Rick's Daily Tips

Warning: Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader also installs add-on programs by default

Posted on April 29, 2019

I’ve written many times about the habit of some free software download sites bundling unwanted “add-on” software with their downloads.

Of course you can usually “opt out” of downloading the extra software by unchecking a box or two, but it’s very irritating that those boxes are typically checked by default.

Well, I recently received a message from a reader complaining about Adobe’s habit of bundling add-on programs with the downloads on their own site and I thought I should probably post a warning about it.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Can the RAM be upgraded on a Mac mini?

Posted on April 27, 2019

Question from Tom L.: I bought bought my daughter a Mac mini in November 2014 hoping she could use it when she started college in January.

The salesman told me that the only Mac minis they had in stock came with 4GB of RAM but I could always upgrade the RAM to a greater amount later if it turned out that 4GB wasn’t enough.

Well, it turns out that she does need more RAM now in order to run a program she’ll be using for one of her classes next semester.

The problem is she took the computer into Best Buy for a RAM upgrade and they told her that her model of the Mac mini can’t be upgraded. Is that true? She loves this computer and wants to keep using it if she can.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Warning: Don’t buy a Windows 10 device that has just 32GB of storage space!

Posted on April 26, 2019

If you’re shopping for a budget PC or tablet with Windows 10 on it you’ll find plenty of them that come with just 32GB of storage space.

In fact, I’ve reviewed several such low-cost Windows 10 devices on this blog in the past.

And I must say that some of those reviews were glowing.

But that being said, I’ll never review or recommend another Windows 10 device of any kind that comes with just 32 GB of storage.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Is Microsoft really going to stop supporting Windows 7 in January?

Posted on April 24, 2019

Question from Darlene G.: I keep receiving a notification on my computer saying Microsoft is going to stop supporting Windows 7 in January.

I really like Windows 7 and I hate the thought of having to upgrade to Windows 10!

Is this really true or is it a scam?

I’ve learned from reading your blog that a lot of scams are spread by notifications like this.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Review: HP 2019 14-CF0014DX 14″ Laptop

Posted on April 22, 2019

The new crop of 2019 laptops are here, and as expected there are a number of them to choose from.

The models that are getting the most attention are expensive business and gaming laptops, but there are several new general purpose laptops out there as well.

One case in point is the sleek new HP 2019 14-CF0014DX 14″ Laptop. (#ad)

This is a nice, compact laptop that’s about the perfect size for folks who travel frequently.

Its 14 inch screen is plenty large enough for easy viewing, yet the laptop itself is small enough to carry with you most anywhere. It’s also relatively light at about three pounds.

Before we get into too many details let’s take a quick look at the specs: [Read more…]