PCs and Tablets and Smartphones, Oh My!

by Rudy Duke
Born to Move Magazine

So you want an iPad? Do you need it? Don’t buy technology for technology sake – unless you got it like that! When it comes to technology equipment needs, you need to know what to expect from each type. For those of us on a budget, we should acquire our equipment in the following sequence:

PC (Laptops and Desktops)

When it comes to a PC, the only reason to buy a desktop is if you are in the graphic design business – and can use a 24” – 30” wide-screen monitor. For the rest of us, get a really good laptop first. The PC is for all your heavy duty computing needs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. Toshiba is my favorite. At time of this post, a good Toshiba 15.6” with i3 chip can be purchased between $300 – $350.

Tablet

Once you have a good laptop, you are now ready to add a tablet to your tech toolbox. Tablets will help check emails, browse the Internet, take notes, use apps for a wide range of needs, read e-books, etc. While there are lots of good competitors, the iPad is still the best in my book. I recommend waiting for the iPad 3 which comes out around March 2012.

SmartPhone

We all need a mobile phone these days. If you have a laptop and a tablet, a decent phone for calls is enough. If possible, step up to a smartphone, getting a good one with an affordable data plan. Here again, I would stay in the “iDevice” family with the iPhone – especially if you have an iPad tablet. You can now backup your data in the iCloud (Internet) for both your iPhone and iPad and access it wherever you are. Here too, there are lots of excellent options but try pairing your tablet and your smartphone as much as possible.

Rudy Duke

I know people who have bought a tablet to use in place of a PC or a smartphone and have been sorely disappointed. Buy in the order suggested here based on availability of funds and you won’t be disappointed.

Tell me what do you think? Drop me a comment about your experiences at rduke@nextiumsolutions.com