50 Top Tech Tools and Tips. David Sandy
the screen size going to be large enough for the applications you need to use? For example, do you do lots of work on spreadsheets?
How will you connect to the internet? All netbooks should be Wi-Fi enabled, but if you are out and about you may not be able to guarantee access to a Wi-Fi hot spot. Again, a 3G card is the answer: don’t forget the cost.
Look out for these features
Being comfortable with the smaller screen is paramount with a netbook, especially as you may spend several hours at a time staring at it. Make sure you try before you buy so you know your eyes will be comfortable using it.
How does the smaller keyboard feel to use? Are the keys sufficiently well spaced and comfortable for your fingers? Again, try before you buy! Many netbooks have close-to-full-size keyboards, so it’s possible not to get annoyed by cramp.
At least a 1.5Ghz processor for reasonable performance.
What you should expect to pay
Netbooks start from around £170 and go up in price to about £500, with Apple’s Mac-equivalent to the netbook being the MacBook Air, which starts from around £850.
If you are looking at a top-end netbook (sometimes called Ultrabooks), perhaps consider making the transition over to a laptop, which will be more powerful for the same money.
If you are likely to be using a 3G SIM card / USB modem to connect to the internet with your netbook, depending on data usage it will cost you between £10 and £30 per month.
In recent times mobile networks have been enticing customers to sign up to their mobile broadband by offering a free netbook. Make sure you do the maths first, though, to be sure it is cheaper than buying the two separately and the netbook is the specification you actually need.
Tablets
Tablet computers are touch-screen devices used either with your finger or a stylus (depending on the type of screen technology). They are less powerful than a netbook or a laptop, and rather than having full applications have ‘apps’ instead. Apps are small packages of software that provide a specific function or role; for example, there are apps for accessing your emails, Twitter, Facebook, weather, notes and thousands more. Apps are downloaded either for free or for a couple of pounds from the platform provider’s online marketplace.
All tablets run an operating system which provides you with base functionality and the platform on which to install apps. The main operating systems are Google Android and Apple iOS. It is worth trying out a tablet device with each of these on to see which you like working with the best. BlackBerry also offer their own operating system on their PlayBook tablet, with some (limited) cross-over Android functionality. Windows 8 tablets are scheduled for release in late 2012, with the Professional edition of the operating system featuring both tablet and traditional desktop modes: in other words, the full Windows experience on machines the size of an iPad.
Is a tablet computer right for me?
They’re great if you are mainly going to be using email, internet and updating your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
But if you need to be more productive than this, working on documents or multiple applications at one time, then look at a netbook, laptop or desktop computer. Multi-tasking is possible with some tablet devices, but they are not the fastest productivity environment.
Look out for these features
Does it have a capacitive or resistive screen? Capacitive screens can process input from multiple touches and gestures at once. Resistive screens are less laggy and more accurate, and work with a stylus, but only process input from a single touch-source at a time.
Does the device have a front-facing camera (vital if you are considering using it for video calls)?
How does the tablet connect to the internet? Is this just via Wi-Fi or a 3G SIM card?
Does it come with a case or protective cover?
What you should expect to pay
Expect to pay from around £150 for a low-end tablet computer with a small 4–7 inch screen up to about £700 for high-powered 10-inch Android tablets, and from £400 to £700 for an Apple iPad.
Also, remember if you need to use the tablet on the move and guarantee internet connectivity, you will need a 3G SIM card. These start from about £10 per month depending on the amount of data you will be using.
Mobile Broadband
Purpose: Providing your non-internet-enabled devices with mobile internet access.
Having a connection to the internet is pretty essential for most businesses nowadays, but you might find that you are not always somewhere where you have fixed-line broadband.
Of course, if you have a smartphone with a data tariff then hooking up to the internet isn’t too much of a problem. But when the small size of a phone screen or lack of proper keyboard doesn’t cut it, you might be better off looking at mobile broadband.
Mobile broadband normally comes in the form of a ‘dongle’ – a small modem device with SIM card installed which plugs into a USB socket on your computer or laptop. The device has software installed which connects your device up to the internet using a mobile phone network – in the same way that a smartphone does.
All of the mobile networks offer mobile broadband devices in a variety of colours and styles. Tariffs above ~£15 per month include on average around 2GB of data usage per month and will either throw in the USB dongle free or there might be a small one-off charge.
Tip
When deciding which company to go with, you may be swayed to go with your existing mobile network provider. However, strongly consider where in the country you’ll be using your mobile broadband and check coverage offered by the various networks in that area. Poor signal will result in an internet connection reminiscent of the early 1990s.
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