After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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Dave C.
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After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Dave C. »

In my job I use them all everyday. My company pays for my smartphone, my IPad, and my laptop. I will retire in roughly 8 months.
What to maintain in retirement?
I like'em all.....but I look forward to NOT being connected at all times. So my thought is to lose the smartphone and replace it with a basic phone with limited minutes and limited texts.
I'm stuck on tablet or laptop. What has been your experience?
An IPad is fun for quick answers anywhere with 3G or 4G. But a laptop has a larger screen and hard drive. I don't use music or watch videos, so my needs are pretty simple.
What factors drove your decisions on what to use and what to lose? And did you change your mind after a few months or so?
Thanks in advance for your experiences!
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by livesoft »

Did you just type your post on a tablet, a phone, or a laptop? A Mac Air is like a tablet and a laptop together. Add Skype and you've got a phone.

But since you have all of them, you should be telling us which one is better for you. For myself, I like a smartphone and a laptop. I like to place my hands where they do not have to hold the device and do not have to move to type and use the trackpad. You can't do that with a phone nor a tablet.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by chaz »

My iPad is on wifi - no 3G or 4G.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by The Wizard »

Do you plan to travel much in retirement?
A world-capable GSM smartphone might be a good idea (I need to get one).
And a tablet with keyboard capability is fun, too.
(I'm writing this on my 10" ASUS Transformer Infinity.)
Along with a home-base PC of some sort, that's all you need...
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wilpat
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by wilpat »

I am retired and use a laptop. It is easier to type on and has the larger screen. If I go anywhere for more than a day I take my laptop with me.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by gerrym51 »

laptop,kindle,trakphone
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Ged
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Ged »

My inclination is smartphone and laptop. Especially if you don't have a desktop.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by dickenjb »

I have a iPhone and a Dell laptop.

iPad is nice but don't need 3 devices.
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Dave C.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Dave C. »

gerrym51 wrote:laptop,kindle,trakphone

Thanks for the replays....I am leaning toward gerrym with a laptop, kindle or nook and a trakphone. Laptop may be a bit more cumbersome than a little tablet, but wi-fi seems to be petty commonly available.

Anybody think I would be shorting myself somehow with those items only? :shock:
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carolo
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by carolo »

I'm reading the forum on my iPad, 1st generation purchased as a refurb right after 2nd generation was introduced. No cover, just holding it w/ fingers and entering this text w/ thumbs. I use this device more than any other. Retired a decade ago, before phones seemed to be used like we do today. Now if not for the phone, an iPhone, and having somewhat mastered the "fine art of texting" I wouldn't be communicating w/ so many of my friends. Family is only by text message or in person except for a very few...their choice and not necessarily mine yet I'll admit the convenience. I also enjoy audio books and music on my phone. The audio books are downloaded from my library. Free. My iPhone keeps my calendar, serves as a reminder, my alarm clock, quick directions and traffic flow on the freeway before I leave home. If not for being heavily into digital photography and graphics I wouldn't really be on my MacBook daily. However, I'm on it for a vaiery of classes, podcasts, Skype and other things so it is well used, too. Some personal business is more readily done on either a desktop or laptop. Technology evolves at such a rapid pace I either have to use it or lose my ability to do so when necessary. Family is spread from coast to coast. I have friends around the world. Staying in touch enriches my life. Your retirement lifestyle and needs may be quite different. We all do well to go unplugged for parts of each day or longer.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by tractorguy »

My wife and I have 4 devices between us and use all of them in retirement. We have (in order of purchase):
1) A desktop PC for her. She uses it to surf, do e-mail, financials for one of her volunteer organizations, etc. when we're at home. We also use this when we do a group hangout with multiple children (bigger screen than the Ipad). This was "our" PC before I retired. During the runup to retirement, she was complaining that I was hogging it so I bought #2.
2) "My" laptop. This is "my" PC when I'm at home which I use to surf, do e-mail, read these blogs, and do some light Autocad for one of my volunteer orgs. Having His and Her PC's and desks was a requirement for a happy marriage after I started spending more time at home in retirement. It travels with us when we go anywhere for more than a few days. I can read e-mail on my phone but strongly prefer not to and can't compose any long ones.
3) An Ipad for her. She plays games, surfs some, and we use it to Skype our kids several times a week. She also uses it for e-mail when we're away from home and have access to a wireless connection. Its hard wired to be connected to her e-mail account. She doesn't like it as well as the desktop for e-mail but makes do when we're traveling and I'm using my laptop. Its also simple enough to connect to wifi that she can use it stand alone if I'm not traveling with her. I just bought her a keyboard that I'll be giving her for her birthday next week. That may improve the utility of the Ipad. It's wireless only so does us no good when we are at my in-laws (who don't have internet).
4) An android smart phone for me. I upgraded to this about a year ago when my old dumb phone died. Now, I don't know how I lived without it. The biggest thing is being able to check e-mail when I'm away from home and away from wireless (IE a week or two at my in-laws who live 14 hours from us), maps and gas buddy for driving, hotels.com app for traveling, etc. I keep finding more advantages to having internet access when I'm away from my desk at home.

