“Ipads and Netbooks and warm woollen mittens...”

There’s only one thing that seems to arrive more quickly than Christmas, and that’s new technology. ‘Smartphone’, ‘Ipad’, ‘Tablet’, ‘Netbook’ and  ‘Kindles’ are all words that have rattled around in our consciousness this year, but what are they? And do you want or need them?

Let me  try and demystify the technical terminology and give you a broad understanding of what these things are,  and if you’re looking to treat someone, or perhaps a treat for yourself, then what should you ask for?

Smartphone
Once there were mobile phones, (ha ha remember them!) Now there are ‘smart phones’, they no longer just ring when someone phones you, or beep when someone texts you, they now receive your emails and organise your diary and most popular of all browse the internet. Examples of smart phones are the much loved Apple Iphone, the Blackberry, and a veritable smorgasbord of other manufacturers trying to get in on the action.
Prices – most will be provided through your phone contract.

Tablet
It wont be a Satsuma that people will be wanting to find in their stockings this year (did anyone ever actually get a Satsuma or was that just a tale our parents told us to remind us to be grateful?), it’ll be an Apple. The most talked about ‘tablet’ at the moment is the Apple Ipad.
A tablet is a handheld device somewhere between the size of a smart phone and a laptop or Netbook.

These devices can be used to browse the internet, play music/films, view/create documents, manage your email and for those that are interested (over 50’s look away) improve your street cred!  They are highly portable and are about the size of a piece of A4 paper and the thickness of a slice of bread (medium sliced).

Your Tablet will not be able to store as many photo’s, or music as a traditional Laptop but you will be able to access music/film/photo’s  ‘online’ (from the internet) so you wont need to store so much on the actual device.
Prices from £99-£1000

By the way a ‘Kindle’ is a wireless reading device from Amazon.com, you can download books from the internet and take it with you instead of the actual book(s).

Netbook
Similar to a Tablet with the exception that it looks much more like a traditional laptop (can you use the word tradition in relation to computing?), quite simply it has a keyboard and a lid. The Netbook is designed to be ultra portable but with little storage available for data they’re not quite comparable with laptops. If all you want to do is browse the internet and a small amount of email and document management while travelling or away from home this is the device for you.

Or if you want to sit in your armchair and order the weekly shop you won’t need anything more than this. Prices from £120-£500

Laptop
In an attempt to compete with the burgeoning ultra cool ‘Tablet’ market, laptop manufacturers are trying to make the laptop even more portable, attractive and lighter. It seems as though new thinner/lighter models are being unveiled weekly. If you want to take your ‘office’ with you on the move and then use the same device when you get home or back to the office this one is for you.  Laptops now contain similar amounts of storage and processor capability as the traditional ‘tower/desktop’ computer.
£250-£1200

Desktop PC
Lets not forget the humble ‘old fashioned’ (see I did it again) desktop/tower. With everyone going mad for ‘the emperor’s new clothes’ at the moment there are some real deals to be found with these right now, so have a think about what you actually want to do with your new computer before jumping in. If it is unlikely that you need to take your computer around with you then stick with the ‘Desktop’.  You’ll get a lot more ‘bang for your buck’.

Happy Christmas - Richard at PC Skills on Wheels, Telephone: 07738 939321

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