Are you a Technophile or Just Curious?

Perception is a funny thing, isn’t it? Your mind seems to allocate people you meet for the first time into stereotypical categories without so much as a hello. Ever since I was a kid, I had this overwhelming urge to take things apart, see how they work and sometimes put them back together successfully. Sometimes not! That makes me clever with my hands or does it make me a technical type?

Hi, my name is Steve Lambert, and I run a professional advice and servicing business from a shop in Leeds, England. With the help of the Leeds and Grenville Small Enterprise Centre I was able to get this business of mine off the ground and with lots of small companies around me requiring my sort of expertise, things are going along just fine, thanks.

This is Me!

But I do have time to start this website and blog, not only to advertise myself a bit but to share ideas about an area we all use but seem to know little about – Technical Stuff! I’m just a young, ambitious sort of a guy, 28, single but chasing, when I have time. I enjoy a beer with my mates at the Brownlee Arms and sometimes at Archie’s. I was lucky enough to get a small flat not far from my office/workshop and live there with a crazy ginger cat I call Windows. Not related to Microsoft but because it sits gazing out the window onto the street for about 16 hours a day! Daft.

Anyway, let me see if I can help you with some decisions on equipment like computers and phones and other devices and systems you might want to buy. There’s nothing worse than being under-informed, that is, not having enough info when you decide to buy the latest gadget. I call this my “Mistakes” guide.

Top 5 Technical Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1 – Smartphones. Buying the latest smartphone so you were ahead of your friends. Dumb. You should find out what the phone can do and what you actually need it for. If you’re running a business, you don’t have a lot of time for playing games and searching the internet. Calls in, calls out and texts. You need a simple phone for that.

Mistake 2 – Buying a computer. If you’re into gaming, then you don’t want a business computer. Gaming = more RAM and the best video card. Business can be more standard with 1Tb HD and 8Gb RAM and a big monitor, fast processor.

Mistake 3 – iPads and Tablets. Depending on what you need it for and does it do the same as your Smartphone? Maybe you need one or the other, not both. Sure, Apple is the leader, so far, but there are some frustrating aspects to Apple.

Mistake 4 – Security Systems. Do you need recording? Do you need just an alarm to scare people away? Does the system have home monitoring? Do you need a connection to a security company that monitors the alarm? Different types have different prices.

Mistake 5 – IT Support. There is nothing worse than your computer system crashing or behaving strangely and you have no relationship with an IT Service. Get a reputable IT company in to help you set up and then maintain that relationship. If something goes wrong, they know the equipment and operating systems so they don’t waste time introducing themselves. Time is money.

Okay, these are not earth-shatteringly new to many of you but you’d be surprised at how many people fritter away their start-up money on making these simple mistakes. If you have any other ideas gained from your own experiences, don’t hesitate to email me. I hope to review some of the new geeky things out there and post my results in the future. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions you think I might be able to help you with.