Have you ever wondered if you still need a computer? If you own both a smartphone and a tablet and find yourself using your computer less and less often, then it’s a valid question. Our mobile devices have evolved to become as powerful as some desktop computers. They are easier to use in many ways with their touch interfaces and dedicated apps and also easier to maintain. They are less vulnerable to hackers (thus far).
So when the time inevitably comes that your computer has died or has gotten too old to be useful, why get a new one? Why not go PC-free?
If you still use your computer to create a lot of content, then it’s probably not the right time to go free. Although you can have a keyboard for your mobile device and create content quite well using apps like Kingston Office or on-line tools like Google Docs, computers still shine with their full-featured content creation tools. Also, if you’re running a business or doing your own taxes, you will need a computer for the foreseeable future.
The other main difference between a computer and a mobile device is the amount of storage for your content. You have hundreds of even thousands of gigabytes available to you on your computer, which allows you to store all of your photos, videos, & documents, back them up, and have instant access to them. Your mobile device on the other hand has only a few gigabytes of storage and can fill up very quickly if you use it for photos and videos. You should already have a plan to backup and archive your content, but going PC-free means makes it critical to do so.
You can use external storage like SanDisk’s Connect Wireless Drive to add additional storage for your mobile device. You can also use cloud services like iCloud, Dropbox, SugarSync, Google Drive, Flickr (for photos), Google Music (for music), and iTunes Match (for music). I always suggest using both external storage and cloud storage as you want, ideally, three copies of your content.
You will probably replace your mobile device a lot more often than you replace your computer. We’re all subject to losing or breaking these devices, so be sure that your content can be easily restored to your new device.
Go PC-free and you’ll be on the cutting edge. We may all see the end of personal computers someday soon.
Thanks for this informative post, esp for a non-techie like me. I am still very much attached to my laptop and have yet to get a tablet. And given that I generate a lot of photos for my business and personal blog, I will probably need to hold onto my computer for awhile longer. But good info to keep in mind when the time comes to go completely mobile.