In a previous column, I mentioned software essentials for my everyday computing, which centers on word processing, photo and video editing and money management. This column will examine hardware I can't live without.
Das Keyboard: With its clicky feel and sound, reminiscent of the first IBM keyboards, the Das has held up well after two years of heavy use. It's built like a brick, doesn't move around on my desk and has a USB cord, rather than a Bluetooth connection.
Microsoft Ergonomic Mouse: After four years of heavy use, I almost never have ergonomic issues with the non-ball Ergo, and it has held up remarkably well.
Epson EcoTank wireless, multifunction color printer: Two years of heavy printing have failed to deplete any of its four large ink tanks. It's simply the most economical color printer on the market, and it delivers laser-quality blacks and fine color photos. Models start at $300; I have the rugged 4550, which costs about $500 and is worth it just in ink savings and cartridge replacement hassles.
Brother 6180 wireless printer: I bought this $500 laser printer before the EcoTank and use it for monochrome printing of manuals and the like. This model has held up well after more than three years of heavy use. Its print quality is outstanding, and toner cartridges _ while expensive _ last for more pages than their specs indicate. It's not multifunction, which makes sense for me, since the Epson is.
Dell XPS PC and UltraSharp monitor: Both have held up well after three years of very heavy use. The PC is fast, and the monitor looks as bright as ever. Its one shortcoming is the lack of a webcam. Dell has refreshed its line of monitors, but $250 seems to be the sweet spot. Plan to spend upwards of $1,000 for the latest XPS desktop. I bought mine from Costco three years ago; it came loaded with 16 gigs of RAM and a 4-gig video card and was discounted by $200. Costco often packs its PCs with extra memory and features and discounts several of its variety of PCs each month.
Ultimate Ears Boom 2: For my money, the $100 portable Bluetooth speaker delivers fine sound despite its soda-can size. Its battery lasts up to 10 hours, and it can be powered by the included AC adaptor. There are all kinds of variations on this speaker, including models that are waterproof.
AppleTV 4K: I've found the 4K, the latest model, to be capable of displaying razor-sharp movies and other 4K content on my Samsung TV. At $179, it's pricey, and the budget-minded may want to buy the $100 Roku 4K, which also delivers excellent-quality video.
iPhone X: Sleek and lightweight, with a beautiful edge-to-edge screen, the X has an excellent camera and a fast processor. Once you get used to face recognition and the absence of the home button, you'll never look back. I bought a $50 Belkin charging pad, which does away with corded charging. The AppleCare Plus warranty is expensive at $149, but tech support, should you need it, is outstanding.
Epson GT-S50 document scanner: This workhorse has scanned thousands of black-and-white and color documents and photos with nary a paper jam. The model I've had for more than five years has been replaced by a $350 model that should be as good as the one I have.
Western Digital portable solid-state drive: I bought the tiny $120 256-gig model that can be attached to a thunderbolt or a USB 3 port. I use it to boot my MacBook Pro because the external drive has twice the memory that came with the PC. A word to the wise: 128 gigabytes is way, way too small for serious computing. Spring for 256 or 512 gigs. To my dismay, I discovered that the 128-gig solid-state drive in my MacBook can't be upgraded.
iMac 27-inch 5K monitor: This gem will break the bank if you double the RAM to 16 gigs and get a touchpad instead of a mouse. $2,000 is a lot to spend on a PC, but if you're editing movies or photos, it's well worth it. The iMac is sleek, thin and surprisingly light for all it packs into its base. And, yes, you can use it for simple word processing, but know that the Pages word-processor that comes free with the iMac is limited; you'll need Microsoft Word for the Mac for more intensive chores.
Laptop: If you have $1,000 or more to spend, there's no shortage of excellent lightweight laptops, including models from Dell and HP. But for that money, I'll take the 13.3-inch MacBook Air any day of the week. It's light, has a beautiful screen and it's powerful enough to run any Mac program you throw at it.
Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: This is a tossup. One of the advantages of the Echo is its ability to take orders for just about anything Amazon sells, many of which already grace my computer room.
