3 Things you need to know

     This week I would like to touch base with you on your shopping guide to technology. What I am going to discuss in detail, applies to every form of technology, it is not limited to just computers. I hope this will clarify some generalizations used by the tech industry in the manufacturing process, and how it affects you.

To save time and space, three key words I will use, I will set the terms for each word now to help with the equations that will be listed later.

1. Good.  This is the word for, High Quality, Robustness, longevity, value.
2. Fast.    This is the word for, Speedy, Quick, and no lag, not slow.
3. Cheap. This word says it all, no explanation needed.

Now with those 3 words there are 3 equations, and choosing the right one may help you understand just how you need to shop for the right tech. Let’s begin.

All manufactures of any technology use those three words in product lines they sell, from cars to computers and anything in between. Knowing the difference is the best way to get the value for your money, because even I hate waste money on bad tech.

In the PC world, some words describing products have changed, some words have been removed, because of the history behind them, and other words are misleading. The first word is “Laptop”, this word does not describe the product you are seeking, and it is misleading, because the term covers several sizes, including a size from way back that never took off. The laptop of yore, was a 15.6” model. But now it is actually an 11.6” industry standard size. “Notebook” is regarded as a 14” to 15.6” model now. Then you have “Pro books, Chrome Books, Desktop Replacement, 2-in-1 touch screen version to complicate matters. So you have the size you want, 11.6” laptop, a 14” to 15.6” Notebook, Desktop Replacement is the 17” model, then you have the 2-in-1 11.6” flip touch screen that makes into a tablet. What about the rest. Chrome Books, Mac Book Pro’s, even Gaming Laptops. Is there no end to this terminology?  So how do I buy the right one?

Let’s say you want Good & Fast. This combo is not cheap. Usually a high end products of any kind has excellent build quality, is very fast, sleek and a snappy dresser. You can feel the quality; see the fit and finish are above par, not to mention the cost. Sometimes prohibitive in your budget, but always in the “most wished for” category. This would cover Pro Book of any kind, Mac or PC, Chrome Books, and 2-in-1 convertible touch screen notebooks. Gamer PC desktops, Gamer Laptops and Custom built units.

Then you have Good & Cheap. This combo is never fast. Sometimes this combo is so misleading; you end up with “Buyer’s Remorse”. After you bought it, the performance is so bad, so slow; you soon realize that this was the wrong combo. This would cover 11.6” laptops. They used to be the Net Book, now they are 2-in-1 sometimes with a touch screen, even able to convert to a tablet, but the size does inhibit performance, it will never replace a full size 15.6” Note Book, nor can you do more than one thing at a time. They can stream, surf, but not fast. Chrome books have 2 Gigs of Ram, and a 16 Gig Hard Drive, they run Chrome Web Browser, that’s all. The Windows 10 versions have a bit more room, 32 to 64 Gig SSD, but when you need to update windows, have fun. Usually you don’t have the needed space because you added a game. Windows needs the whole 32 gigs to update, go figure?

Last is the combo is Cheap & Fast, it is hard to find and if you do, it will never be good. The quality is not there, nor is longevity, or value for your money, you can’t expect it to run for long. This would cover the “Black Friday” sales, those devices last no more than one year. Why? They are made to just do that, the manufacturer builds it cheap, sells it cheap, basically to get you in the store; they make a limited quantity, sell only 2-4 per store, and have no tech support after the 1 yr mark. They are flimsy, break easy, and die quickly. These are usually 14” models with no DVD drive, 500 GB HD, basic black hockey puck, cause after it dies a year later, that’s what it will be.

I did not cover tablets in this segment, because frankly the market is dominated by either Apple or Samsung, both are Good & Fast, and not cheap. Anything else that has a name you never heard of will not compare to those. There are a ton of tablets on the market that are cheap, poor build quality, and slow as #@!$. That 50 buck RCA tablet is NOT an Apple IPad, by any measure; even the poor screen resolution will give you a headache.

So let’s recap, Good & Fast will never be Cheap, Good & Cheap will never be Fast, and last, Cheap & Fast can never be good. Like anything in this world, you always look for quality in workmanship, Fit & Finish, does it have the weight, the strength. Admit it, you pick up anything to judge its weight compared to the cost, from candy bars to technology of any kind. Money is hard to make, easy to spend, the hard part is getting the value for your hard work. It really falls into one saying, “You get what you pay for”. Myself, I have 2 sayings from a wise old man who taught me almost everything I know, “Quality in, Quality Out”, “Cheap in, Cheap Out”. I have been in this business a long time, I can give you both, but I sleep better at night knowing I put forth Quality in everything I do. . Thanks for reading, and remember at “Hunt Technology”, you always get “Quality Service & Individual Attention” you deserve.  Hunt Technology, 320 Watson St., Ripon WI, 920-290-0936