When it comes to technology, what device should I buy?

Hello all,

Usually several time per day I am stopped by a friend, colleague, and even pets asking for a bit of advice concerning what to buy when it comes to technology.  Should I buy a laptop, netbook, tablet, desktop, tower, TV, or a fish tank.  They are paralyzed by the myriad of choices available to purchase and go into toxic lock down.  They walk out of stores without purchasing anything.  Most are looking for a simple answer, "buy 'this'" so that they can go buy it and live happily ever after.  Well, if it were really that simple you wouldn't have to ask someone what to buy.  The answer would be as clear as going to the grocery store to buy donuts.  Everyone know that the ONLY donut that really exists is the Maple Fritter and everything else is just a Maple Fritter wannabe.  Of course I use the analogy jokingly, kinda, in that there are so many option on what to purchase in technology.  So what is right for you?

There are some very specific, high level realizations which must be accepted before any investment into personal technology.

1.  It is a 1 to 3 year investment.  While there will be lots of people in caveat mode right now reading this, there are certainly lots of factors that play into my recommendation.  Just like purchasing anything, you hope to have it as long as possible, but in reality, it just doesn't work like that for technology.
2.  Your device will cost you roughly 1/2 of it's original cost per year.  If you buy a device for $500, you will spend about $250 per year to maintain it.  Again, a very general estimation.  Software and hardware maintenance, connection costs and downtime all figure into having additional costs associated with any technology device.  Think about buying any technology much like you would that of buying a car.  Once you buy a car the cost of it doesn't stop at the purchase.  Same thing with technology.
3.  There isn't any single device that does everything.  No matter what you buy you will find something that you had hoped a device would do and can't.  This is why it is so very important to lay out your exact expectations.
4.  Things change.  Hardware and software, and even people change.  Most people who buy any technology device have a certain level of buyer remorse after the purchase.  They get it home, unbox it, and find some quirk or little thing that will set them off and they begin to wonder, "did I buy the right thing?"  And this happens literally hours after the purchase.  Fast forward three+ months after having it for a while and seeing new things come on the market, the next statement I hear is, "I should have waited!"  Go a little more forward into the future, usually 1-3 years and you will find some feature or software that you GOTTA have and say, "This is a piece of junk, I have to get a new device to do....."

Before anyone can suggest a device for you, you must answer a few questions.  This is typically the hardest part for most people because if you don't know what to buy, you probably do not know what questions to ask.

 Here is a list of questions for you to ponder as you narrow down what you are looking for in any device

1.  Define what you want your device to do simply as if you are replacing what you are currently doing with another piece of hardware.  This may sound silly but with the myriad of devices out there, this is VITAL in understanding the evolution of technology, and here is why.

I got a panic call from someone who just purchased brand new computers for their office.  He said, "Tom, you gotta help me or I am going to get fired." (literally).  They unboxed the computers, set up these state-of-the-art desktops with all sorts of bells and whistles, 32" monitors, graphics cards that were totally awesome, just some amazing equipment, and nothing worked.
The last technology refresh for this company happened in 2000, with Windows 98 stand alone computers.  These were custom built computers which included 5 1/4 inch floppy drives which they still used today.  The software they used was 16 bit based and would not run on Windows 7 x64 Ultimate edition.  Their network connection in their office was still token ring.
While most people think as purchasing a new computer as a simple "upgrade" in hardware, many times there requires an upgrade in the process of tasks in order to correctly and properly receive new hardware and devices.  Your old processes may still work, but often, with new technology, you must define exactly what you want your hardware to do before you purchase it.  If the hardware can not do it, you may need to rethink what and how you want to accomplish your tasks.

Don't assume anything.  In this process NEVER say, "All I want to do is......" because that is NEVER, EVER the case.  "All I want to do is to connect to the Internet and do email"  Okay, here is your 33.6k modem and your subscription to CompuServe.  :)  That will do exactly what you have asked for but probably not how you would expect.

2.  What do you want to do?  This is the point in which you can dream about exactly you see doing with your device.  This is important because it will help answer the next question too.  However, know that dreaming is free, getting a device to do everything you want it to do will cost you. 
I have aquite eccentric acquaintance who is into computers and also into home brewing.  He asked, one day, "I would like my computer help me brew my beer".  This long story ends with a simple device called an Arduino, http://arduino.cc/en/, and suddenly he is not only brewing beer, but monitoring and controlling everything along the process.
What do you want your computer to do?

