David Risley, here. I’m the founder and owner of PCMech.com.
And, I sat down and recorded a quick video from my desk…
To answer a question that is bound to come up here… yes, Rich is still with PCMech. 
He’s still authoring the weekly newsletter as well as a couple of articles for the members-only PCMech Insider each week.
So, the question from the video is…
What would YOU like to see here at PCMech.com?
Please post your answer below in the comments. And, I look forward to chatting with you down there.
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First I would like to be able to comment in the discussions. I built my first computer in 1999 with your help.
OK what I would like to see more of at this point is Windows 8 how to’s. I read where some said they were running previous versions in Unity and I would like to know what that is?
Dennis
Just because fewer people build or maintain PCs doesn’t mean that it’s not important. Behind all the great personal technologies like smart phones and tablets are regular computing platforms doing serious work. The only upside I can see to The Insider shifting focus to tablets and smart phones is it will save me money… I may not need a subscription.
We’re not switching focus to tablets. Just including it.
Plus, there’s a LOT more to talk about with computers than tablets, so I’d be dumb to try making tablets my focus. 
Dave,
Always enjoyed your video tech show when you were doing it before Rich took over. I would like to see it return but only for members so it won’t get out of control again.
I am one of the hobby builders that are vanishing.
Ah, good ol’ PCMech Live.
Fun times. 
Yeah, not sure we’ll bring that back in the same way, but you never know. Crazier things have happened.
I would like to see tips on more common problems and conflicts with apps, which change and update themselves all the time. In fact, right now I am so angry because on almost every page I visit today I am getting ‘javascript error’ dialog boxes popping up and I have no idea why. It must have updated automatically but is now causing problems! I did not have the problem yesterday! I guess I would just like to see more on those everyday problems!
I guess I could have asked…What does ‘syntax problem’ even mean???
David I am just doing my first pc build and found out it isnt that difficult. Thanks for the great info.
Congrats on the first build. I’ve probably built 100 desktops (mostly for my business, but many for myself as well) and I always find it FUN. When it stops being fun…I’ll stop.
I would like to see more OS X related topics. I am predominantly a MAC user although I support Windows OS in my full time job
That will probably happen, since I’ve been using a Mac personally for the last 6 years.
never sure about all the hype about pcs dying out– it depends on what you do and where you are. over here–definitely not, but far more normal to have custom pc built for you. you deliver the specs and the local jack-in-the-box puts it together for you and you pick it up. Is a whole lot cheaper and well they do laptops, too, but for what I do– laptop would only be temporary travel convenience and could not handle the work I do.
s for subjects- don’t know because most often the articles in last 2-3years have been fairly empty of content. i dig elsewhere than here. the rants were usually undesirable and frequently it seemed that the mentality is just to bash anyone who is not a geek. sorry a lot of folks have other work which requires a lot of time and they have their own bugbears to deal with.
agreed above– the automatic updaters are a royal pain in ass and they can totally screw over a submission upload and create all kinds of hassles.
Well, if you think they’ve been “empty of content”, what can we do to make it not so empty?
Speak in plain English and do not use a lot of useless words just to file a page. Does every egghead out there use extraneous talk just to make a point.
Understand the evolution of technology and the broader audience using mobile devices is changing the technology landscape, but keep a pulse on the PC desktop crowd. We still want to know the innovations being made in the PC world because it may be where our work is done while at home or teleworking or trying to figure out how to integrate our PC/TV/Security/Phone systems.
At the same time, there’s a need for many of us to better understand how to use our ‘smart’ phones and iPads to become ‘smarter’ users – from the beginner to the expert.
Thanks for all your work, information and help over the years!
You bet. And, rest assured, I’m most definitely NOT going to forget about the desktop.
I hope my video didn’t give that impression.
Hey, David.
Have enjoyed PCMech.com for some time. I too built my current pc computer about 6 years ago and it is still functioning but just getting long in the tooth. It was a fun exercise but I would not do it again…really thinking about switching to a Mac but the price keeps dragging me back. Wanted to ask why you showed on your video that you have a Mac shop?
