Getting a family organized requires more than a few well-chosen New Year's resolutions. Increasingly, homeowners are carving out a physical space — anything from a single kitchen cabinet to an entire spare room — that can function as a family information center and workstation.

Appliances, furniture, televisions and more can be found at the City of Mesa surplus store, which is open 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7041 E. Adobe.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, while checking out some football sandwiched in between the mandatory first, second and third quarter naps on the sofa, I became acutely aware that the pre-Christmas marketing blitz is in full swing and is designed to convince you that trying to live without a certain product would be a huge, life-altering mistake. This particular Sunday, it seemed the focus was on the latest portable electronic devices to include tablets, laptops and phones.

Q: How does Microsoft’s Surface tablet compare to the iPad? -- Jesse

Q: I’m considering Windows 8 but don’t know if my current computer is capable of the upgrade. Any quick way to figure out if I need a new computer or not? — Donald

Microsoft is known for its vast network of developers -- independent, third-party creators of applications and programs that run on its Windows platform.

At the Computex show in Taipei earlier this summer, leading manufacturers previewed the next generation of tablets, ultrabooks, hybrids and touch-screen technology designed to take advantage of Microsoft's touch-friendly Windows 8 operating system. Here are a few of the cool gadgets you can expect to see near the end of the year.

ATLANTA (AP) — Two new computers running Google's Chrome operating system are looking to lure people to a browser-based environment. Both target light-duty computer users who don't need the full range of capabilities that traditional Windows and Mac computers provide.

Rather than sending 5-year-old obsolete computers to recyclers who strip the precious metals from computers before dumping them in landfills, Gilbert’s Highland High School and Highland Junior High are sending theirs to India and West Africa.

Q: Is the new Microsoft tablet going to be something that will be worth considering vs an iPad? — Tanya

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s mobile website has been awarded first place in the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) 2012 excellence in marketing and communications contest. Sky Harbor won in the website category, competing with airports from across the United States and Canada. Websites were judged on their design, ease of navigation and overall effectiveness.

Q: I’m in the market for a new computer; when will Windows 8 be out and is it worth getting? — Stanley

Q: I have a couple of VelociRaptor hard drives and have had nothing but problems with them. I am wondering would the Seagate Hybrid drives be a better alternative? - D

Longtime readers of this column may be shocked to read the next few paragraphs, but I may have gone to the dark side, so to speak, or at least taken the first few steps in that direction. I recently landed a new contract for my computer business and was more than a bit distressed to find the office full of iMac computers. Up to this point, I have been unable to find the “On-Off” switch on anything Mac, iPods included, but here I was staring at a row of iMac computers. Never being one to back down from a challenge, regardless of the foe, I looked the beasts squarely in the “i” and declared my supremacy over them.

Q: I’m in the market for a new computer; when will Windows 8 be out and is it worth getting? — Stanley

You don’t have to buy the latest, top-of-the-line option every time you shop for technology. I know I risk being shunned by the nerd community for saying it, but there are times to splurge and times to save.

Make no mistake about it: March Madness is a work thing. The announcement of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament seeds unleashes a torrent of office pools.

Q: I got a new laptop battery. What is the best way to condition it? I use my laptop as a desktop with a port replicator. It's always plugged in. - Brian

By now, the majority of New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside and if remembered at all, they are recalled in sentences like, "What was I thinking? Every time I organize my office, I cannot find anything for weeks!" So how about a few things that are easy to do and will make a difference in your computer life?

Q: With Windows computers being so cheap these days, how do I know when it's better to repair or replace my computer when I have a problem? - Glenda

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has launched a customer-friendly mobile version of its website, skyharbor.com.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has launched a customer-friendly mobile version of its website, skyharbor.com.

Q: Is it true that the floods in Thailand are going to make computers more expensive this holiday season or can we still expect good deals?