth the investment.
 Laptop Organizer
If you ARE one of the road warriors whose idea of office organization is a well-packed suitcase, you may want to strap yourself into an Intrigo Lapstation Pro. These cool-looking portable desks unfold from a 1-1/2" profile into a 20" x 11" non-skid work surface. The desk weighs just under three pounds.
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