With this in mind going forward, could some of your content be slanted towards Apple computers for special applications? Would also like to see some content on multiscreen monitor recommendations for pc’s and Mac’s especially discussing the necessary port configurations and video card requirements.
Thanks for all the past good work.
Thanks, and yeah, I’ll be talking about some Mac stuff. A lot of tech these days is platform agnostic anyway.
And, I really didn’t have any big reason for showing I run a Mac. Its just what I use, and I recorded the video at my desk. So, there it is.
I ran PCs for over 10 years before switching to the Mac. It was Windows Vista that did it for me. And, once I got used to OS X, I didn’t want to leave it even though Windows 7 is a great OS.
I started following PCMech back in the day mostly because of all of the great tips on useful utility applications that would come up. Things like windirstat, CPU-Z, etc., etc.
Much of the content in my RSS feed these days isn’t as interesting to me, but that’s for several reasons. Firstly, I much more versed in my PC usage these days and can usually think of what I need at any given time, off the top of my head. Secondly, a lot of the niche functionality that these kinds of tips brought to my attention is no longer as obscure or helpful, because OSes and other major applications have gotten much better, and generally tend to include these functionalities and make the smaller independent utilities obsolete.
Something more helpful to me these days, is listening to opinions and comparisons on different software so that I can get more convenient and better usage out of the things I do use. I’m talking about the kind of content generated by sites like Gizmo’s Freeware and Lifehacker. For a generic example, a comparison of functionalities, compatibilities, advanced usage, EULAs and whatnot of apps like Dropbox, Google Drive, Skydrive, etc. makes for useful content to me. Obviously this particular comparison has been beat to death, but could easily be quite useful for other, less covered apps and technologies.
As far as straight up PC hardware builds go, parts and such have gotten MUCH more straightforward and technical advice about building a PC is much less in demand, not just because of the surge of mobile computing, but because it’s just so dang easy to plug in all of the components and turn it on these days.
If you want more technical stuff than perhaps talking about the most efficient kinds of builds could be good content. But really, there are other communities out there who cover advanced PC building too.
Just throwing out whatever came to mind after watching your vid.
== Matt
Thanks, MAtt.
If we can’t hack the hardware, we can still hack the software…
I have become interested in the little computers that look like a flash drive, such as the MK808. They are almost ready to be primary desktop computers! Plug in a USB hub, add a keyboard, mouse and hard drive, and away you go, as long as your monitor supports HDMI. But first they need to run Ubuntu or Mint.
David, I’ve enjoyed a lot of the stuff I read up on your site and in the newsletters. With the economy sucking wind, personally, I think there’s more need than ever for computer consultants/techs that understand how technology impacts the business community as well as residential. That puts us in a better position to work with clients who don’t have the knowledge and provide better recommendations for them as far as hardware and software.
So, I’d like to see some articles written not only from a tech standpoint but also a business perspective. With your background, you’re in a good position to do that. Thanks for what you do.
I can’t see laptops ever providing the graphics that a desktop, with large or multiple cards, can provide.
For those who like larger displays for gaming, laptops are limited. Who wants to buy additional displays ?
I can fix my desktop myself. I will never attempt to fix a laptop, unless they start making a build kit.
Dave, I built my first PC with PC Mech’s help back in 2004. I really loved that rig. But, as with all things, progress happens. Updated it as much as I could but, then realized I needed another. My 2nd PC was built just earlier this year again with PC Mech’s help. I couldn’t have done it without you guys. As for comments, personally I can’t see the end of desk tops anytime soon. Tablets are really neat, and all this touch screen stuff is okay, but when you really need to do some hard down work you need a desktop, plain and simple. Can you really see yourself having to touch a screen for hours when you can pound out your thesis or proposal in about an hour on a desktop? let’s face it some things just can’t be done on a cell phone, tablet, or touch screen PC. That’s my opinion.
I Would Like To See More Q&A About Problems With Operating Systems, Hardware Problems,
Thanks
I can only compliment you and your staff on this site. Great job!
What would I like to see?
I am currently using both a Mac and a PC. I am slowly migrating to Mac Eventually I will use only the MacBook, iMac, iPad and iPhone. I would like to see a Mac department or segment in each Insider. This might include some advice on how to switch and how to convert Windows programs to be used on a Mac (Quicken, Photoshop, etc.)
