Microsoft Surface RT

The Microsoft Surface RT should be ignored at all costs. Although the tablet might be appealing from a hardware perspective, it’s running Windows RT, an underpowered version of Windows 8. The best move would be to wait for the Surface Pro that runs Windows 8 Pro rather than go with the Surface RT.

RIM’s BlackBerry Torch is destined to be the last vestige of the stodgy phone design that brought about the mobile company’s great decline. Soon enough, BlackBerry 10 will be out, giving RIM a chance to finally adapt to today’s mobile world of touch-screens. The Torch has a touch-screen, but it’s rather junky. But it also has a physical keyboard and surprisingly thick body. The Torch seems like a smartphone worth ignoring.

There was a time earlier this year when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was actually worth buying. However, it’s been trumped by a host of Android-based devices, including Samsung’s own Galaxy S III. Those looking for an Android-based smartphone will find several other products out there that are more deserving of their cash.

Although Windows 7 PCs can be purchased now for cheap prices, since they’re running an outdated operating system, what’s the sense of buying them? Windows 7, as nice as it might be, has been replaced. And no one wants last year’s computer model for the holidays.

At the same time, this isn’t the best time to buy a Windows 8 PC. Windows 8 is criticized for having a steep learning curve and the products running the operating system are both underpowered and designed to work with Windows 7. Those looking to buy a Windows 8 PC should wait until early next year when new computers launch.

In the tablet market, there’s one relatively well-known slate everyone should overlook: the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. Although the device has a nice design and comes with access to Barnes & Noble’s ebook collection, it’s not on the same level as the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Google Nexus 7 or Apple’s iPad Mini. For that reason, it shouldn’t be purchased this year.

It’s hard to find a single Nokia Lumia handset released so far that’s actually worth buying. The handsets are running an operating system—Windows Phone 8—that most customers just don’t want. What’s worse, they lack the design quality of Apple’s iPhone or the Galaxy S III. Until Nokia gets its act together, don’t even consider buying a Lumia.

It’s not often that an Apple product is included in a roundup of products customers shouldn’t buy, but the Mac Pro is one of them. The company’s desktop has been on store shelves for years now and Apple has declined to update it. Customers buying the Mac Pro now will find a computer with an outdated processor, too little storage and graphics cards that were popular a year ago. Plus, it’s extremely expensive.

Samsung was one of the first companies to make a mark in the Android tablet space. However, the company’s latest entrants, including the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, just aren’t the tablets to buy. The tablet doesn’t have the multimedia integration found in the Kindle Fire or the Nexus 10, and can’t quite match the iPad in the higher end of the space.

It’s about time the world realizes that the iPod is dying. In fact, if one were to examine Apple’s financials, they’ll find that iPod sales are down over the last few years and their importance to Apple’s bottom line is declining. The iPod media-playing capability is now just one more app on the iPhone. Let’s face it, after a good, solid run, the iPod is slowly but surely hitting its curtain call.