3.  Do you want your device to be portable or stationary?  You may laugh and think this question is silly, but it isn't.  You will pay for portability!  Maybe not in price as handheld devices are getting very cheap, but you will pay in features, speed, and functionality.
If you are buying a computer, you get more processing, memory, and bells and whistles on a traditional desktop/tower computer.  Most people I talk with want the speed and processing power of a desktop, crammed into a portable computer, and want it to cost the same.  That simply isn't going to happen.  If you say that you want to do 3D modeling, graphics and picture manipulation, motion picture editing, and want to be mobile, be prepared to pay double or more the cost to be able to do it.  You can cram all sorts of high end processing and memory into a desktop for a lot less than squeezing it into portable devices.


4.  How do you want to connect to the Internet?  Again, a somewhat silly question but there is a whole lot more to it.
If you buy any device, including most desktops, WIFI is pretty standard.  You can connect to any open and free WIFI network.  As we mature in technology, most typically want to be connected to a data connect Anytime, Anyplace, with Any device.  Many of the cellular carriers now offer this service either as built into a device or a simple add-on to existing devices.  They offer special deals on devices at their shops.  Sometimes it is a phone device with data, other times it is a tablet or even a laptop with data, all depending on how you answered the first question, what do you want to do.
Connecting to the free WIFI connections is nice, but is being steadily replaced with the 3G and 4G networks (3G is currently supersaturated and painfully slow).  Many people want to be connected 24/7.  They want to use their devices to shop AND to do work.

So, I have taken you on the journey for you to answer a lot of questions about what YOU want.  Now let me share what is out there, and you decide what is right for you.  As I said previously, there isn't a SINGLE device that will do EVERYTHING you want to do.  For that reason, and I know I am going to get backlash on this but here goes, one device simply won't do.  As a start, one is fine, but I believe as most of my colleagues will agree, one is simply not enough.

1.  Desktop and Tower.  These are the tried and true devices that everyone seems to know.  They will do just about anything you ask of them.  They are quick, easily accessed, and allow one place to do stuff.  They are not very portable and require a constant power supply (no battery powered).  Unless you have a UPS, if the power goes off, so does the computer.  These are the most cost effective, bang for the buck devices on the market today.

2.  Laptop.  I put this in its own category simply to draw some clear lines.  A laptop, in its true form is a portable desktop.  Laptops can be powerful and also power hungry devices that do much, if not all of the functions that a desktop in a portable fashion.  They typically have higher end hardware that can perform high end computing.

3.  Notebook.  This too is in its own category to draw a clear line.  A notebook is a slimmed down laptop.  It can do many things that a laptop can do, but it has lower end hardware.  You will find that many use laptop and notebook interchangeably, however, when you dig deeper, bottom line, a notebook will be lower end and cost less than a laptop.  Think of the comparison like this, Ford Focus compared to a Cadillac CTS.  Both have 4 doors, 4 wheels, steering wheel, radio, power windows, etc.  One is a little nicer than the other and does a little more.

4.  Netbook.  This category is kinda new in the marketplace.  These devices are intended for one thing, getting online quickly and cheaply.  Typically they are small, ultra portable with no CD drive and very few external connections to any other devices.  You turn them on, do some basic tasks, but most importantly get online to do work with web tools.  Usually 10" screen or smaller in size, a smaller than standard keyboard, but super fast.  The usual distinction between a Notebook and a Netbook is size and features.  They will cost about the same, only the Netbook will be much smaller and have fewer gadgets and gizmos.  Again, you pay for small.

4.  Tablet PC.  This is an odd duck category that came way ahead of its time, faded, and is now making a resurgence.  There was a hole in technology between the traditional Laptop/Notebook/Netbook and the Pad market (iPad, Xoom, Acclaim, Galaxy, IdeaPad, etc).  The hole is that of having all the features of a Laptop/Notebook/Netbook and combining them with the touch features and functions of the Pad market.  The Tablet PC does just that.  You get all the cool stuff that a Pad device gives you combined with the features, power and knowing capabilities of the laptop community, all in one.  A major downside in these is cost.  They can be expensive

5.  Pad computing.  I am going to lump just about all Pads into this category.  There are literally dozens to choose from, most notably the Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy, Lenovo Ideapad, and even MORE coming out with the soon to be released Android OS called "Ice Cream Sandwich"
Pad computing is cool.  I personally own 6 different pad devices and am looking to purchase my 7th simply to get my hands on Ice Cream Sandwich.
These are designed to do personal things very well.  You can run all sorts of apps, watch movies, listen to music, watch movies, listen to music, read books with Amazon Kindle app or Nook app, and Google books.  I use Skype every day on my pads.  They are a lot of fun, entertaining, and I can do some work on them.  However, when it comes down to doing serious work of administering a network or servers, analyzing data and most multi tasking activities, while possible, it can be difficult and annoying on a pad device.  Add a wireless keyboard or a dock of sorts and it gets much better.

