John recently bought a new Chromebook, per Leo's recommendation. He got a 17" Acer, and John says wow, it's really fast. Leo says that for most people, the Chromebook is ideal. Faster, more secure, and more affordable. And if you don't have to do anything specific, like gaming or photo and video editing, a Chromebook is the ideal online computer.
Julie's mom uses Windows 7, but she wants to know if it's secure to do her online banking. Leo says that Windows 7 is at the end of life, which means Microsoft isn't fixing any bugs or exploits anymore. So if you go online, you run the risk of being hacked or infected. However, if you only use it for one thing, like online banking, it may be secure. That means no surfing to other sites, no emails, just going to the bank. If that isn't practical, Julie's mom can always upgrade to Windows 10 (it's still free). Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and upgrade.
John has decided to forgo a windows laptop in favor of a simple Chromebook. But which one should he get, and how much ram does he need? Leo says an 8GB Ram model is the sweet spot. But why do Chromebooks have scant storage? Leo says that's because of Chromebooks' design being built around storing everything in the cloud. Acer makes Leo's favorite Chromebooks. The Acer SPIN is very nice. HP also makes nice ones, as does Asus. Spending a little more on an aluminum body, touch screen, and better quality trackpad is worth the money in the long run.
Mike is looking for a good, mid-range Chromebook. Leo recommends ACER. He can get a decent Chromebook for around $300-500. Leo's favorite is the Chromebook Spin. $269 on Amazon.
Mike's old Macbook Pro is having wireless mouse issues. It's getting a bit jiggy. Leo says that new batteries in the mouse may help. But the mouse may just be worn out. They do wear with use. Replacing a wired mouse can also eliminate interference as an issue. Leo prefers a wired mouse. If the issue disappears, then he will know.
Jeff has a Chromebook that has reached "end of life." What? Leo says you can still use it, but they won't be supporting them with updates anymore. But it's still secure for use. If it's that old, however, it may be time to upgrade it. The latest round of ChromeOS devices support Android apps and are much more powerful. And the price ranges are very affordable.
Mary's laptop technician put in an ad blocker with her browser, and now she's being bothered to turn it off every time she visits Yahoo. Leo says a lot of websites now are seeking to get her to stop using the blocker in order to get paid by ads. So they want her to unblock them in order to see their ads. Chances are, that the browser has an extension. There should be a way to "white list" the yahoo page so that popup will stop occurring.
Phillip wants to know if ExpressVPN will work on a Chromebook. Leo says he can set it up for a Chromebook, there's a ChromeOS app here. Customers will almost always want to pay for a VPN service to ensure that they aren't selling activity to pay the bills. Also, read their privacy policy. Leo's checked out ExpressVPN and they are legit.
One can also "roll their own" VPN through a router, but that doesn't give the benefit of being geographically anonymous.
Elizabeth has an old Dell Inspiron and her hard drive is all full now so she can't run it. Leo says it's not really worth upgrading the machine. It would be cheaper to pick up a Chromebook for about $400. Leo recommends the Acer Spin. The Spin 11 is $330 if money is tight.
She can then use either Google Docs or Microsoft Office Online. It'll be far more secure that way and save money in the long run. Trying to upgrade an old computer really won't help Elizabeth.
Stan wants to know what he should get for his first real computer. Leo advises a Chromebook. Namely the Acer Spin. Easily the best choice, especially for someone who already has an Android phone.
Lee wants to know if she can buy a computer to use as a word processor. Leo says that since Lee has a Chromebook, she already has all she needs. Just use Google Docs. Or, she can also use Microsoft Office Online. So there's no need to buy a separate device. And the best thing is, Chromebook will back up everything you do in the cloud, protecting data automatically. Learn to love the cloud.
