I use to have a triple, but I didn't like it because of the redundant gearing and because of the constant FD shifting. I live in a hilly area. My next bike was a compact with a 11-28 cassette. That wasn't enough so I put on a MTB RD so I could use a 11-34 cassette. It's been great since it allows me to spin (relatively speaking) up 20% hills.

We don't know what shape you are in, but since you're asking, I would go with a compact crank instead of a triple. It'll be cheaper since you won't have to change out the shifters or the FD.