A smart shopper knows buying technology isn’t about buying “the best.” It’s about buying the best for the task at hand. Odds are there’s some super-powered machine out there that can store a lifetime’s worth of digital media, load video games and slide shows like they were plain-text files, and brew perfect espresso to boot. But if all you need to do is type reports and send e-mail, you’re probably overpaying for a bunch of novel features you don’t actually need and probably won’t use. With that in mind, we present this list of technology we think you might find useful in your next upgrade. We prowled product reviews and press releases looking for interesting new computers, mobile devices, and other gadgets that may come in handy at the office or workplace. We considered price, performance, practicality, and green cred, among other factors, for making our recommendations. But remember: The most important factor is how you plan to use it. Make a list of the essential features you expect to need over the next couple of years, and then search for a well-reviewed product that meets those requirements without making you to pay for a lot of extras you don’t need. Okay, well, maybe just a few fun extras you don’t need. (But we can take a pass on anything with a built-in espresso machine.)
—Dan Haugen
Vidyo
Videoconferencing
