Tech-Nut

We come to the final post in this series and third type of computing. The tablet has been around for many years, as much as a decade. But it was not until Steve Jobs introduced the iPad that this type of computing became popular.

The tablet is something everyone can use, I have seen children as young as 3 year old pick it up and use it with ease. It is great for reading e-books, playing games, reading/ writing emails, taking pictures, making short movies, the list is endless. Tablets are small, they come touch screen that range between 7 and 10 inches and they weigh about a pound. You can carry them with ease and hold them with just one hand, and they will last your up to 10 hours, which is equivalent to a full days usage with out you needing to charge it. From what I have said so far these tablets sound like they leave desktops and laptops in the dust, in a way they do, but lets look at some of the drawbacks to these computers.

Tablets are basically a thin computer with a big glass touch screen. They have a starting price point of $299 and can go up to as much as $999 depending on the screen size and the memory capacity you require, the average price of a tablet, (Apple iPad) is $499. These computers are very fragile and when a 5 year old is not paying attention they can drop and crack the screen of your brand new $500 computer.

As convenient as tablets are, they are not powerful machines. Programs that run on your desktop will not run on tablets, for example games with complex resolutions, professional photo editing programs like Photoshop have no place on the tablet. Writing a quick email is fine, but if you have to write a 10 page paper or an extensive article, it can be pretty demanding typing on a glass screen for a couple of hours. Of course there are accessories that you can purchase, like keyboards and mice to make it easier, but that almost takes away from the idea of the tablet.

Your computing experience can be fulfilled with a tablet without the purchase of desktop or laptop, but this would be for the individual that only needs it to make video calls, check a few emails or browse the internet. The tablet is really for the individual that has a desktop and does not need a laptop but wants to have an equivalent when it is necessary.

I pointed out the pros and cons of all three computers, and mind you everyone is completely differentness and we all have different requirements to get through our day. I hope this series will give you a better understanding of what is out there so you can make the most informed decision.

In the first part of the series we talked about the advantages and disadvantages of dekstops. Let’s look at the pros and cons of laptops, and whether a laptop is more suited for you.

First and formost, the main advantage of a laptop is its portability, use it wherever and whenever you need it. The laptop is purchased mainly by people that need to be able to access or create files on the go. The ease of being able to sit down anywhere and have the same computing power as a desktop at fraction of it’s weight is liberating. Of course like everything else there are strings attached to this freedom. One of the major draw backs to using a laptop over a desktop is battery life, a typical laptop has a battery life of about 4-6 hours of normal usage. This means creating Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, and browsing the interent. If you do not charge your battery after it has been drained from the usage, essentially your going to be carrying around a very heavy paper weight.

Laptops can also be very expensive, and since we are comparing similar computing power between the desktop and laptop, an entry level laptop will run you between $499 and $899. Unfortunately the draw backs do not stop there,  as we mentioned in the part 1 of the series, laptops come with much smaller screen sizes and the entry level laptop will not have the same screen resolution as that big 20″ monitor that is attached to your desktop. This means, the real-estate that is available on the desktop which allows you to open more programs on one screen is not available on the laptop, and that can be frustrating when using programs like Microsoft Office. That being said, there are laptops that have larger screen sizes and higher resolutions that allow you to have the same experience as a desktop, but those machines add more weight and a much higher price tag.

Laptops also come with internet limitations, when your home you connect your desktop to your modem and you have a uninterrupted signal which gives you lighting fast speeds. A laptop can also be connected to that same modem, but what happens when you leave your home? On top of the expensive price tag, heavy weight, and short battery life, connecting to the internet requires additional fees which can cost up to an additional $50 a month.

Laptops are great for the people that require the ease of portability, but if you find yourself using your computer at home more times than outside your home. It might be beneficial to your wallet and your back to invest in a desktop.

We have reached dawn of age where everyone has some form of personal computer, whether it be a laptop, desktop or tablet. My three part series will discuss who should be purchasing what and which product is right for them. When it comes to personal computing, there are three types of people, the heavy users, moderate users, and the light users.

First up is the desktop users. The desktop is for the individual that is stationary, the ones that need enough computing power to be able to use programs like Office and Adobe, but do not need to bring that computing power with them. You might say, “I can use a laptop at home and have the opportunity to take it with me wherever I go.” As this is true the difference between the laptop and the desktop is the screen size. Laptops in general that have the same price point as a entry level desktop come with small screens. They can range from 10″ to 15″, unfortunately using a device with a small screen can leave your eyes strained which cause headaches. Desktops also come in at a lower price point, that does not mean that there are not desktop’s that can reach a couple thousand dollars. But for this series were going to consider the computer power that matches all three different machines.

The entry level PC can range from $399 to above average computing power with a price tag of $699, mind you these prices also would include a 20″ high definition monitor. The entry level PC is for the individual that rarely uses it. This would be the ones that want to check news, email, video chat, and maybe right a letter with Microsoft office. This user tends to be the older generation, 55+ or the fairly new generation, ages between 9 and 15. The people that fall in-between these age groups are the students, gamers, and professionals. These individuals require computing power that is not offered laptops in the price rage that they can afford or simply the screen size is just not large enough for them to complete their work.

Desktops might be heavy and bulky, but they offer a more affordable computing experience compared to laptops.

We all live busy lives, I, like you are constantly checking emails, texts, and the Internet through out the day to make my life easier. I see the progression of technology a sign of victory for all of mankind. This technology is implemented in our lives on a daily basis, whether it is a new technology in traffic lights to a faster and easier way of retrieving data that is more directly linked to you. This is why I bring you Data-Nut.com

My blog is all about connecting the everyday person with the technology of tomorrow. Whether it is an upgrade to a piece of tech that was introduced years ago or something entirely new that is coming to light for the first time. This website will show how the progression of technology will allow you to make your lives just a little bit more easier.