Computers, Laptops & Tablets

 How useful is a tablet when it comes to getting things done on campus? That may depend on what your needs are, but as tablet utility and functionality continues to grow and improve, a case can be made that having the right one can be vital to your overall productivity at school. The question is: are you in need of a laptop replacement or a situational substitute?  

Now that Microsoft is offering a version of its ubiquitous Office productivity suite for the iPad, Apple’s tablets are even closer to being a device that can be used for getting serious work done. Mouse support and multi-window functionality in a future iOS version would be nice, but with a decent Bluetooth wireless keyboard, an iPad does a pretty good job these days. I took one of the best-known iPad keyboard solutions for a test run and was impressed by just how good the experience can be. The ZAGGkeys Folio not only offers a compelling Bluetooth keyboard, but it mounts it in a clamshell enclosure that transforms the iPad into an ultra-portable laptop. How well does the ZAGGkeys Folio work? I wrote this post (over 1,000 words) using a ZAGGkeys Folio and my iPad Mini with Retina Display and it was virtually as fast as my usual PC-based writing setup.  

Hopefully you’re enjoying the summer of your life right now, taking every opportunity to get outside and soak up these long, sun-filled days. You’ve probably noticed though that the back-to-school ads have already started, which means it’ll pretty soon be time to start gearing up for the new school year.  Best Buy even carries a number of devices that can help you to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, and today we’re going to take a look at some of those.

  I recently got my hands on the Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook and was impressed the moment I took it out of the box, and continued to feel that way as I ran it through its paces. It is a beautiful machine with a stunning display, very speedy performance, all in a very thin and light form factor. It is no wonder they call it the “professional edition” as the design of the S7 Ultrabook is very sophisticated. This machine is an able competitor that is worthy of very serious consideration for your next computer.