Mark wants to know how good the business version of Google Docs is. Leo says that the business version, Google Workspace (formerly called G Suite) is what they use on TWiT to run their daily operations. It's simple and easy, and very affordable. Microsoft Office with One Drive is another option if you want to stay in the Microsoft Universe. It's called SharePoint. That's probably what Mark wants.
If users go to Microsoft's Windows Update Page, they will be rewarded with the latest updates, rather than having to wait. That's because Microsoft now considers you a "seeker." The most recent update is 20H2. But you'll have to update to the 2004 update before you can do it, otherwise the update could be corrupted and your system damaged. Which Leo says is annoying because 2004 is a minor "feature" update.
This week, Microsoft announced that employees can opt to work at home permanently now. They will give up their office space, but Leo says who needs it? Leo also believes the Covid19 outbreak will be a seed change, prompting more work from home options, keeping cars off the road. And that's a good thing.
If you've been infected with malware, wipe your drive and start over. Reinstall Windows. If it's a rogue employee of a company you were calling, contact the company and let them know. Any general-purpose operating system is vulnerable to these kinds of malware attacks. If you positively need to use Windows at home, you sort of should become a guru of PC security to protect yourself. Windows shouldn't be your default OS pick anymore.
If you still insist on using your Windows 7 computer and are scared of using it thanks to Microsoft's lack of continued support, it is still okay to use it offline. If you don't take it on the internet, you significantly lower your risks to catch anything harmful for the PC. Plus, most of your permanent applications will still work as long as there is electricity to power the computer! However, you should still be sure to back up important files onto an external hard drive, as staying offline means no access to cloud backup services.
Leo got the Microsoft Surface Duo Android device this week, the first Android phone that Microsoft has ever produced. The oversized "phablet," has dual screens and opens up like a paperback book. Both screens can work in concert or independently, and Leo says with the Kindle App, it's the best digital reading experience he's ever had. It has also given him all-day battery life, so it's quite usable.
But the Duo has its buggy issues. It can crash and freeze up, forcing one to reboot. Microsoft has pushed out an update, but it hasn't really helped. It also has a terrible camera.
If you do most computer work in the browser, get a Chromebook or iPad instead of a new Windows PC. It's not worth plunging into the complicated and frequently clumsy predicaments (such as being unable to update or upgrade) Microsoft creates if you rarely need the desktop features of Windows 10. On iPad or Chromebook, you'll likely save money and probably be more secure in many respects. There's a chance that Microsoft will be moving everything to the Azure cloud in the future anyway.
John is getting a warning that his version of Windows 10 is nearing its end of service and he needs to update to the latest version. But when he tries that, it then says his PC isn't supported for the latest version. So now what does he do? Leo says that is the most annoying issue, where Microsoft infers that users have to buy a new computer because Windows 10 will stop be supported for the hardware. It's a very hostile way to act towards users.
If you are a Windows user, do not buy a personal computer/laptop with so little storage that it can't easily download the latest Microsoft updates because it can't fit them. Even if they're super cheap and tempting. It makes very little sense when Microsoft is pushing out such massive updates while PCs exist with such small hard drives. Windows 10, version 2004 has system requirements of 32GB or larger!
Microsoft surprised everyone this week with the announcement of a two-screen mobile device, that Leo describes the Surface DUO as a kind of folding notebook you'd get at a bookstore. Like a pocket-sized portfolio or Moleskine. It has two 6" screens that when unfolded creates an 8" diagonal tablet running Android. The screens can work in concert or independently for multi-tasking. Leo stresses that Microsoft insists the DUO is NOT a phone, but an internet-enabled device that can also make phone calls.