6.  Reader devices.  This is a new category for me, in that it is a new genre of devices that is catching "fire".  I had originally thought that many of the reader devices would become assimilated into the pad devices simply because the Pad devices can already do pretty much all that the reader devices can do.  However, having my hands on the Amazon Kindle fire recently, it is clear that the Reader devices are becoming more and more "Pad-ish"  Their number one purpose in life is to connect you to publications and get you online.  With the Fire, they have added all sorts of online connectivity which makes it more pad like. 

7.  Micro computing/hand held/Phone devices.  Let's face it, a phone isn't a phone anymore.  It is a computer that can act like a phone.  The only reason that these devices are still around is that we'd all look pretty silly holding a 10" pad up to our head talking on the phone.  Reminds me of the days when we use to walk around with these huge boom boxes on our shoulder so we could get our grove on anywhere, but I digress.  Most of the time, with some exceptions, these are pretty much just smaller versions of Pad devices.  If a 4" or 7" screen is enough for you to do everything you need to do, you are set.  I know someone who has a Motorola Atrix with a docking station and can do most things with his phone.  He loves it.  http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile+Phone+Accessories/Docking-Stations/Atrix-Laptop-Dock-US-EN

8.  TV PC.  Despite my hesitation I am going to include this in the conversation.  Many, if not most televisions that are on the market today are nothing more than a computer with a really big screen.  They do one thing really well, they show us stuff.  We watch TV, movies, look at pictures, etc.  Back in the early to mid 1990's there was a concept way ahead of it's time called Web TV.  You could purchase a box that connected to your TV and also had a modem that would dial out to your ISP.  In the process you could sit in front of your TV and do anything on the Internet on your big 25" Zenith console TV.  Fast forward to 2012 and you now have that feature standard on many TVs.  You must either cable or wireless connect your TV into your Internet connection and you now have the Internet on your 72" LED TV.  Get a keyboard and mouse, and you have a monster command center.  You can be tied right into Hulu, NetFlix, or any online streaming video, audio systems.  Soon, IPTV will be integrated where you call your friends and the camera on both ends turns on and you have a face to face conversation.

So, now I walked you through two things that should help you decided what to buy; what do you want and what is out there.  So, what do I recommend? 

(Drum roll)

I recommend everyone you develop a personal policy concerning personal computing needs that says something like:

I am going to develop skills, habits, application and technology usage that allows me to get to anything, at anytime, and on any device.

Once you get to this place in your technology paradigm, the device you use becomes little more than a personal preference of a means to accomplishing some goal.

Let me get a little more concrete on this concept.  I personally and professionally have the goal that ANY data in my life should be able to be accessed, manipulated and used at Any Time, at Any Place, on Any Device. 

How is that possible?  It is a fundamental change in how we view what we do.  One of the most simple changes I did was that I never store anything locally on any device.  All of my data, while it may be local, I have it connected to the web so that I can get to it where ever I am.  I happen to use dropbox personally.  At the Campbellsport School District, we have server storage.  Users can store their data on the server storage and retrieve it from ANY web page, any device.
Same with communication methods.  My email, while there may be a local client, I connect to all web based applications.  I use Gmail, Yahoo, GroupWise and several other systems that I can use any device to access my data.
But what about apps?  This is a real sticking point with me.  At times there is a need for a local application to take advantage of hardware.  Any 3D modeling needs processing power and graphics.  The virtual world is catching up but is not quite there yet.  However, let's take some basic application that most of us know about, Microsoft Office.  When you install it locally, it is quite cool and helps you do things.  However, there is Google Docs out there that kinda does something similar.  Microsoft Sharepoint and now Office360 are also live, online and do the same thing as the Office install.

As a final answer, because so many people ask, what do I use and recommend.  It is kinda like asking an investment person what ONE thing would you invest if you were going to invest in only ONE thing.  My answer, desktop.  Just like investing in one thing, using one technology device has strengths and weaknesses, pro's and con's, advantages and disadvantages. 

There are many web sites out there that can help you decide which device is right for you.  Good luck in your search and let me know what you find.

Tom

p.s.  There are 00000010 types of people that are reading this, those that get it and those that don't.