Hardware

I have a Macbook Pro 11" running OS X (cost about £1000 in 2011). And an Asus X553S 15" laptop running Windows 10 (£300 in 2015), which replaced my HP Pavilion 15" laptop running Windows Vista (cost around £450 in 2008).

I use the Mac for the majority of my computing, as it is faster and lighter and lasts longer between charges. I prefer its trackpad and appreciate the back-lit keyboard.

But I also use a wireless mouse with both computers wherever practical.

The Asus has a proper number pad, which I appreciate on spreadsheets etc. I also use a second monitor, especially when multi-tasking.

I could not bring myself to pay the exorbitant price of an iPhone, but have never regretted buying an iPod, probably my most enjoyable gadget ever. The App Store provided over 100 free or cheap apps to try out, but I was almost glad when a problem forced me to wipe everything and restart and reload just the pick of the apps. Unfortunately I cannot upgrade the iPod to the current iOS needed for an increasing number of apps, thanks to Apple's built-in obsolescence.

Then along came tablets, and like everyone else I fancied an iPad, but convinced myself to wait until somebody brought out a tablet I could put in a jacket pocket. When Blackberry halved their Playbook price to £250 for 64 GB version I jumped. It was a brilliant tablet in most respects, but sadly has been abandoned by Blackberry.

I switched to a Nexus 7, which unfortunately I bought a month before the latest improved model. It was brilliant until Google updated their operating system, and now runs too slowly for pleasure. It also has a 16:9 widescreen rather than iPad's 4:3, so is better for video, but worse for browsing and document reading.

Recently I convinced myself that I should carry one smartphone rather than the iPod and a low-spec mobile phone, so I treated myself to a Google Nexus 5 running Android OS. The Nexus was half the price of an equivalent iPhone, with a bigger screen, and I fancied trying out Android. It is excellent in almost every respect, apart from the phone itself, which has limited reception in many areas, maybe due in part to EE, which certainly does not provide Everything Everywhere.

I decided to try a Windows laptop/tablet Asus T100 for less than £300 with the current MS Office suite, and the chance to evaluate Windows 8.1 (and now 10) and available apps. The keyboard is definitely better than typing on a tablet, and it's quite handy being able to remove it. An excellent full screen mode removes clutter, ideal for browsing and reading documents. I am not a fan of most of the new style apps, normally preferring my old familiar versions, which still run well.