laptop Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Who makes better laptops, Dell or HP?

Posted on November 6, 2025

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Question from Anita: I’m planning to buy a new laptop to replace the one I have now. It has never performed well so I’d like to try a different brand.

I’ve been asking around about recommendations for a good brand, and most people seem to like either Dell or HP. The problem is there doesn’t seem to be a consensus.

I’ve been following your blog for a while now and I really trust your judgment. Which is better in your opinion, Dell or HP? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can you put a DVD drive in a laptop that didn’t come with one?

Posted on September 26, 2025

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Question from Devin: A few weeks ago I ordered this Dell laptop and found out after I got it that it doesn’t have an optical drive.

Is it possible to add a DVD drive to a laptop that didn’t come with one from the factory? [Read more…]

How to prevent your laptop from getting stolen on campus (or anywhere else)

Posted on September 21, 2025

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These days, laptops are as common in our schools as backpacks, notebooks and pencils. In fact, most colleges (and many high schools) now require that every student own one.

Unfortunately, laptops also tend to disappear when you aren’t looking. In fact, many campus police departments receive more reports about stolen laptops than any other item.

Simply following just a few simple common-sense rules can help keep your laptop safe and sound regardless of where you might happen to be on campus. [Read more…]

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…]

Q&A: Will using a laptop with the lid closed damage it?

Posted on August 30, 2025

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Question from Jane: I bought a monitor and connected it to my laptop and then changed the settings so I could close the lid while the laptop is running. It’s been working fine now for about four months.

The thing is one of my friends saw this setup and he told me running the laptop with the lid closed will eventually kill it due to excessive heat build-up.

Is that true? As always, thanks so much for your advice. [Read more…]