Technological advancements have touched every kind of industry and the financial industry is no exception. From digitization to finance software, there are several areas where technology has made an impact on the way we go about maintaining our personal and business finances on a daily basis.
That being said, those who don’t embrace the changes that come along with technological advancements will eventually get left behind. If you are someone who sticks to the old way of doing things and fights against the new methods, you stand to miss out on ways to make your business run more efficiently, or even money that could be in your pocket.
There are also those who think that desktop PCs are items that are part of this wave of the past, and we’re here to tell you they’re not. Don’t be so quick to think you need to get rid of the desktop computers, either in your office space or in your home. They still serve some pretty good purposes in the world of financial management and for other reasons.
Personal finance programs and your PC
Quicken is a personal finance program that has been around for decades. There aren’t many people who haven’t heard of it. There’s a bit of a problem with Quicken though, and it has to do with advancements in technology that the makers of Quicken just haven’t gotten on board with.
If you’re a Quicken fan and you’re also a fan of the desktop computer, then you’ll be fine to keep using this program because it does require that you have the desktop version of the software. There are Mobile App versions of the software available for both Apple and Android devices, but to use them, you still have to sync to the desktop version first.
So, where does it leave you if you don’t want to get stuck with, what many call an outdated personal finance program? It leaves you with some Quicken alternatives.
Alternatives to the Quicken program include all kinds of different personal finance programs that help you manage your finances and create unique budgets. Some of them will also require syncing with a desktop version, or they will only be offered in a Mobile version for certain operating systems.
It’s important to understand that while it may seem that we’re on our way to moving completely away from desktop PCs, we aren’t there yet. Don’t throw your computer out the window quite yet.
Reasons to keep your desktop PC
For starters, we just saw that there are times when the programs we want to use require the use of a desktop PC for synchronization purposes. But PCs have other unique capabilities that we can’t yet find in mobile devices. Or at least they aren’t as good in mobile devices yet.
One of these is multimonitor functionality. You can do this with laptops if you have all of the right equipment, but most of us don’t because it’s costly to acquire the pieces you need and the monitors aren’t as big anyway. Desktop PC monitors make productivity easier in situations where you need more screens to work on.
You can add on to a desktop PC easily if there comes a time that your requirements change. Instead of having to buy a completely new computer, as in the case of a laptop, you can just purchase an expanded add-on part for your PC and continue on about your business. Desktops are expandable unlike any mobile device.
You also have a more secure location to keep files and synchronize data with a desktop PC. And on top of that, you can access it remotely if you leave your machine on.
You also don’t have to spend the time booting the computer up if you leave it on in its stationary setting either. That means you could be saving yourself some valuable time. You get to just sit down and start working rather than spending so much effort getting everything up and running with your laptop that goes everywhere with you.
Digitisation and online banking
If you’re a financial institution, and you have not taken the time or the money to digitize the data you have and develop your online presence so you can give your customers the same time- and money-saving options that other establishments are, then you might as well decide to shut your doors for good.
Brick-and-mortar physical branches of banks are still needed and welcomed by business customers and personal consumers alike, but not if they don’t offer the online portals as well for maintaining accounts and requesting other services conveniently and efficiently.
If you’re a person who doesn’t do any banking online, then you’re certainly cheating yourself out of time, security, higher interest rates, instant decisions and so much more that online banking has to offer customers.
‘The times they’re a-Changin’, But Don’t Be Too Quick to Move On
There’s a lot to keep up with as far as technological changes goes. Digitization and financial software programs have changed the face of the financial industry. Some of these kinds of changes and moves toward doing everything on mobile devices seems to be phasing out the uses for desktop PCs. But we don’t think we’re quite there yet.
Desktop PCs don’t need to join landline telephones as things we no longer see in households or even businesses. There are still important reasons why desktop PCs should be seen as useful tools, at least at this point in time.