A computer’s usefulness these days pretty much depends on whether it’s internet-capable or not. It doesn’t matter how the whatever-it-is connects to the internet be it by wired network, Wi-Fi, 3G or whatever is used so long as it can get there. On the vintage computer side of things, the one thing just about any computer can do from the 1980s...

It’s still true to this day that the screen is the most expensive part of a laptop, and replacing it on an out-of-warranty unit is never cheap and never has been. In addition, replacing a screen on a laptop is exceedingly difficult compared to a standalone monitor. Lots of tiny screws, dealing with a proprietary chassis, probably literally cracking apart...

There’s a lot of USB stuff out there and a lot of it is great, but some of it is total crap. These 5 are things you should never buy – not even for someone else. Let’s start with 5 and work our way down to 1. 5. Darth Vader USB hubJust because it’s Star Wars themed doesn’t mean it’s good, and this isn’t. What once was...

Some PC games are best played with game controllers rather than the keyboard and mouse. For example, racing games are much better experienced with the game controller over the keyboard – no question there. Another instance are games that were designed for game consoles first, then PCs second. The best OS for gaming on the PC is Windows – and...

Today is August 12, 2011. On August 12, 1981 the IBM PC was first introduced to market. The model number of that particular unit was the 5150. Before continuing, this is the best video I know of concerning Ye Olde 5150, and it’s darn good. It’s funny, it’s informative and, amazingly, it’s not boring at all:I dare anyone to find a better...

Regular readers of my articles know I have no love lost for optical disc media. It’s a decidedly old technology that’s been around since the mid-1970s and has gone through several generations (CD, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.). In my experience burned discs have an average life span of 5 years or less. Yes, I have in fact had discs last beyond 10 years, but...

USB sticks are great. They’re cheap, plentiful, available everywhere and can store a few DVD’s worth of data while still easily fitting in your pocket. But are they safe to synchronize data to? It is true that Flash memory can fail without warning, but unless you’re USB stick is a few years old and/or gone through some heavy use, the likelihood...

The most annoying part of using a laptop is the mouse, no question. It is something that the industry has always struggled with. In the early days of pointing devices on laptops, it started with an in-built trackball, and they were horrible. Placed just below the keyboard or in the LCD bezel itself, they routinely started to fail in as little as 3 months of...

Label printers are interesting because it’s something that up to this point has not been replaced by anything better. I seriously doubt you will ever see a tablet or a smartphone with a printer attached to it because those devices are inherently "anti-physical", meaning they’re not meant to have any physical peripherals attached to them....

If your current laptop is a bit long in the tooth and you’re thinking of buying a new one, I’d consider the current state of the notebook market to be stable. The price points right now are about where they should be, it’s tough to find a dud these days with notebooks as pretty much all of them worked out the design kinks years ago, and of...