I would like to see more “tips” and “fixits” for novices like me. The “In Layman’s Terms” has been particularly helpful.
Just keep them coming.
I need to know if there is any good reason to pay the extremely high data rates of mobile. If you open an email with an attachment on a mobile device, do you have to pay for the bandwidth used, or can it be delayed until you get to your home ISP?
How about info on how to send emails that are only able to be read by the recipient? Ways of browsing without any history. The less the government knows about your habits, the better.
Hi,
Please bring Rich back to the main site. I miss his articles: they were very original & unusual. I also miss the retro fridays
–
Jorge
There’s always going to be a need for desktops for some people, myself included and I’m sure you know that. What I’d like to see is more information on integration of all the current devices and those surely to pop-up in the near future.
People of all tech levels subscribe to PCMECH, so don’t forget to include basics as well as higher level stuff.
Keep up the good work.
Ever since I put Rich’s tech articles in my rss google reader I have not missed one great article. Please ask him to continue to publish them. Rich obviously puts in a lot of research for them and tehy are in the top that I read daily.
Earl Wallace
As for your question as to what we’d like to see more of on PC Mech, I’d say that its better to be guided more by the markets. Lets say if you see the sales of PCs slipping more in favor of Tablets and Smart phones, you may include more content useful for these device owners. But those of us who opened up our CPUs and made modifications in our PCs are not as likely to do so on their tablets and phones. Most of us are not that well technically equipped. So to guide us you will have to evolve too in order to upgrade us technically. I am assuming here that PCMech is more hardware inclined.
I like info that helps me work out problems that pop up with computers from time to time. I’ve been a casual user since ’82. My first machine was a Commodore Vic 20 with a great big 5K of memory. Ha Ha. I did learn to write simple programs in Commodore BASIC but would be at a loss to do it now!!
Thanx for all you’ve done to help us all over the years.
I have built my own computer using PCMech to help guide me to a not so expensive build. Seems that if you left builds to gamers they would always bring you to the most expensive stuff that older equipment can do just fine without all the added expense. Don’t get me started on gamers and branding those who like Intel and those that like AMD.
PCMech takes both sides and brings the best to bear for both sides and I loved the different build ranges to help people understand what they were building and how much they needed to spend.
Can you please talk about heat dissipation and ways to help keep a cpu cool while gaming.
Thanks for everything and keep up the good work.
Just content, original content of any sort. I understand you’ve got to make money, and save the best for the subscribers, but lately, the content has been sad.
Like many, I first found this site when I built my first PC, and I hung around because of the articles about some utility or hardware or something that I might not otherwise find out about. Those articles did start to become more of a pulpit, but now, I’ve almost quit visiting the site.
I am in the process of going from Vista to Windows 7. First, I had to get five years of email saved, moved, or discarded. Next, I had downloads which I moved off C: drive to an external drive. I have perl scripts which execute 7-Zip to generate different zip files for documents, videos, music, projects (C and perl source), and my \bin directory tree. I figure that an image backup is ok for re-installing the operating system you have, but in an upgrade, you really only want your data, and re-install programs from the web (perhaps newer versions anyway).
Down and dirty how-to articles would be nice to have. I have built a Window 7/Ubuntu dual boot from parts. The Window 7 operating system probably cost about the same as some entire computers (around $250), so this has to be for fun, not for any cost savings. (I had built a Shuttle machine to run Ubuntu in the past, but it did not last, so I was more careful to pick components which were suggested by various other e-zines and forums.
Your original designs for PC-Mech are still ones that people will read. Not everyone, but hey, that is why we get to pick our content.
I have always loved the how-to video segments by Rich Menga. Wish you would do more of them.
Would also like to see more on Windows 8 topics. All of the whining and bitching about Windows 8 is off the mark, IMO. I use it now on my self-built desktop PC without any hassles. I consider myself a power user, but I occasionally like to play with the Metro side of the OS. I understand why MS did it this way, and it makes perfect sense to me. A tablet is somewhere in my future and it will likely be a Windows 8 tablet.
