1. What device should I get? Apple (OSX or IOS), Android, Chrome, Linux, or Microsoft Phone, tablet, notebook, computer

2.  Phone device  Tablet device  Tablet/notebook device  Notebook device  Desktop device  High-end workstation Two basic decisions #1 -hardware

3.  Android (different versions available)  Apple IOS (iPhone & iPad)  Apple OSX (Mac Mini, MacBook, Mac Pro)  Chrome (Chromebook, Chromebox)  Linux (Mint, Fedora, Ubuntu, others)  Microsoft (Windows phone, RT, standard, or pro) Two Basic Decisions #2 - OS

4.  Not all operating systems are available in all physical types – so the first decision step is what physical type.  Each type has advantages and drawbacks.  One solution to the above is multiple types for you – then the ability to get comparable apps and the ease of moving stuff from one to another become important.

5.  Apple’s iPhone (different models with different storage capacity); BlackBerry; Google’s Android phones such as LG, Samsung, Motorola; Linux phones (Firefox, Ubuntu, Amazon Fire); and Windows (several versions)  A prime consideration – how well does the phone integrate with my other devices. Types: Phones

6.  Apple’s iPad; BlackBerry (yes, it does exist); Android based (many); Linux based; and some Windows based (the HP ElitePad 900, Microsoft Surface RT, Acer, and Dell models based on the dual-core 32-bit Intel Atom processor.  The Microsoft Surface Pro is NOT really similar to the above tablets. Types: Tablets

7.  Microsoft’s Surface Pro (3 generations now); HP EliteBook Revolve models, HP Stream, some models from Dell, Acer, and others.  Distinguishing features here are the full power of a notebook computer with touch screen, removable (or turn around) keyboard/touchpad so it can be used like a tablet. Types: Notebook/Tablet

8.  The traditional laptop/notebook design, with attached keyboard/touchpad. Apple MacBook Air; models by Dell, HP, Lenovo, & most PC companies, mostly Windows, but some can be ordered with Linux OS.  Various screen sizes, resolutions, weight, but the primary attribute is the power of a desktop made portable. Types: Notebook

9.  The traditional desktop (workstation is just a special case – more powerful and expandable). Examples: Apple’s Mac Mini, iMac, or Mac Pro; various models by Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, and others usually with Windows, but some available with Linux.  Some are “all-in-one,” others have separate monitors. Types: Desktop/Workstation

10.  The presentation continues with live demonstrations of: iPhone 6 with IOS 8; iPad mini 2 Retina with IOS 8; HP ElitePad 900 with Windows 8.0; and a custom Mac Mini Server 2011 with OSX Yosemite, running Virtual Machines using Parallels 10.  Features that work very well (and not-so-well) will be highlighted by slides with each system. Balance of Presentation

11.  Windows 8.1 Pro; Windows 10 Technical Preview; Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS Linux, Android 4 (experimental); and Google Chromium.  More time will be devoted to the more popular combinations. Virtual Machines to be Shown

12.  Very Goods: Huge number of apps available, all apps through one source with quality control, un-paralled notification system, works very well with both Apple & Microsoft devices. Usability is a prime focus. Minimal concern with malware & viruses. Built-in backup system.  Not-so-goods: Higher original price, one source for any major repairs. No custom apps (large corporations can produce them). iPhones & iPads – Apple IOS

13.  Very Goods: Recent interface very similar to larger Windows devices. Intel/AMD based tablet devices run standard Windows applications  Not-so-goods: Patches from OS & each app handled separately and not synced. Most malware & virus programmers. More complex methods for docking & using external devices. Phones & Tablets - Windows

14.  Very goods: Usually somewhat lower prices than Apple devices for similar functionality. Lollipop most recent version 5, KitKat version 4.4.  Not-so-goods: Multiple versions – not updatable in many cases. Multiple app sources (Google & Amazon usually trustworthy – other sources may be infected). Integration with other devices sometimes great, sometimes unusable. Hardware varies & causes incompatibilities. Phones & Tablets - Android

15.  Very Goods: Un-paralleled security. Corporate environment works with local BB servers. Uses BB servers to minimize cellular data usage.  Not-so-goods: Number of apps available, not really optimized for personal use. App support not centralized – very good on some apps, useless on others. Phones & Tablets - BlackBerry

16.  Very Goods: The same usability focused design elegance, can work well in mixed (with Windows) environments. Less likelihood (although it has increased) of malware & virus problems. Particularly good in music generation and video generation.  Not-so-goods: Higher original price, major support only through Apple franchises. Macs – Apple OSx

17.  Very goods: The most common system, decades of development, Windows 10 will fix many usability problems of 8. Many qualified sources of help & repair service.  Not-so-goods: decades of development (this one can work both ways), the sheer (increasing) number of supported devices can cause problems. Microsoft Windows

18.  Very Goods: Free (there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch), much free software apps available. Reasonably simple installation. Not a large amount of malware & virus (NOT zero).  Not-so-goods: Free (see above – you must try to verify every source), Obtaining help – true zealots won’t, and most shops don’t. Thousands of individual configuration files that can get out of kilter. Linux (various)

19.  Very Goods: low initial price.  Not-so-goods: what you get with a Chromebook is Google Chrome with extensions called apps. Fine, IF your Internet connection is 100% dependable. Mostly Useless when not connected. Google Chromium Devices

20. Copyright 2015, by James L. Cason, III Promised LAN Computing, Inc. Making Apple and Microsoft PLAY NICE