Computers, Laptops & Tablets

After trying out the Neat Receipts Scanner and writing a review on it last year, I did some research on portable scanners. That’s when I stumbled upon the Doxie Go and decided to take it for a test spin. If you’re interested in taking charge of your paper mountain and you’ve been wondering about portable scanners, here’s a quick run down of the Doxie Go.

My home office is what I consider to be a pretty good computer room. It has everything I need, including the computer, an ergonomic chair, stereo, colour laser printer and a LEGO General Grievous perched on the desk (not everything in a computer room needs to be functional). It’s a pretty good setup. But it’s not the ultimate computer room. To get to that stage, you have to plan well and invest in some top notch gear. If you happen to be planning your version of the ultimate computer room, I’ve put together a list of things that I’d consider must-haves.    

Logitech is one of the industry leaders when it comes to peripherals, add-ons and accessories. The company sells a lot of gear. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that when Logitech sent tablet cases and keyboards to review, a box stuffed full of different examples would show up at the door. Included in the mix were the Keys-To-Go ultra portable keyboard, AnyAngle protective case, Ultrathin Magnetic Keyboard cover and Ultrathin Keyboard Folio. Logitech also covered off multiple devices and provided a bright range of colours. Here’s what I thought of the cases and keyboards.

With 802.11ac (Gigabit Wi-Fi) now mainstream, we are currently in the midst of a big wireless router replacement cycle. I’ve tested so many routers in the past year that I’ve lost count. Despite the potential payoff of a new router, many people are reluctant to make the upgrade. Routers can be intimidating, and once our Wi-Fi is working, it’s such an integral part of our homes now that we’re naturally reluctant to do anything that might rock the boat. After getting a taste of what the latest generation of 802.11ac routers can do, I finally made the jump myself, replacing my own aging router. And to help you understand everything that’s involved, I chronicled every step of the process. Hopefully this account of one person’s Wi-Fi router upgrade will help to demystify the process and show why it’s worth doing.

When buying any PC, memory and storage are important. With a laptop, even more so, since upgrading after the fact may not be an option. You want to get it right, but there are lot of acronyms, numbers and technical terms in play. In this piece I’ll cover off what you should know about memory and storage when buying a laptop, including RAM, VRAM, ROM, SSDs and cloud storage.

Microsoft set the standard for convertible laptop PCs when it released the Surface Pro 3. But the success of the latest Surface also opened the door for competition from other PC makers. The HP Envy x2 is a great example of how this class of ultra-portables just keeps getting better. With features like an even bigger 13.3-inch display, dual BeatsAudio speakers and a backlit keyboard, the HP Envy X2 is worth a look for anyone considering a Windows 8.1 convertible PC.  

    Being a laptop user for years, I haven’t had much need for a monitor or so I thought until I recently tried out the LG 34UC97. It made me realize how much utility that a laptop user can get out of a monitor, especially an extra wide screen that allows you use the display in many ways. I also recently tested out the new Dell U3415W Monitor, and discovered how it makes the computing experience much better, while providing a lot of flexibility. Here’s why I really liked it.

There are some beautiful and powerful laptops out there, especially if you have an unlimited budget. Trying to keep things more reasonable—under $1,200 for example—it can be pretty tough to get both performance and looks in one package. The Dell Inspiron 7000 Series 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop is one of those rare PC notebooks that offers both specs and looks, without breaking the bank.

The display is one of the most important features to consider when choosing a new laptop. The display is the way you’ll be interacting with that laptop, so getting it right is critical. Resolution, size, aspect ratio, glossy or matte, touchscreen support, viewing angles, brightness, colour accuracy, response times—there are a lot of factors to consider. Pick a laptop with the wrong display and you’ll quickly dread using it. But at the same time, if you want a portable PC for casual use, you also don’t need to pay extra for a professional grade display. Buying a laptop? Here’s what you should know about displays.  

Thanks to Plug In, I’ve had the opportunity to test drive a lot of mechanical gaming keyboards.  As a result, I loyally use the Logitech G710+, but I was curious to see just what the Orion Spark (G910) brought to the table.  How about more macro keys, palm rests and up to 16.8 million key color possibilities with billions of coordinating options?  That’s just the beginning of the Orion Spark.