Hardware

Vince is going to be sailing around and he wants a tablet to stay connected. Leo says to stay away from third-party tablets and stick to the iPad or an Android tablet. They are the most reliable. Cheaper third-party ones will not give you the experience and performance you need. Leo also recommends getting a Dual Electronics Stand Alone Bluetooth GPS receiver. Leo has one and it's far more accurate than the GPS in the mobile devices.

Grant wants to get his mom a computer and is thinking of getting here a Chromebox. Leo says that's a good option for most people because most just surf. The average price of a Chromebox is $250-350 without a monitor, which is another $100. Add a keyboard and a mouse, and you're still under $500. If you already have the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, then you're still under $300. You can even buy a used one from Acer for under $150. An iPad is another option; you can get one on black Friday now for around $229 from Apple.

Bob is buying the new Apple MacPro. He was thinking of getting the XTR monitor, but he's not high on paying $1,000 for a stand. Leo says that the monitor is really a color reference monitor for professional colorists. It's a beautiful work of art, but it's also $6,000. So for 99.9% of us, it's not necessary. But if you're doing video, you're going to want a very color-accurate monitor. Apple will likely continue to sell the LG UltraFine 5K monitor as well. It's expensive as well, but not nearly as much as the Apple monitor.

Mark wants to know if Apple's Pro AirPods are worth the $250 price tag. Leo says that what makes them so expensive is that they are active noise-canceling headphones. But Leo prefers in-ear monitors because they are passive canceling, better audio, and more comfortable to wear. Leo also says that Apple didn't design them to replace the batteries, so when the batteries die, he can only throw them away. That's wasteful. Look at Amazon's EchoBuds. They are just as good and only $129. Leo says they are just as good for 1/2 the price.