Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can you recommend a really cheap, but reliable SSD for an older laptop?

Posted on September 8, 2025

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Question from Ari: The hard drive in my 6 year old Dell laptop died a few days ago. This has been a great machine and I don’t want to just trash it.

I’d like to replace the bad hard drive with an SSD, but I’d rather not spend a lot of money if I can help it.

After reading your post about replacing Windows with Linux, I’d like to install Linux Mint on this laptop and use it as my primary Internet computer. I won’t need a lot of storage space so a fairly small SSD should be ok.

What I’m looking for a really inexpensive SSD that’s large enough to hold the new Linux installation and maybe a few Chrome extensions. But I’d like the SSD to be as reliable as possible. [Read more…]

3 ways to quickly identify your PC’s CPU type

Posted on September 8, 2025

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Most computer users have no idea what type of CPU is inside their machine, and that’s fine.

As long as your computer works properly and gets the job done, its CPU type is rarely a concern.

That being said, there might well come a time when you’ll need to know what kind of CPU is inside your PC.

Here are three ways to discover the CPU type in a Windows PC without having to open the case: [Read more…]

The power of Ecommerce Fulfillment Services: Driving success in online retail

Posted on September 8, 2025

Technology has changed the way people shop. It is a convenient option, whether you are looking for daily essentials, fashion items, electronics, or luxury goods. All you need to do is visit a sales platform, choose what you want, pay, and the order will be processed and shipped to you.

Behind this smooth and convenient online shopping experience, ecommerce owners perform complex operations, including ecommerce fulfillment services, which they typically outsource to professional logistics companies. [Read more…]

Review: AmazonBasics Backpack for Laptops

Posted on September 6, 2025

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Laptops and notebook computers are getting thinner and lighter all the time.

And as you probably know, that makes it more important than ever to protect them from being damaged while you’re carrying them from place to place.

Laptop bags have been around as long as laptops themselves, but most people these days seem to prefer carrying their machines in laptop backpacks.

If you’ve been looking for a great laptop backpack at an affordable price, let me tell you about one that I really love.

[Read more…]

How to quickly find the warranty status for any Apple device

Posted on September 6, 2025

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I frequently receive messages from readers asking how they can find out if their Mac, iPhone or other Apple device is still under warranty before they contact Apple Support to request a needed repair.

These warranty-related questions are usually spread out over time, but sometimes they come in spurts.

This past week was a one of those “spurt weeks”, which prompted me to write up this short post explaining how to quickly find the warranty status of any Apple device. [Read more…]