[Isaac Zackary]

Why do we need not just one electronic device but several of them? I call it the 21st century electronic device paradox.

Before smartphones and tablets most people had just one computer where they did all their word processing, spread sheets, digital media playing, file storage, web browsing, emails, etc. But today some people own two or more devices, like smartphones and tablets, that can do all those things. In fact the majority of Americans own a PC, a tablet and a smartphone. Some even have both a desktop and a laptop or multiple tablets and smartphones! But does everyone really need so many electronic devices? Why not just go back to having only one electronic device?

On the one hand I see why it's handy to have at least two devices, one being a smartphone. The smartphone is easy to carry around and isn't too hard to use for small tasks, whereas anything bigger than a smartphone won't fit in your average sized pocket. But doing any serious computing on a smartphone is largely unproductive, which is where needing a device with a bigger screen and helpful tools like a keyboard and/or mouse comes in handy. And nowadays you are expected to carry around a cellphone anyway. So whether you need a tablet or laptop or not, why not make your cellphone a smartphone?

But there are compromises in owning two or more "computers". For starters you now have two or more expensive things to maintain and replace when they wear out, which ends up costing more money. This is especially true when you get a high end phone that can cost just as much as your laptop does. Why not put all that money towards one device or save it for something else? And you could make the argument that there are many cheap or even free smartphones out there. But then again you get what you pay for. Small storage, slow processing, quickly outdated OS's and poor battery life might not work for everyone.

Add to that the need to transfer all your necessary stuff between devices. Sure, there are cloud storages and sync settings that can help with some of that. But it sure is a pain to realize that you need to see or work on something that's not on your smartphone, but on your tablet or laptop you left at home. Which has me looking for that expensive smartphone with enough memory that I can copy all my necessary files onto it. Or maybe I have what I need on my phone, but would like to do some serious computing somewhere else so have to carry around a laptop or something anyway.

But what if you could have just one device as portable as a phone and as productive as a PC at the same time? Well that's my goal! I took my first step in that direction a few years ago when I got rid of my laptop (that I had owned for nearly 10 years mind you) and replaced it with a 10 inch Microsoft Surface 3 "tablet that can replace your laptop." I got to say that this tablet is awesome in this respect. I get a full PC experience with a device as portable as a 10" tablet. But it still feels a bit too bulky to carry around like I do my phone.

So I tried a Windows Phone with Continuum capability (Alcatel Idol 4). The experience is ok. I'm able to plug in a keyboard and mouse and have a fairly good desktop experience. But support for Windows mobile is dying, if not already dead. And if I need to take my desktop experience along with me I need to carry around that very same keyboard, mouse, black box, and perhaps even a small TV in order to have what I need.

So where do I go from here? Do I try something Apple or Android? Or just work with the tablet I already have?

One idea is to carry around a man-purse of some sort for carrying around the tablet. And that works sometimes. But as a man, I'm not used to remembering to carry around a bag with me. A big pocket attached to my clothing would be better.

I saw some sort of bag that straps on under the arm. That seems like an ok solution. It's like adding a big pocket on the side or your shirt. What do you think?

Any other ideas?