Brad Moon

Apple recently updated the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, moving to faster processors, doubling the RAM in base-model configurations and dropping the price of the top-of-the-line 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Sounds good, but what does it all mean? How much faster are the new models? What’s the difference between a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Pro with Retina Display and a MacBook Air? Which one should I choose? How do Retina displays compare to the labels I see on Windows laptops, like HD and FHD? I’ll answer all of these questions and more as we explore Apple’s MacBook line of OSX laptops.  

When your Wi-Fi network is set up properly and everything’s humming, life is good. But what happens when it’s time for a new router, or when you move out of your parents’ house to go to college or university and need to start from scratch with your own Wi-Fi network? Building a new wireless network —complete with printer access and storage— used to be a challenge, but these days you don’t need to be a systems administrator to do it. In fact, most router companies offer plug and play options that make setup and configuration a matter of minutes.

Samsung continues to lead everyone but Apple in worldwide tablet sales and it’s not just the sheer number of different models it offers that’s the reason for that (although Samsung does offer a lot of different tablets). The company keeps upping its game and the Galaxy Tab S models are the latest example of this. Samsung sent me Galaxy Tab S 8.4 to try out and I found a lot to like about the company’s thinnest and lightest tablet. Especially that Super AMOLED display. Read on for my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review.

Apple computers have played an important role in many people’s education for many years. In recent years, that emphasis has grown to include digital offerings like iTunes U —complete university courses offered through an app— and iBook textbooks for the iPad. Despite the advances in providing educationally focused digital content, Apple’s computers remain at the heart of its offerings. With so many choices, how do you know which one is the right choice for you? Should you pick an iPad or a MacPro? I will walk you through the options to help you buy the right Apple computer for your needs this year.  

Laptops are a hot product right now as high school, college and university students start preparing for back to school. Best Buy has hundreds to choose from and I’ve already dished on five of my favourites. Now it’s time to leverage the power of Best Buy’s website, through the customer ratings and comments left by people who have bought specific laptops. We’ve combed through the ratings and put together another list of five laptop computers, this time based on your feedback. Without further ado, here are five of the best laptops on the market, as chosen by Best Buy customers.

As we hit the halfway point of summer vacation (for kids), back to school is starting creep closer. For many parents, that’s going to mean a mad scramble to find a laptop for their university, college high school or even elementary school student. But which one to choose? Best Buy alone stocks hundreds… I can’t tell you the perfect laptop for your student —the best advice I can offer is to make certain you understand your student’s requirements, research the options and don’t leave your choice until the last minute when popular models might be in short supply. To help you get started, though, here are my picks as some of the best laptops of the year for back to school.

Chromebooks —inexpensive laptops running Google’s Chrome OS— have proven to be extremely popular. Chromeboxes arrived after the portable versions but they’re now beginning to gain traction too. One of the most eagerly anticipated Chromeboxes is now available at Best Buy. Read on to see what my experience using the Asus Chromebox PC was like and whether this Windows PC alternative might be a good fit for you.

Alienware is a name synonymous with hardcore PC gaming. Whether you’re fighting off a Zerg swarm, adventuring your way to level 70 in Diablo 3 or freeing London of Nazi invaders in Wolfenstein: The New Order, the ultimate video game experience is on a PC and Alienware has long been a respected name among Windows gamers. And while gaming laptops offer a very good experience, to get the best, you need to go with a tower or desktop gaming PC. This is the form factor that has the space for the monster video card, the high performance CPU and all the other components that make a game look its best. Alienware has just released two new desktop gaming PCs that are available now at Best Buy: The Alienware X51-R2 and the awesome Alienware R4.

I see a lot of laptops come through my door and many of them try to impress with fancy sculpted cases and LED lighting effects. Granted, looking hot does get some points upfront, but after trying out my third Eurocom laptop in the past few years —this time the Shark 2— I’ve really come to appreciate this manufacturer’s approach. While the Shark 2 doesn’t look cheap, it is understated compared to many laptops aimed at the gaming and graphics professional crowd. It’s also a solid performer with a good display, high quality sound, a powerful Intel Haswell CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M graphics card for gaming.