If you think that Chromebooks must be online to work and can only run web apps and sites, you’re not paying attention. In recent years, this platform has picked up support for two key application platforms, Android and Linux, dramatically expanding its capabilities while---spoiler alert---also driving up the complexity.  Let’s start with Android, since the app library is so large, and because this addition impacts far more…

Too much of the media and fan attention for last week’s Microsoft hardware event is focused on the future. What Microsoft did for us today is far more important. Which is this: It has now upgraded its entire product portfolio to support USB-C. Yes, I’ve been harping on Thunderbolt 3 for three years. And yes,…

As you may have seen, I figured out why my Intel NUC wasn’t working with the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock over the past weekend. This was a big win for me, as it makes my desktop setup more portable in the sense that I can now easily replace the NUC with other computers without having to…

Heading into the late 1990s, Microsoft sought to consolidate its developer languages and tools into a single, cohesive environment. The project, originally codenamed “Boston,” resulted in a new integrated suite called Visual Studio that persists to this day. But long before that would ever happen, Microsoft’s developer tools and environments started humbly with the MS-DOS-based…

Coming at Chromebook from a Windows perspective requires one to adjust expectations accordingly. As noted previously, Chrome OS provides a familiar-enough UI façade, with on-screen elements that resemble and generally work like their Windows counterparts. But the illusion fails when you actually start using the system. The issue isn’t just about specific applications---I went into…

Every morning, I read the news using the terrible New York Times app for iPad. And every day, I wonder why I pay for this publication as I struggle with the app’s navigation roadblocks, slow article load times, and bugs. But there’s a reason I haven’t unsubscribed. Every once in a while---not every day, not…

“In many ways, the Windows environment has been very hostile to the developer.” -- Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates As you may recall, Bill Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft specifically to bring BASIC to the first personal computer. Over time, Microsoft grew this business by expanding into more programming languages and to more personal computers.…

The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 is a superb business-class convertible PC. It’s nearly perfect for my needs, and for those of many mobile professionals.

There has always been a lot to like about Windows 10. But the nagging issues we’ve had are all suddenly falling by the wayside. I have my theories about why these changes are happening, and why they are happening almost all at once. They involve a change of regime, the pending Windows 7 upgrade apocalypse,…

Like Google Chrome, the new Edge provides a Flags interface that lets you use experimental new features before they’re ready.

Whether you’re coming from classic Edge, Chrome, or some other browser, the new Edge is probably missing a feature you need.

The new Edge delivers the basic PDF functionality most expect, but missing features from classic Edge could be an issue in the short term.

In the new Microsoft Edge, PWAs, other web apps, and web pages of any kind can be used like native Windows applications.

Megan Morrone, Mary Jo, and Paul discuss the Edge Insider Preview, Windows 10 versions 19H1 and 20H1, and much, much more.

Andrew and Paul discuss Microsoft releases a beta of their new Chromium based Edge browser, the next Windows 10 feature update, and more.

Those coming from classic Edge may find Favorites management in the new Edge a bit unfamiliar. But Chrome users will feel right at home.