Windows 7, 10 years old, died of natural causes this January. Survived by 180 million machines, it leaves behind many users who are now scrambling to secure their machines with Windows 10.

How we store our prized possessions says a lot about us. When it comes to protecting your laptop, always use bag that is specifically made for the size of your machine. Too tight and you won’t be able to fit all your accessories and chargers. Too big and your laptop will move around and get damaged. Keep comfort in mind. We’re New Yorkers and we walk… a lot. Choose a wide, padded shoulder strap to minimize strain on your shoulders and back. If your bag will be exposed to the elements, make sure you invest in a water proof bag. Even if you have no intention of going out in the rain – you could get caught in it during a long walk to class or commute to work. Soggy computers are the worst. Material. Look for tough materials and that have well stitched zippers. The zipping and un zipping of your bag will take a toll on cheaper hardware. Better zippers use a heavy-duty slider made of metal, not plastic. Thicker teeth will also allow for a long life of the bag. Don’t fall for the TSA Compliant. These bags feature a butterfly opening to show the computer easily. However, most agents will ask you to remove the laptop from the bag anyway. Save the dollars and go with a style that has a couple of useful compartments so you can carry your cell phone, wallet, chargers, water bottles, pens and notebooks. Here are some of our favorite laptop bags: eBags Professional Slim Laptop Backpack $90 Amazon Osprey Men’s FlapJack Backpack $85 Amazon Tumi Alpha Bravo Andersen Slim Commuter Brief $395 on Amazon Weatherproof Mission Workshop HT500 Sanction $205 Mission Workshop JanSport Right Pack American Classic $42 Amazon Kopack Slim Business Laptop Anti Thief Tear/ Water Resistant $36.99 on Amazon KEEPWE Water Resistant Lightweight $29.99 Amazon Now that you know what to look for, go get your shopping on! And remember, protect your tech.

The most frequent question we get at Sherif, The Computer Guy is “What computer should I get?” The answer is simple… it depends. Start by asking yourself a few questions. What will be the main use of your computer? Are you just surfing the net and answering a few emails, or are you editing the next J.J. Abrams movie? What’s your budget? How long do you plan on keeping it? Keep in mind, the lifetime of a computer is 5 years—tops. Running the latest OS will be too difficult with a machine older than 5 years. Now for the first big question… Mac vs PC This comes down to the user preference and budget. Gone are the days where creatives are strictly Mac and the rest of us are PC users. Most programs run on both systems. Let’s take a deeper dive. One of the misconceptions about a Mac is that they don’t get viruses. This is false, but they do get A LOT less. This is because most viruses are written for PCs due to the amount of PC users. Mac’s are known for a sleeker user interface user and attractive product design. PC’s have more customization options than Macs. PC’s cost less, because there is more competition and more manufacturers. A PC with the same specs cost ¾ the price of a Mac. Make sure you know all the programs you will be running and if they can be used on a PC or Mac. There are some programs that will only run on a PC, such as Microsoft Access. While Keynote will only run on a MAC. There are online versions of these programs, however they are limited. Our techs can help guide you to which programs run on which system. Crossing platforms is another thing to think about. If you are use to a PC and want to switch to a Mac or vice versa, it can be a bit of a learning curve. Luckily, we have you covered. We offer one-on-one classes for first time Mac or PC users. The second thing to decide is a desktop vs laptop. This all depends on what you will be using your computer for, and where you’ll be using it. Will you be doing a lot of travel? Then a laptop is for you. Do you like writing on your porch while sipping your favorite beverage? A laptop will give you the freedom to do this. Perhaps screen size is important to you, desktops allow for large screens and plenty of viewing room. Now, on to the nitty gritty… the specs. Processor. Stick with an Intel® processor. Trust us, it’s worth the extra money. Intel® 3 is your basic processor for those users who are using office software and internet. Intel® 5 is for users who do slight video or photo editing. Intel® 7 is for professional users who do heavy video editing and work with large file formats (graphics) in Adobe Applications. Memory The minimum you should look for is 6 gigs of ram. If your budget allows for more, get it. The more the better! Hard Drive Solid State HD are a popular choice and a good one. There are no moving parts which makes the machine run faster. Another plus for our laptop users is that it prolongs the battery life. When choosing the size of your hard drive try to get at least 1 terabyte. Bigger IS better here, folks! And don’t forget, you should always have a cloud based back-up solution for your files and photos. Read more about choosing a cloud provider here , in our earlier blog. Still undecided? Help is on the way! Give us a call for a consultation. We can help you chose which system best fits your needs, transfer all your files to the new system and provide you an overview lesson on how it all works.

Cyber Security… we’ve all heard this term used a million times. Just read the news and you’ll see another major company whose security was breached. We, the consumers, are left feeling hopeless that our private information has fell in to the hands of a faceless villain who is quick to sell our priceless information on the dark net. We’ve heard of family and friends whose computer has been encrypted or infected with a virus. This next level of viruses are very destructive and are known as Ransomware. Once executed on your computer, ransomware can either lock the computer screen, or, in the case of crypto-ransomware, encrypt your files. In the first scenario, a full-screen image or notification is displayed on the infected system's screen sometimes claiming to be from the FBI, IRS or some other authority, preventing victims from using their system. It commonly shows instructions on how users can pay for the ransom. The good news is that most of the time, these files can be recovered without having to pay the ransom.