Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Do you think I should I buy a used external USB hard drive?

Posted on September 11, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Josh E.: I need to buy an external hard drive for my laptop. My friend wants to sell me a used, but working 1TB USB 2.0 drive for $5.

That’s plenty big enough for my needs and I really like the price, but if my laptop has USB 3.0 ports I’ll probably just go ahead and buy a new USB 3.0 drive to take advantage of the faster speed.

The problem is I don’t know whether the USB ports on my laptop (HP Pavilion dv3510nr) are USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 ports. How can I find out?

Also, do you recommend that I buy this external drive even if my laptop supports USB 3.0?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can a laptop really have both an SSD and a hard drive?

Posted on September 6, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Bryan P.: Hi Rick. I found your blog while Googling the answer to a question I have about laptops.

I couldn’t find a clear, straight-forward answer so I hope you can answer it for me.

I’ve been looking online for a new gaming laptop because the one I had (and loved) got stolen a few days ago.

It’s been several years since I’ve shopped for a new computer and I’m seeing something that’s confusing me.

I really like this laptop that I found on Amazon. The sales page says it has both a 256 GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive.

Could that really be true? I thought laptops only came with one drive since they’re so cramped for space.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I replace the battery on a 2 year old laptop?

Posted on September 6, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Brenda G.: I have a two and a half year old Dell Latitude E5570 laptop that no longer works unless it’s plugged into a wall outlet.

I took it to the computer shop here in town and they said the battery is bad but they can order a replacement battery and install it for me for $160.

I really like this laptop but I don’t want to spend that much money for a battery if you don’t think it’s a wise use of the money.

My question is do you think I should have the guys at the computer shop order a battery and install it for me or would it make more sense to just apply that $160 towards a new laptop?

I really respect your opinion and I’ll take your advice regardless of which way you recommend I go.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

How to turn your old smartphone or tablet into an emergency radio scanner

Posted on September 4, 2020

Regular readers of this blog know that you don’t have to just junk your old smartphone or tablet when it comes time to upgrade because there are countless uses for working mobile devices.

In this post I’ll explain how to give your old iPhone, iPad or Android device a second life as a dedicated emergency radio scanner.

You’ll be able to use your “scanner” 24/7 while at home or anywhere that you have access to WiFi (your old phone likely won’t have an active data plan). [Read more…]