Category: Uncategorized

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58-57QW Gaming Laptop Review

March 3, 2024March 3, 2024 Michael Leave a comment

The Acer Nitro 5 comes in a few flavors, but the one I’m discussing today is the Best Buy exclusive AN515-58-57QW model. Originally released in 2022, it’s a model that’s been on the market for a while – likely the reason for the $280 price cut from $949.99 to $669.99.

Windows Storage Spaces Performance – Simple vs Mirrored vs Parity

August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 Michael 5 Comments

For years, software RAID sucked. But it’s 2019 now, and let’s see how Windows Storage Spaces does when it comes to performance, because it’s included with Windows 10 Pro – so is it a free gem or a worthless turd? Spoiler if you don’t want to actually read the whole article: I’ve been using Storage Spaces across several home servers for a while now and it’s fine, except for slow sustained write speeds on Parity storage spaces.

OTC 5606 Compression Tester Kit Review

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017 Michael Leave a comment

If you’re trying to diagnose engine problems or are generally a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to your vehicles, a compression tester is a must-have. After using the rental compression tester from the auto parts stores one too many times and being disappointed, I purchased an OTC 5606, and I love it. Here’s why!

Laser Printers vs Inkjet Printers – Which is Better?

November 11, 2017November 11, 2017 Michael Leave a comment

When it comes time to buy a printer for your home, home office, or business, you have many choices, but the biggest one is laser or inkjet. While traditionally inkjet has been the most popular for home use and most business environments use laser, it’s not really quite that simple anymore. Let’s discuss the benefits and downfalls of each technology, and hopefully help you pick the one best for your needs.

What Type of Virtual/Cloud Server/VPS do you Need? OpenVZ vs KVM vs Xen

November 11, 2017November 11, 2017 Michael Leave a comment

Looking to purchase a cloud server, VM (virtual machine), or VPS (virtual private server) from a hosting provider, or even rolling your own private cloud, but unsure which virtualization you should use? Here we’ll compare the three most popular options, OpenVZ, KVM, and Xen.

Ting Mobile Review

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 Michael 1 Comment

If you use many gigabytes of data each month, Ting isn’t for you – but if you’re a low-data user, Ting is a fantastic choice that’s a fresh of breath air – great customer service, easy to understand usage tiered pricing, and flexible device compatibility with both T-Mobile (GSM) and Sprint (CDMA) networks.

How to Maximize SSD Lifespan and Performance

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016 Michael Leave a comment

Solid state drives (SSDs) deliver phenomenal performance and crazy fast boot times, and they are much more resilient to physical damage from vibration or sudden movement than traditional mechanical hard drives with spinning platters, but they do have a few weaknesses. Here I’m going to cover exactly why SSDs wear out and easy steps you can take to ensure your solid state drive is a great investment, not a great frustration.

Seagate Backup Plus 4TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive Review STDT4000100

June 11, 2016June 11, 2016 Michael Leave a comment

The Seagate Backup Plus 4TB Desktop External Hard Drive with 200GB of Cloud Storage & Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0 (STDT4000100) is a powered external hard drive that gives you a whopping 4TB of storage for just $119.99. Let’s review this drive, see how it performs, and check out its included software.

How to Choose a DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem and Wireless Router

March 20, 2016March 20, 2016 Michael Leave a comment

Comcast charges $10/month for their lousy equipment, and then uses it to broadcast their Xfinitywifi network with your power and bandwidth – you’re way better off getting your own cable modem and wireless router, and this really goes for all internet providers, not just Comcast. It’ll pay for itself soon enough and you’ll have a much more flexible, more reliable, and faster network overall. But you probably need some help actually choosing a modem/router/gateway, so here you go.

Three Budget 60GB SSDs Reviewed: Kingston SSDnow V300 vs Patriot Torch vs Kingdian S200

March 19, 2016March 21, 2016 Michael 3 Comments

Whether you want to set up Intel Smart Response Technology to boost the performance of your Intel Core-based desktop (learn more) or need a low cost solid state drive to breathe new life into an older computer with a dead or slow hard drive, you’ll need to pick a budget SSD, and here I’m reviewing three cheap picks from Kingston, Patriot, and Kingdian.