“What kind of computer should I get?” is a question I am often asked. This decision is one best made by thinking through a few simple questions. However those questions are probably not what you think.

People can get caught up in the specifications of a computer that they miss the big picture. No surprise, companies spend millions to get you to focus on those specs that seem so important and you are not really sure what they are. 2.4gHz Core 2 duo, 500GB 5400rpm hard drive, 15” 1440x900px screen. Do they matter, sure. Is that how to pick a computer? No.

So how should you pick out a computer? First, lets define ‘computer’. You used to have two options: Desktop or Laptop. One is big, powerful and stays put, but is cheaper. The other is smaller and portable but is more expensive and less powerful. Enter the tablet. A sliver of metal and glass that needs no mouse or keyboard and lets you do many tasks you do on a desktop or laptop. With that in mind, on to the questions to ask yourself.

What is it that you are planning on doing? Will you primarily be consuming content or producing it? Do you take a lot of photos then edit and share them? Do you take video? Write documents? Create presentations? If you answered yes to these you will want to look at either a laptop or desktop. A tablet is just not as capable for document/media creation as these. Now, if you are going to be consuming content: internet, email, watch movies, view others photos, read books, etc then a tablet is something to seriously consider. You can still create documents on them, edit photos and video, prepare presentations, and most everything else you can do on a laptop or desktop, but its just as easy or powerful. RIght now tablets are great for content consumers or as a supplement to someone with a desktop/laptop who needs more portability.

Now that you have an idea of what you will do, lets not forget you are looking for an experience, not necessarily a tool. Ultimately you want to get some things done, but how. Are you ok with doing it all sitting at the same desk in the same chair? Would you prefer to be able to do these things from that desk, your couch, bed, front porch, back porch, favorite coffee house, airport…you get the idea? Desktops are clearly the most capable machines and offer the most value. Their size and form factor allows for more storage space, faster processors, and cheaper construction. However they limit how and when you can use them. I used to be a big fan of a desktop for ‘power users’. Not so much anymore. The new laptops are remarkably capable even with the most demanding software. Sure a desktop can do it faster, but the fact is today’s laptops can do it, and do it quickly. In my opinion the ability to work anywhere far outweighs the ability to work slightly faster in the rare occasions the software demands it. I really have a hard time justifying buying a desktop.

If you are a content consumer who wants the best possible user experience, give a serious look at a tablet. Need a more capable machine and plan to create a lot of content? A laptop is probably best for you (I usually recommend a 13” screen so the size is manageable and save the money for a 23” screen on your desk when you need more space). Do you just way to get stuff done, don’t care about portability, and want to spend as little as possible? A desktop will suffice.

Now back to the initial question…what do I get? Hopefully you can narrow down your decision to the form factor: tablet, laptop or desktop. Let me say this…Mac or PC (or whatever other software system you get) are all viable options. My personal choice is Apple products. Yes they are not the cheapest. However if you compare similar systems the cost difference is not as much as you might think. Consider that you get more years from an Apple product, maintenance and expenses are lower and its resale value will be higher the average cost of ownership for an Apple product often works out to be less than the competition.

Cost aside, many people get hooked on the software and user experience. The saying, “It just works” may not be true all the time, but it does get the point across. Getting stuff done on a Mac is often easier and more enjoyable than a PC. A Mac comes with all the software you need to edit video and photos. Apple’s office apps are just $20 each. OS updates…$29. They App store makes it easy to get quality software and no boxes or serial numbers to keep track of. Yes, there is not as much software on the Mac, but what you will find are several very solid options. You don’t have to worry about viruses and malware like you do with a PC. There just is not any of this stuff to worry about out there. Sure you can get some bad stuff on your computer if you install it, but use common sense (and don’t use an administrator account as your user account type). Apple also leads the way with customer service for 7 years and coating. They are way ahead of the others. I had an issue with my first iPhone. I brought it in and they asked if I had backed it up. Yes. Do you want a new one? What? Yup, they just gave me a new one just like that. My laptop was having issues with the screen flashing. They tried to fix it, but when 2 new logic boards didn’t do the trick they told me to come to the store and pick up a new one. I walk in with my 2.5 year old laptop and they hand me the model that came out that week. Sign a piece of paper, have a nice day. Free upgrade! Apple Care is required for this service to be extended to 3 years vs standard 1 year, and for laptops it is definitely worth it. Bad stuff is more likely to happen with a device that gets moved, bumped, and more.

Lest you think Macs are for basic users or graphics people, the programing and developer community I work with are 90% Mac users. Not just the designers, but the hard core guys who do everything from the command line. PHP programmers, database administrators, software developers, you name it. Macs can be used by the computer illiterate to the guys who write the software that makes things work.

How to buy a mac…first, go to the MacRumors.com buyers guide. Make sure your product of interest is not due to get an update. Then go to your local Apple store, Best Buy, or Apple.com and buy what you want. There is no difference in price. You can save some by going to the Apple Refurb store. Same as buying new, and often more reliable than new (they test them to make sure they work correctly).

If you really don’t like OSX, really don’t have the money for a Mac, or really just don’t like Macs there are some good PCs out there. I don’t like Dell too much, their support is getting back to where it used to be, but is still not what it should be. Toshiba makes some good stuff, but to be honest I don’t follow the PC side much. The best advice I can give you is don’t go to some big box sore (Best Buy et al) and ask them. They sell what makes them money and often are clueless or will upsell you. Find a computer person who knows PCs and ask him or her.

For 75% of the people out there I would recommend this model: a 13” MacBook Pro. Want more RAM (memory)? 8GB is a very good amount. You can get it here for under $70. Most may not need it, but if you just want to be sure, go for it. Pretty simple to add if you can turn a screwdriver.

I hope that helps some of you. Just remember, its more about what you want to do and how you want to do it than any spec on the box.