First Guest Columnist!

Good Sunday Evening!

This post is from a good friend of mine who happens to be one of the tech savviest people I know. Enjoy!!

"Gadgets"

If this is Physical Therapy for your Wallet, I would be the guy with the Palm in his pocket where the wallet should be while I keep my money in a jacket pocket. It’s not that I really NEED a Palm, or that I’d use it on a daily basis but like most technophiles and business mobile people it’s a great gadget. Unfortunately, it’s also the reason for today’s guest article.

Technology is a wonderful thing, as you probably know since you’re on it right now. It’s also a terrible distraction and a large money sink for businesses. Many of them spend so much money trying to be productive that they don’t realize where all the money went. Take my ‘fictional’ Palm for example.

When I worked for a six-building fiber optic network I used my Palm on a daily basis. I’d be lost without it. From the app with serial and product numbers to the day-to-day schedule it was an invaluable tool which made life easier. I made the mistake of buying one for myself when I went into my next employment. Here I was only working on databases for a single corporation. It had multiple buildings but I only worked out of one. My desktop held all of my vital work and my Palm became the most expensive paperweight in the office.

I’m sure the folks at the Franklin-Covey don’t want you to think like this but Planners are for people who PLAN. Mobile devices are for MOBILE people. If you’re in your office 365 days a year and you don’t handle your own scheduling, why are you buying a $700 mobile device with a 500 person contact list and scheduler? How many of you even HAVE 500 contacts?

When you go to buy your next business PC, think about where it will be used. One place or many? Do you really need a laptop? Do you need that ultra-light-super-portable-the-motherboard-must-be-made-of-gold-for-what-this-thing-costs netbook? Most people will say probably not. Most people I know who do use laptops ‘For the convenience’ end up using them to play solitaire on planes. Very few have actually even attempted to do work on their work laptop while the kid behind them was kicking their seat.

It’s not just laptops and desktops either. Look at the system specs before you buy. Most websites have sections for ‘Business’ and ‘Gaming’ computers. There is a reason for this. I’ve watched administrators buy gaming machines with more power than we used to send a man to the moon so that they can check their e-mail and write word documents. Know what you need, Get what you need. If you’re confused about the technology ask the sales rep. The first question that they should ask you is “Where will your computer be used?”. If they’re trying to sell you the latest-and-greatest machine before finding out what you’re using it for, politely excuse yourself and find a different sales rep.

Programs and operating systems also fall victim to the classic ‘gadget’ syndrome. Within a year we should be seeing Windows 7 come out. It’s a great operating system which has many of the bells, whistles, and doo-dads (highly technical term) that make a OS attractive to your local IT guy. Thankfully most IT guys need to come to a CFO or CIO before they can invest the money switching people over. If your office doesn’t use these checks and balances BE WARNED. Early adoption of ‘cool’ technology isn’t recommended for businesses. Microsoft might disagree but they also are known to put out a service pack or two within a year of putting out a new operating system. Let someone else find the critical security flaws, focus on your business and let your technology be a tool that makes it easier, not something that weighs you down.

• Know what you need, don’t buy bells and whistles; buy what fits your needs.
• Mobile devices are for Mobile people.
• When buying, most places will sell you either a ‘good, better, best’ model. Skip the ‘best’ and look at the ‘better’ model first. It will last long enough for your standard 3-year obsolescence model while still being friendly to your accountants.
• When in doubt, give yourself a week. Imagine how many times you would use a gadget over the course of a week to justify it.
• Be patient with new technology. New isn’t always better, it’s just newer. Good practice is for a business to wait a six month minimum before considering a technology investment on a new technology.

Shawn is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with ten years experience in purchasing, accounting and information technology. He wrote this article in Word on his Alienware gaming desktop.