Hey all, (Long post ahead)
I'm a college kid who needs help finding a solution to his mobile computing. A couple notes to start with: my minimum wage job doesn't pay hugely much, so money is a definite issue, but a 2 year cellphone deal is easily do-able. Also, I've been the owner of a 2005 Power Mac G5 and a mid 2007 Macbook Pro. I've sold the G5 and built a rig of my own so I can run engineering stuff on my computer. My mid 2007 MBP is on its last legs right now and needs to be replaced. I've been debating over how to move one in the mobile world, and see three main options to spend my hard earned money. I guess the most beneficial way for me to ask the question is this: of the following three options, which did you jump to first? Which is most important?
1) Smartphone: For the first 20 years of my life, I've dealt with POS free flip phones that don't do anything more than texting and calling. However, because during my day, I spend a ton of time somewhere between school obligations, work, or social stuff, I feel like I could get a lot more out of my time. Also, my time traveling to work (at least 4 hours a week) and while there I can't really get the most out of my time with out be connected to the most important element of my life, school. I feel pretty justified in wanting a phone that can help me stay on top of my many commitments and help me use my time best. (I would be picking up the bill for the cell phone, which isn't a huge deal because earn enough, but it ends up being a significant cost)
(BTW: The two models that interest me most are the Samsung Omnia 7 and the iPhone 4)
2) iPad (WiFi): It accomplishes most of what a Smartphone does (integrating my life, a mobile device that I can use to stay more productive, etc) but without the monthly contract (A sizable commitment for me). It will be much easier to generate content than a smartphone because of the scale, but not nearly a full blown computer/physical keyboard. However, jumping up to getting an iPad makes me much more tempted to just make the full leap, and get a Macbook Air. Also, as much as I know I shouldn't plan around Apple releases, I would rather get the device sooner rather than later (Next 2 weeks, hopefully), meaning I'd end up relatively near the end of a product cycle. 256 mb isn't that much, and is one of the main hesitating points.
3) Macbook Air (Probably 13 inch): I actually have a relatively nice 12 inch netbook (Asus 1201n), but I've had a hellish RMA process with them, and don't know if or when I'll get it back. At this point I don't even care. On to the MBA: it has the huge advantage of the physical keyboard. The instant on would be nice, and makes it feel much more like the Smartphone or the iPad. It also would be nice to be able to actually compute outside of my desk, which is very frustrating. However, getting a MBA its drawbacks. I still am weary of teething issues. Also, its significantly more than an iPad, but would offer significantly more in terms of power. Finally, it would be a more awkward form factor to use while commuting than either of the other options.
I'm a college kid who needs help finding a solution to his mobile computing. A couple notes to start with: my minimum wage job doesn't pay hugely much, so money is a definite issue, but a 2 year cellphone deal is easily do-able. Also, I've been the owner of a 2005 Power Mac G5 and a mid 2007 Macbook Pro. I've sold the G5 and built a rig of my own so I can run engineering stuff on my computer. My mid 2007 MBP is on its last legs right now and needs to be replaced. I've been debating over how to move one in the mobile world, and see three main options to spend my hard earned money. I guess the most beneficial way for me to ask the question is this: of the following three options, which did you jump to first? Which is most important?
1) Smartphone: For the first 20 years of my life, I've dealt with POS free flip phones that don't do anything more than texting and calling. However, because during my day, I spend a ton of time somewhere between school obligations, work, or social stuff, I feel like I could get a lot more out of my time. Also, my time traveling to work (at least 4 hours a week) and while there I can't really get the most out of my time with out be connected to the most important element of my life, school. I feel pretty justified in wanting a phone that can help me stay on top of my many commitments and help me use my time best. (I would be picking up the bill for the cell phone, which isn't a huge deal because earn enough, but it ends up being a significant cost)
(BTW: The two models that interest me most are the Samsung Omnia 7 and the iPhone 4)
2) iPad (WiFi): It accomplishes most of what a Smartphone does (integrating my life, a mobile device that I can use to stay more productive, etc) but without the monthly contract (A sizable commitment for me). It will be much easier to generate content than a smartphone because of the scale, but not nearly a full blown computer/physical keyboard. However, jumping up to getting an iPad makes me much more tempted to just make the full leap, and get a Macbook Air. Also, as much as I know I shouldn't plan around Apple releases, I would rather get the device sooner rather than later (Next 2 weeks, hopefully), meaning I'd end up relatively near the end of a product cycle. 256 mb isn't that much, and is one of the main hesitating points.
3) Macbook Air (Probably 13 inch): I actually have a relatively nice 12 inch netbook (Asus 1201n), but I've had a hellish RMA process with them, and don't know if or when I'll get it back. At this point I don't even care. On to the MBA: it has the huge advantage of the physical keyboard. The instant on would be nice, and makes it feel much more like the Smartphone or the iPad. It also would be nice to be able to actually compute outside of my desk, which is very frustrating. However, getting a MBA its drawbacks. I still am weary of teething issues. Also, its significantly more than an iPad, but would offer significantly more in terms of power. Finally, it would be a more awkward form factor to use while commuting than either of the other options.