Confused about the options?  Here are some ways to narrow the field to find the solution that’s right for your business and personal needs.

If smart phones have many of the same capabilities as laptops, are they the right choice for your mobile computing needs?   What about netbooks and, of course, the iPad?  Are they a better choice?  Where do laptops fit in?  Here are some important points to consider when making a mobility decision.

Killer Mobility Applications  Email is still the most used mobile application.  People need to stay connected with customers, colleagues, and family and friends.  For the lightest, most portable way to receive email and the web, smartphones can’t be beat.  But test them first – you may find it difficult to type for an extensive period using a virtual or miniature keyboard.  Leverage your local friendly phone store or national retailer.  Even if you aren’t buying, they’ll often help you test out options — if you can elbow your way through the throngs of potential customers!  Be sure to ask about external keyboard docking stations and Bluetooth keyboard options.  Also look at the netbook keyboards, as they are much larger.  Laptops will have the largest keyboard, and if you work with finances, nothing beats the full size 10-key number pad on the right side.

Just gotta work together  Are friends bragging about the applications they can buy for their iPad?  Apps often have a great “cool” factor but they may not be suitable for business needs.  What applications do colleagues and customers use for work?  If they all use specific desktop software like Excel or Photoshop, a laptop with plenty of processing power is necessary.  Netbooks are the most helpful if you use mostly Word documents or presentations.  Where’s my stuff?  Most people carry only limited data at any one time, and perhaps a handful of documents and family photos.  Other folks need space for full length videos or photos from a high resolution camera.  Hardware connections are a must for your cameras.  A laptop offers lots of storage and plenty of USB connector ports, plus enough processing power to do most graphics editing.  A netbook will work as well, but storage and processing power are limited.

Beware the fees!  Smartphones are great for data access.  Web access is so handy, and the coverage is great these days, but convenience doesn’t come cheap:  You’ll likely need to sign up for a monthly package of data charges, whether you use them or not.  If you won’t use data access a lot, or use it consistently, think  carefully before making a 2-year contract commitment.  Netbooks, laptops and the iPad have more flexible, often contract-free plans, which is good if you mostly use the service when travelling or on vacation.  Select a model with built-in 3G coverage, or add a 3G USB modem to an older model, available from your wireless carrier. 

What’s my line?  Laptops, netbooks, smartphones and the iPad are all very portable.  Smartphones are the most portable—road warriors love them and will find them perfect for their needs.  The iPad is  less portable but again, there’s no denying the “cool” factor, and it has a more flexible data plan.  Depending on your particular needs, the best “work away from work” choice may be a netbook or laptop.

Of course, if you have any questions regarding this post or just want to chat, feel free to give me a call

Andrew Nevens
InnerTag
407-949-0106
andrew@innertag.com
www.innertag.com