When you are buying/building a new desktop PC with any kind of stamina, make sure it has an SSD instead of an HDD. Solid-State Drives are a massive improvement in speed and durability from regular hard drives, Best of all, prices of SSDs have fallen drastically, so getting a 1TB drive is plenty and still affordable. Also, don't get a "hybrid" configuration of SDD and traditional, it's more worth it to go all-in on solid-state.
This 2020 Acer Spin 3is a versatile notebook that offers tablet mode and “tent-mode” for viewing lessons, game, videos, etc. It bendable because of it's 360-degree dual-torque hinge. It has a great 14" Full HD IPS Screen. There is a built-in garage for the active stylus using Wacom AES technology, which keeps it safe from being misplaced. It also charges it for up to 90 minutes of use in just 15 seconds. It’s powered by 10th Generation Intel Core processors and Acer says it delivers up to 12 hours of battery life.
This week at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the company unveiled its new direction called Apple Silicon. Based on the successful ARM architecture that is the heart of all iOS devices, the company is taking those ARM to the next level with desktop computers and laptops that will turn away from Intel's x86 in favor of a new platform designed in house by Apple. ARM-powered Macs will be transitioned in by 2021. Leo says that this is the beginning of the end for x86 architecture and is a seed change in how we approach computers.
Ed wants to upgrade his desktop to make it run faster. He also wants to tune it up. Leo says it's a good idea. Give it a good cleaning/dusting, reseat the thermal paste, put an SSD drive in it and maybe add more RAM. Just a little tune-up and it'll work fine for years to come.
Dave wants to know more about the flashing lights box behind Leo. Leo says that computers in the 70s had switches, and the blinking lights would tell you when the software switches were enabled correctly. The irony is that the box behind Leo is run on a Raspberry Pi, which is hundreds of times more powerful than the box it's emulating. We've come a long way since then.
Dave built his first computer. Leo says it's a great project for someone who wants to learn about computers. But you have to be your own tech support.
Leo's favorite thing at CES was a kit to build an Apple 1 computer, endorsed by Steve Wozniak. And it was $99. What'a fun gadget.
Gloria wants to know if buying a computer on the home shopping channel is a good buy. Leo says that it's usually an older model that is underpowered and even may be discontinued. It's usually the same models seen at big box stores like Costco. If she can send it back, go to Costco instead. Gloria can save more for the same model. But Gloria got a good price that's within the price range for that model. She could even go to Dell.com and find out if she got a good deal, and maybe get a better price for a refurbished model. Is it secure? Leo says yes.
Running on 386 computers for the last 20 years, the International Space Station received a computer upgrade this week.
Gloria's Windows 7 computer "went out" recently. It seems to be stuck in a boot loop. Rich says a software update may have broken your computer. Rich suggests going into safe mode and see if it will boot up. Use the F8 key when it's booting up. If it does, then that indicates a corrupted driver. Maybe a video driver. You can also bring your computer into a nearby Microsoft Store and they will run diagnostics to see what's going on. But with Windows 7 reaching End of Life in January, it's time to think about getting Windows 10. Rich also recommends looking at a Google Chromebook.