I found that after I retired and started traveling on personal business, I kept needing more and more connectivity. I'm finding that good connectivity greatly reduces the amount of planning I need to do. For example, yesterday we were in Chicago for the day with a friend. About 6:00 PM we decided on a particular restaurant for dinner, googled it on my phone, and got directions to walk to it. In the good old days, we would have had to finalize plans before we left home and printed a map for the day's itinerary.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Ozonewanderer »

Start with a Smartphone - one with a larger screen - and then see if you need anything else. My neighbor, who is an IT manager, said that after he got his smartphone he hardly uses his home computer at all. I have another retired friend who uses his smartphone as a hotspot for all of his internet connectivity.

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mike143
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by mike143 »

I would say all of them. A year later if you are not using them one or more of them you can gift them to the grand kids. I am most effective in the following order: desktop (or laptop with external monitor, keyboard and mouse), laptop, tablet, smartphone. I would say my most universal device is my laptop (ultrabook with solid state drive). It makes me crazy watching people force themselves to do something on an inefficient device (tablet or smartphone), when they could accomplish the same task in the fraction of the the time on a desktop or laptop. For a reference just complete a online typing test on my 14" laptop and was at 47 words per minute. I would be faster on a full size keyboard. I would lose my train of though if I had to do the same on a tablet or smartphone.
Last edited by mike143 on Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by jebmke »

I have an IPOD Touch and a Tracphone. Laptop at home. When I retired I ditched the Blackberry. I use the phone maybe 15-20 minutes a year + 2-3 texts. Most people I would want to talk to know where to reach me at home. So far I have not found anything so important it couldn't wait until I am at a WIFI Hotspot (IPOD) or home.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Sidney »

mike143 wrote: It makes me crazy watching people force themselves to do something on an inefficient device (tablet or smartphone), when they could accomplish the same task in the fraction of the the time on a desktop or laptop.
None of my retired acquaintances worry too much about efficiency.
I always wanted to be a procrastinator.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Gnirk »

DH and I both have iPhones. DH has iPad (simple for him to use), and I have a 13" MacBook Pro because I do all the financial spreadsheets on Excel.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by penumbra »

Well, as a retiree of a year or so, I need a laptop for excel, word, more complex functions like managing movies and photos, itunes. Couldn't manage with it.
Got an ipad, and wondered if I would use it. Turns out, I use it the most, first thing in the morning, last thing at night and frequently in between. Best for email, surfing, etc.
Have a smartphone (iphone) and find it indispensible for when I'm out and about, for checking mail, occasional pictures, and a lot of what an ipad does, but more available and compact.
I suppose I could live without one or the other, but connectivity and its benefits are such a large part of life, I don't see why I would disadvantage myself. YMMV. Good luck.
PS: have a kindle too. Nice to have.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Toons »

I am retired,own a win7 laptop,smartphone,nexus7 tablet,Samsung chromebook. I find that when I am on the go I have the smartphone and the chromebook with me. :happy
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Dougroseville »

Dave C. wrote:
gerrym51 wrote:laptop,kindle,trakphone
Thanks for the replays....I am leaning toward gerrym with a laptop, kindle or nook and a trakphone. Laptop may be a bit more cumbersome than a little tablet, but wi-fi seems to be petty commonly available.

Anybody think I would be shorting myself somehow with those items only? :shock:
If you have a Tracfone feature phone and no data capabilities on your kindle/nook you might be limited if you travel a lot. My wife and I activate the data plan on our iPad 2 or 3 times a year so we can use it on the road (some of our favorite hotels have expensive wifi). The new Nexus 7 has been getting very good reviews (it can do anything any kindle/nook could with likely better specs).

Remember, your use profile may change when you retire. I listen to a lot more podcasts (but they have become more popular since I retired in 2005).
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by kramer »

I am a retired Techie living abroad.

If you are looking to save a few bucks when you are retired, it is good to remember that it is probably the 3G that costs the most money, not the devices themselves. Personally, I find little use for 3G/4G.

