Computer and Software Recommendations

Being necessary to a travel agent’s work, choosing what technology to use is critical to getting started. Review these guidelines to determine the best fit.

Should I buy a Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet?

No option is best for everybody, but laptops are powerful and portable enough to suit most needs. Before purchasing, consider each option in terms of:

• Cost: How much financial strain will its purchase create?
• Power: How much work can it do at once? How long will doing work take?
• Portability: How easy it is to transport?

🖥 Desktops

Desktops stay in one room and use wires to attach an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

• Cost: More expensive than tablets, but less expensive than laptops.
• Power: The most powerful option by far.
• Portability: The least portable option by far.

💻 Laptops

Laptops are portable desktops with an integrated monitor, keyboard and mouse.

• Cost: The most expensive option.
• Power: More powerful than tablets, but less powerful than desktops.
• Portability: More portable than desktops, but less portable than tablets.

📱 Tablets

Tablets are large mobile phones that generally lack the ability to call or text.

• Cost: The least expensive option.
• Power: The least powerful option by far.
• Portability: The most portable option.

Minimum Requirements

The following list can be shown to any computer retailer to confirm that the desired computer meets these minimum requirements:

Recommended Operating System

The operating system is important to consider because it dictates what programs you can use.

All modern devices support browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, but other programs may not be compatible with every operating system.

It’s recommended to choose a device using Windows. Only choose a device using a different operating system if you have a specific need for it.

Recommended Software

Productivity Suite

You will always need a productivity suite to work on documents and send email. It’s recommended to use one of the following:

	Office 365 (https://www.office.com/) Choose this by default, or if you’re more familiar with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive. Office 365 has a monthly cost.
	Google Suite (https://gsuite.google.com/) Choose this option if you’re more familiar with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail. Most of these are free to use with a Gmail account.

Antivirus

To protect your device while connected to the Internet, it is recommended to install one of the following options for antivirus:

	Bitdefender (https://www.bitdefender.com/) Choose this option if you’re using Windows.
	Avast (https://www.avast.com/) Choose this option if you’re not using Windows, or would like an alternative to Bitdefender.