The Desert Computer Tutor

Tag: buying guide

  • Are you wondering if you should upgrade your OS?

    There are major changes happening with computer and mobile gadget operating systems and it’s my mission to make it easy for you to keep up and enjoy the many benefits.

    One of my clients received an email from Microsoft offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 and she wanted to know if I thought it would be better or worse than her Windows 8.1.
    windows 10

    I told her, that it’s too soon to tell.  I recommend that people wait until it has been on the market for at least a year to give them a chance to correct any problems.  There are always bugs and fixes that need to be done with any new software.

    There are many improvements and some neat new features, but we’ll shall see….

    If you are interested in knowing about the new features of Windows 10, Click here.

     Yosemite

    Apple also has a new operating system for it’s computers. It’s been available for quite some time and Apple has issued several important updates.  It’s called OS X Yosemite and it has a lot of cool new features.  If you want to learn more about it click here.

    Chromebook

    I’m still really enjoying my Chromebook.  A Chromebook is a laptop of a different breed. Instead of Windows or Mac OS, Chromebooks run Google’s Chrome OS. These machines are designed to be used primarily while connected to the Internet, with most applications and documents living in the cloud and they are much less expensive than other computers.

    If you are thinking about buying a new computer, smart phone or tablet, you might want to consult with me first. In my tutoring, I have the opportunity to play with many kinds of devices so I can give you some good information about their advantages and disadvantages.  I’m proud to say that many of my clients have saved a lot of money and avoided a lot of frustration by consulting with me before they purchased.
    If you buy a new device, have me give you an orientation so you can get up and running quickly and easily. I read the owners manuals and take online classes so you don’t have to.  (“It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it.”  LOL)

    If you found this information helpful, please share it.  

     

    Enjoy!

    Mardi

  • Do You Need A Tablet?

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    There are so many people using tablets now that it’s hard to believe that it’s only been four years since the first iPad came on the scene.  Some analysts think tablets will outsell laptops soon.  So the question is, do you want one and if so, do you want an Apple or an Android model?

    Having just done considerable research before purchasing my new laptop, I have reached a few conclusions.

    Tablets are good for consuming information on the go.  The screens are bigger than smart phones and they have more processing power and storage capacity than smart phones.  (My iPhone ran out of storage space the minute I synced my iTunes music library and I had to delete a bunch of files.)   My Android phone runs a little slow at times.  I think it’s straining under the load of all those apps multi-tasking.  The teeny tiny keyboards on both products drive me nuts and neither Siri nor Google voice seem to understand me.

    Tablets offer a more portable and comfortable way to check email, view web pages, watch movies, listen to music, play games or view maps and reports for work.  However, if you spend a considerable amount of time creating information, like blogging, writing reports and longer emails, you won’t be happy with a touch screen keyboard.  Of course you can add keyboards to tablets, but that increases the weight and makes it into a mini laptop which sort of defeats the purpose, if you ask me.  I find the small screens restrictive and I had a hard time getting used to the small the keyboard on my Asus tablet.

    Therefore, I use my smart phone for navigation, and to check emails, texts and voice mails to see who needs immediate attention.  I leave everything I can, until I get back to my laptop with it’s nice crunchy full-size keyboard and 15 inch screen.

    So, consider what you are going to want to do with a tablet.  You probably don’t need one.

    However, you may want one.  If you decide to jump in, you will have to choose a camp…LOL…Apple, Android, or Microsoft.  I won’t go into the myriad of choices here…there are so many and they change all the time.  Suffice it to say, that if you use a Mac computer, your life will be simpler if you get an iPad; and if you use a PC, you will be happier with an Android or Microsoft product.  Some people like the simple look of the apple product and find them very easy to learn and it is possible to sync iPads (and iPhones) with PCs.  I do it with clients all the time.   But just be aware that “the boys” are very competitive and don’t like to play together nicely, so you may need my help.

    I’m always happy to do pre-purchase consultations and/or shopping trips.  It makes me so happy to be able to save clients tons of money by preventing them from buying expensive gadgets and bells and whistles that they don’t need.

    I’m always grateful for the opportunity to see you and help in any way I can.

    If you have found this information helpful, please feel free to forward this to others.  Your referrals are the heart of my business and I really appreciate you.

    In Joy,
    Mardi

    “Restoring peace and joy to the world through computer and gadget education.”