You Can Take The Friend

Video Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMo6o0BtFG8

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Back in the day, last month, the other day or last night, you and a friend probably had to come to an agreement. Who’s going to “talk to” the friend? For men, the guy that talks to the friend is called the “wingman.” I have no idea if there is an equivalent for women. Regardless, if there is or isn’t, decisions have to made. Some times they have to be made on a moment’s notice with little or no information.

Upon first glance, it may appear that the “wing” (man or woman) is getting a raw deal. But, there are a lot factors like individual tastes, needs, number of drinks, lighting, etc., that can flip things all around. The same can be said about buying technology products or services. Everything isn’t for everybody. You need to know what everything means, what your preferences are and what’s really important in the long run.

Here are a few quick morsels to munch on, some new and some refreshers:

1. Internet Speed: Megabytes per second (MBps) and Megabits per second (Mbps) aren’t the same. It will take 8 Megabits (Mb) to equal 1 Megabyte (MB). Hard drives and RAM are sold in MB’s but your internet speed is sold in Mb’s (per second).  Nowadays, shoot for at least 5 Mbps (download).
2. TV: Which is better cable or satellite? There’s no clear winner. As I have said before, it depends on your preferences. Each has it’s pros and cons.
3. Plasma or LCD: First consider the size you would like. Plasmas usually don’t go lower than 37″ and LCD’s usually get relatively expensive above 50″. Then, consider your budget. If your budget and size requirements fall into the overlap between the LCD & plasma, you now need to consider the type of room it will be in and what you will be using it for.
4. 720p or 1080p: Yes, 1080p is “better” than 720p. However, 720p produces a great picture. 1080p is much more common since I wrote “Should You Potty Train Your New HDTV?” If it is an option, you can get a great deal on a great HDTV.
5. iPhone or BlackBerry: If you hate AT&T, the decision is easy. The iPhone is only on AT&T. So, the iPhone is out. Otherwise, go play with an iPhone and see if you can handle not having a physical keyboard. If it’s for business, talk to your company’s IT department (that could be you) and see which do they support.
6. Palm Pre: The Pre is Palm’s last ditch effort to become relevant again in the smartphone game. The Treo had a good run but Palm rode that horse too long. They got squashed by the iPhone and BlackBerry. Fortunately, Palm finally came back strong! It’s only on Sprint but it’s worth a look.
7. Netbooks: “Netbook” is nothing but a marketing term. It’s still a computer, a small computer. Just like a golf cart is just a small car. A golf cart can get you around but it’s not built for heavy lifting or being you primary vehicle. You make significant sacrifices. The same applies for netbooks.
8. Megapixels: If “netbook” is a marketing term, “megapixels” is a marketing campaign. Do you remember what I said about megapixels?
9. Mac or Windows: I’ll make this simple. Go with what you’re comfortable with. If you know nothing about computers, go with a Mac. If you know what you’re doing or have IT support, go with Windows. Generally, Mac for Home. Windows for work.
10. Coke or Pepsi: I don’t drink soda so I can’t help you on this one.

“A hug is a great gift – one size fits all, and it’s easy to exchange.”

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