I find a 7 inch tablet good enough for non-extended travel (a Nexus, which also serves as my "reader", replacing my Kindle). And I have always used only WiFi. At home, my primary device is a laptop. But I always keep my laptop portable enough that I can take it on a trip if I want (11.6 inches, 3 pounds).

I find a dumb-phone that is good for texting and talking sufficient (maybe $30 each). I have one for the Western Hemisphere (850/1900 MHz) and one for the Eastern Hemisphere (900/1800 MHz). That way they are very light and small, like 2 ounces.

For laptops, I tend to buy in the $350 range and upgrade every 2 years or so.

I also have an Ipod Touch from 3 years ago, but I don't use it much anymore now that I have a Tablet.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Van-Guard23 »

Between me and my wife (I am retired...she has a couple more years to go), we have:
- 2 iPhones
- 1 iPad (hers)
- 1 laptop (mine for travel and home)
- 1 desktop at home

I use the desktop for more intensive processing and the laptop for travel and use around the house when my wife is on her iPad. She used to not have a smartphone, but after switching to one, she can't go back now!
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by midareff »

I'm retired and just changed home computers from a laptop which I also used to work from home on occasion to a large all in one with a 27" screen. I will be getting a tablet I can use to check mail and internet as soon as the pre-holiday goods are all on the market. I don't know yet whether it will be a regular size or mini version. Wifey, also retired, has her laptop and a Galaxy Tablet. As far as phones go ..... we use plain old dumb ones, data, text and international blocked. Wifey communicates to Thailand (she is Thai) via tablet and internet and we use a calling card service for her to call her mother.

My leading candidates for tablets are the Microsoft RT which is supposed to get Outlook starting in October to go with Excel and Word (+One Note), and the next release of the iPad mini and the small Nexus. I suspect the real decision may come down to iOS vs. Android vs. MS RT. LOL.... tough decisions in retired life. :beer
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by frugaltype »

wilpat wrote:I am retired and use a laptop. It is easier to type on and has the larger screen. If I go anywhere for more than a day I take my laptop with me.
+1
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by frugaltype »

Sidney wrote:
mike143 wrote: It makes me crazy watching people force themselves to do something on an inefficient device (tablet or smartphone), when they could accomplish the same task in the fraction of the the time on a desktop or laptop.
None of my retired acquaintances worry too much about efficiency.
I'm retired and "worry" about efficiency. It makes me somewhat crazy dealing with a bad interface where I need extra clicks and so forth.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by ieee488 »

frugaltype wrote:
Sidney wrote:
mike143 wrote: It makes me crazy watching people force themselves to do something on an inefficient device (tablet or smartphone), when they could accomplish the same task in the fraction of the the time on a desktop or laptop.
None of my retired acquaintances worry too much about efficiency.
I'm retired and "worry" about efficiency. It makes me somewhat crazy dealing with a bad interface where I need extra clicks and so forth.
I think it is more of personality than retirement status. A bad interface drives me crazy too and always will.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by Meaty »

My vote is sphone only. It goes everywhere and does 95% of what you need
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by bUU »

If it weren't for the reliance our home security system has on something that looks like POTS, we'd switch to VoIP, that works through a (substantive) tablet. That would make the tablet that single most usable device, usable for 99 44/100% of what we'd need computing devices for (though we'd probably also need a desktop computer we can remote into through the tablet, for file storage and for running some office desktop applications). No need for a smartphone. They're only good when something precludes you from being able to carry a tablet, and the last time I can recall that being the case was when we were on a hike that included several walks across rope bridges.
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Re: After retirement...Sphone? Tablet? Laptop? All?

Post by gerrym51 »

Dougroseville wrote:
Dave C. wrote:
gerrym51 wrote:laptop,kindle,trakphone
Thanks for the replays....I am leaning toward gerrym with a laptop, kindle or nook and a trakphone. Laptop may be a bit more cumbersome than a little tablet, but wi-fi seems to be petty commonly available.

Anybody think I would be shorting myself somehow with those items only? :shock:
If you have a Tracfone feature phone and no data capabilities on your kindle/nook you might be limited if you travel a lot. My wife and I activate the data plan on our iPad 2 or 3 times a year so we can use it on the road (some of our favorite hotels have expensive wifi). The new Nexus 7 has been getting very good reviews (it can do anything any kindle/nook could with likely better specs).

Remember, your use profile may change when you retire. I listen to a lot more podcasts (but they have become more popular since I retired in 2005).
i would change my way of doing some things if i could convince my wife to become an rv'er. since i can't roaming is not an issue.
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