I think I am going to do a post like this at least once a year, more if the industry changes significantly since the previous one. The choices of personal computing devices has changed drastically since my first personal computing device, the Commodore 64 with a 1MHz CPU and 64KB of memory. Back then it was the C64, the TRS-80, or the Apple IIe. Then it was only three real choices and now there are three different markets: Mobile, Laptop, and Desktop.
The mobile market includes both Smartphones and Tablets which all have similar functionality and all include built-in connectivity at least as an option if not a standard feature. If you are on an extremely limited budget it is possible to get by with no other device but a mobile but you will find your capabilities very limited as well with the current capabilities of mobile devices. Screen sizes vary from 4.3" (iPhone) to 10" (tablets). If you can choose only a single personal computing device and want to take it with you then look for a tablet sized device from 7" to 10". With Skype or Google voice installed on a 4G LTE connected tablet and a bluetooth handsfree device it works as well as any phone. If you are going to complement your mobile device with a laptop or desktop then start with a smartphone.
The next decision point is what mobile operating system. There are really only two choices here: iOS or Android; I don't consider Windows Mobile as an option in it's current form. iOS is the most stable and intuitive. If you are new to the mobile market or feel like you want a device that "just works" then choose iOS. With iOS you also get Apple protecting you by censoring the App store and protecting your privacy because Apple wants to sell hardware and cloud services. Android is far more customizable and without a censored App store you can find almost any app you want for your device. One final recommendation in this regard: If your only device is going to be a mobile device then pick an iPad. Android tablets are almost all in 16:9 format which is great for watching content but awful for anything else.
There are a few things to avoid in the mobile market. Do not get phablets! Phablets are phones with screen over 5" in size. The screens are too big to operate single handled, the devices are too big to fit comfortably in a pocket, and yet the screen is really too small for the things you want to do on a tablet like reading books or working on documents. Also avoid the walled garden Android devices. If you want walled garden go with Apple as they are the only ones to do it right. Do not get Amazon kindle fire or fire phone or anything else like that.
The next market is the notebook / laptop market. The laptop and desktop markets are very close to merging into a single market so consider your options carefully here. You should only be looking for a laptop if you need to take your computing power with you. Students and people who take their work home with them fit this category. Chances are that if you need a laptop you can get by without a desktop and in that case pick a more powerful desktop replacement laptop. If you need and can afford to maintain both a laptop and desktop then go for one of the new slim ultrabooks without an optical drive. Avoid netbooks and chromebooks, they really don't serve any purpose better served by a tablet. Also stay away from the "convertible" laptops that switch between laptop and tablet modes, they are too clunky and heavy to make good tablets and not powerful enough to make good laptops. When picking a laptop go brand name; manufacturing laptops is something that takes care and experience you don't get from the off brand manufacturers. I would recommend Apple, Lenovo, Asus, HP, or Dell and nothing else here. Again, think carefully and don't buy a laptop unless you have to right now; if you scroll to the bottom of the article I will explain what is coming in the next few years that is worth waiting for.
The last market is the desktop market. In most cases a laptop with a good docking station and external monitors will do just as well as a desktop. There are really only three reasons to maintain a desktop computer nowadays: gaming, personal media libraries, and video editing. Laptops do not have enough GPU power to play games well so if you are into gaming get yourself a desktop with an upgraded video card and oodles of memory. Hooking a computer up to a big screen HD TV makes for a nice way to watch all of the movies you have stored on big inexpensive SATA hard disks. Stick in a digital tuner card connected to an antenna on the roof and you have yourself a nice DVR that saves you the $100 a month cable and phone companies want to charge you for the privilege of having a hundred channels you never watch so you can get the handful of channels that you do. If you are doing any form of content creation from blogs to home movies, independent films, or music then you need the power of a desktop. Microsoft continues to struggle to maintain a stable platform but, for most things, Windows is still the way to go with most desktop computing needs. The exception to the rule is creative content creation. If you are doing heavy video, audio, or even artwork content creation then go with MacOS X, otherwise stick with Windows 8.1. Here also though hold off if you can; Windows 9 is coming out next year and looks to be very promising.
Whats coming that you might want to wait for? The personal computing markets are merging. In a few more years you will be able to maintain a single primary device that goes mobile as a tablet, docks into big monitors for a full desktop experience, and talks to wearable technology so you can leave it in your bag while walking, driving, exercising, whatever. Microsoft is very close to writing a single operating system environment that works on all devices; windows 8.1 is not quite there but Windows 9 might make it. If Windows 9 still falls short of the goal then Microsoft will be the hare and the tortoise Apple will win the race. Apple is releasing their first wearable technology later this year and it may pull them ahead in the race, we shall see. This is what to look for that will signal the change: A 10" tablet running a laptop CPU (core i5-like) with a dedicated GPU, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD, and 10 hours of battery life weighing in at 1 pound or less with an available keyboard dock (that carries it's own battery doubling the effective battery life), and an available desktop dock that can run two HD monitors. Without accessories this device should come in under the $1000 price point from a major brand. When you see that device trade in your laptops and desktops and get one. Until then, hold off if you can.
Want to know what is coming next after the merged personal computing market? Think 10 to 15 years from now (which really is not that far off). Google named their operating system "Android" for a reason. In our lifetimes we will see personal assistant robotic technology. Everyone will have a personalized robotic device that goes where they go and carries all of their data with them. These androids will be tied into the technology in your vehicle and wearable technology, they will take meeting notes for you, remind you of events, warn you when traffic is bad, let you know when your spouse is likely to meet you (wherever you usually meet), find restaurants, movie times, and the cheapest fueling station and generally assist you in all things replacing the need to swipe and click on multiple devices to find out what you need to know. Initially they will be clunky ugly things that need to be repaired frequently but after another 10 or 20 years of the market maturing they will be smooth and reliable and you can order one that looks like C3P0 or R2D2 or a tiny pink fluffy Unicorn if that is what you like.
