Unless you're a habitual early adopter who dives into new technology for technology's sake, your best bet is to allow someone else to blaze ahead. Adapting to any new technology has an associated cost, even if it's nothing more than a lost opportunity to use a superior product rather than wasting time on a technologic dead end. For this reason, beware of vendors bearing gifts. It may be tempting to try a new device, but remember that you could be wasting your time if the product proves fruitless or is dumped by the vendor. Also, there's the learning curve to consider.
Some technologies require much more effort to master than others for the same reward.
For example, before Windows became a dominant operating system, the Apple Macintosh made a name for itself by offering a computer system with a very gentle learning curve compared with the MS-DOS systems of that time. Sometimes a technology simply doesn't fit a particular lifestyle. If you're always on the go, for example, a pocket-sized personal digital assistant might be a better choice than a laptop computer. Let's assume that you're motivated to make the most of your time and aware of the pitfalls of taking on a product before it has proven itself in the market. As shown in table 1, numerous devices are available, each designed to solve particular time- management challenges.