Computers

Chances are you’ve heard of a Chromebook —the hot new category in affordable, mobile computing— but what the heck is a Chromebox? The cardboard box a Samsung Chromebook ships in? Does it have anything to do with Battlestar Galactica and Cylons? No to both. Chromebox is the natural extension of the Chromebook, taking Google’s Chrome operating system and using it to run a compact, portable and affordable alternative to a traditional desktop Windows PC. The Chromebox isn’t for everyone, but when it comes to a desktop PC that features near instant boot-up, built-in security, the ability to work on documents and spreadsheets using free (and offline-capable) apps plus a complete web experience, a Chromebox is an appealing option.

With increasingly powerful laptops and ever-shrinking desktop PCs, the age-old question of laptop or desktop can be as confusing as ever. Should your next family computer be a laptop or desktop? I’ll try to help you decide which is the best choice for your situation.

PC Gaming can be a lot of fun but it can also be extremely expensive to keep up with the latest gaming rigs. These accessories can extend the life of your current gaming rig and bring out a whole new level of awesomeness to a setup you already have.

My household has been fairly loyal to the ASUS brand over the last 10 years. Between my wife and I, 5 of our last 6 laptops have been ASUS ones. We’ve seen them through their gaming ups and gaming downs. The Republic of Gamers G752 is a definite up. A revolutionary cooling and exhaust system, one touch game recording/streaming and a keyboard with features stronger than most mechanical keyboards are some of the great features. It also plays Fallout 4 on Ultra Settings. Read on to find out more.

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.

   If you’ve recently been pondering the possible acquisition of a brand new computer, perhaps you’ve already considered your needs and determined exactly what type of system best suits your lifestyle. For the rest of us, today’s blog attempts to help answer the question. If this sounds like you, join me inside for a detailed look at 3 computing categories & what you need to consider to make a happy decision.

Chromebooks are one of the fastest growing computing categories. Small, lightweight and inexpensive these Google Chrome OS-powered notebooks have proven ideal for many users including students and small business. They’re great for home too. But what if you want the touchscreen experience that’s become a standard feature on Windows 8 Ultrabooks? You were pretty much out of luck on the Chrome side. Acer has filled that gap quite nicely with the new C720P Chromebook, an 11.6-inch device that combines the advantages of Google’s Chrome OS with a multi-touch display. It’s available now at Best Buy, but if you want a preview of what it’s capable of, I’ve spent some time putting a C720P Chromebook through the paces for a review.

Many of us have more data than we know what to do with. Digital photos, digital movies, MP3s and old school stuff like documents and spreadsheets can start to take up a lot of space on your PC. On your smartphone or tablet, it’s even worse —a lot of those photos get snapped on a smartphone and with limited storage, it doesn’t take long to fill them up. Cloud storage is always an option, but then you’re at the mercy of the provider and there may be charges associated with the service. Western Digital offers a compelling alternative —a “personal cloud”— with its My Cloud series of network hard drives. I tested a 3TB My Cloud drive and came away convinced that this is the best thing to happen to hard drives since USB.  

We are entering into a new era of computing, with applications like virtual reality, 4K video editing and Ultra HD gaming pushing the need for more powerful CPUs. AMD’s answer began rolling out in March: AMD Ryzen processors. Here’s what you need to know about these new multi-core, multi-threading powerhouses.

 The ASUS X540LA is a big, surprisingly light and very affordable laptop. Aimed at students and casual home use, this 15.6-inch laptop could also easily replace an aging desktop PC. Here’s my review.