Since getting an iPhone about a year ago, I’ve found myself using using my laptop less and less often while on the move.  Sure, the iPhone has a tiny screen compared to even the smallest laptop or netbook, but my mobile computing needs are fairly lightweight and not having to lug a laptop around is a blessing.

The success of Apple’s iPhone is attracting host of other companies into the smartphone segment.  Besides the traditional mobile phone manufacturers, traditional PC makers are also eying this buoyant market segment with great ambition.  The devices they are creating are becoming more powerful and  feature rich.  These smarter mobile devices, coupled with increasingly ubiquitous wireless broadband networks, point to an emerging revolution in personal computing.

The BBC News website takes a look at the mobile future and examines how the mobile phone is slowly taking over the mantle as the centre of your social and multimedia experience.

My first personal computer was an Apple IIe way back in 1984.  I  subsequently drifted into the Win-Tel universe until I was seduced back to the Apple fold in 2002 by the “lamp-shade” iMac G4 and Mac OS X.  I’ve been completely “Windows-free” since and the happier for it.

Clients and associates often ask me for advice on purchasing PCs for their businesses.  In most instances, I have no hesitation in recommending that they go the Mac route – it simply is the most logical choice in the long run for a small business.

Wondering whether the make the switch for your business?  Check out MacLife’s compilation of 10 reasons your small business should run on Macs.

Yesterday, Apple head-honcho Steve Jobs finally unveiled the long awaited iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit – a collection of software tools and documentation designed to help programmer write new software for the platform). Until now the software on the iPhone was closed to developers, and programmers who wanted to create software for the device had to resort fairly complex ‘hacks’ to get their software working on the device.

One notable feature of Apple’s recently launched ultra-thin MacBook Air laptop is the optional SSD (solid-sate drive). Long heralded as the slayer of traditional magnetic platter hard-disk drives (HDDs), SSDs are starting to show up in a number of high-end laptops, albeit at smaller capacities and a hefty price premium to HDDs.SSDs do bring a number of advantages to the table – most notably a lack of moving parts, lower power consumption, greater reliability and quieter operation. These advantages are particularly useful for smaller mobile devices.The WSJ’s Walt Mossberg recently reviewed the performance of SSD equipped laptops – his conclusion: despite the obvious benefits, it is probably too early for mainstream users to plumb the extra cash for SSDs.