And BTW, I couldn’t care less about anything Apple.
Aside from the trend of moving to mobile devices, there is also a somewhat smaller trend of people opting for all-in-one desktop computers, where all the hardware that was formally in the desktop tower is now behind the monitor. Could you possibly have articles that cover how to work on these computers, if that’s possible?
Thanks
Right on, Phil. I’m a retiree perfectly happy to use internet cafes when away from my desktop PC. (I prefer the desktop description because, as PCMech has pointed out, some so-called all-in-one computers omit important features). So David, welcome back, and don’t forget those of us who chose not to go the minaturisation way. My main reason is expense: when I used my cellphone to access email, watch YouTube, etc the price was not worth the product, and I have turned all internet functions off.
I agree with Richard 100%. I like the How-To videos, I like and understand Windows 8, and could care less about anything Apple.
I would like to see something similar that you had done in the past but with focus on software.
For example:
a) In depth tutorials on single subjects where one would get
enough information on that subject AND at its
conclusion a list of references where additional
information can be found. Also include BROWSERS
b) A periodic “Heads-up” on crappy products so us neophytes
wont’s be harmed by such products —
Call it CPR Crappy Product Review.
c) list GRP (Great Product Review)
FGPR (Free Great Product Review
NWI) Not Worth it
– Maybe an occasional hardware bit.
d) I recently built my PC but was lucky to have somebody
correctly guess which boards go with the ‘correct’ CPU
It works OK but if, in the future, I would want to upgrade
I would be at a loss to pick the proper components.
So maybe a list of Mother Boards and CPUs supported …and
other such lists. {like Michael Payne’s comment}
David Barth
The how-to videos have always been the best thing about PCMech. You guys did one on Gimp sometime back that was great. I was a complete noob with programs like that, and Rich did a very good job. More things like that come to mind. I don’t think desktops are going away anytime soon, especially with more and more people working from home and home offices, but the builds aren’t like the old days (think 1998-2008) I like the portability of laptops (I have two) as well as a Kindle Fire for reading/movies. My desktop is still the first thing I boot up in the morning, and it’s had its share of motherboards, power supplies, video and sound cards and numerous hard drives over the years. The Kindle is the closest thing I have to a tablet, and I see they’re value for certain situations. Most of my needs are writing and research, so a full-size keyboard is an option I’m not willing to do without. Any information that would educate, make us more productive and communicate clearly are always must-reads/views for me! Keep them coming!
I am in complete agreement with all that has been said and would add knowing how to upgrade an Apple product would be good as well. Many say they could care less … they would not be Apple users AND as the name of your company suggests we must remember PC really means Personal Computing Apple or otherwise ..so mobile stuff would be included for the more casual users of the internet which is any more what made Personal Computing relavent to the masses. I personally like the down and dirty of the hardware, but recognize that many that use the internet may not.
I too could not care less about apple
I really enjoy your videos you taught me much THANKS using Dell Os 7 laptop maybe more tutorials tips and tricks for FIREFOX
snipping tool F4 and many others….. where great videos
thanks so nuch.good site …..keep up the good work…
Tab browsing and libraries etc…
Merry Christmas
I would like information/reviews of new hardware of all genres, I like detailed specs but also real life experiences. Information regarding using devices alternatively ie. using a smartphone as a media centre, jailbreaking i devices is a bit of fun. Troubleshooting common issues is always helpfull. Things that I would not really be thinking about.
I think John pretty much expressed my desires (better than I did) in learning about common troubleshooting issues. I know several people expressed having no interest in Apple products, but I think they’re a main force and here to stay. Although I may not need help with Apple products, I may learn something by reading more about them. Education is always helpful in expanding–and even changing–a mind.
On one hand Dave, I think you got your work cut out for you as there’s a large variety of desires. But many also seem to be asking for ANY type of computer knowledge. I also agree with what Kyle said: “Let the tech knowledge flow, just let it flow.”!
That’s the plan.
I quite like the Retro Friday articles that Rich does.
I’d love to see an article about properly configuring a Windows Server-Based OS to act in various functions. (Having just acquired an old server and actually wanting to make use of it)