Ask Paul: January 12 (Premium)

Happy Friday! Let's kick off the weekend a bit early with another blockbuster edition of Ask Paul with some terrific reader questions.
What reviews?
Leo_W asks:

Typically your computer reviews revolve around laptops. Do vendors offer you the opportunity to review desktops?

No, not typically. And I'm sure this is tied to the sales data they see, that laptops outsell desktops by a wide margin. But there have been a few exceptions over the past few months. I reviewed an Acer SFF PC in October, and I two HP desktop PCs in now—an Envy Move AIO and a SFF mini-PC I'll write about soon—so that's at least something. I am interested in what ASUS is doing with the NUC, though the gaming-class NUC they just announced is a bit north of what I'm looking for, capability-wise. And for whatever it's worth, I actually use a desktop form factor workstation here in my home office now. (There are challenges to this, but whatever.)

I'm open to all kinds of PCs for review. But I am somewhat constrained by what the hardware makers offer me. I don't typically approach them to ask for specific devices or whatever.

As Windows 10 gets pushed further to the retirement home I will need to consider a new computer purchase. I prefer desktops since they're easier to repair/upgrade and historically a comparably spec'd desktop is less expensive than a laptop, especially if one can repurpose existing monitors, keyboards, and mice.

Yep. This is understandable: Even with the gains we've seen in recent years around laptop repairability and serviceability, it's still kind of a crap shoot. The most common configuration I see now is soldered-on, non-upgradeable RAM but with other components (SSD, Wi-Fi, battery, etc.) that can be replaced or upgraded. I'm hoping that Framework and the right to repair collectively "inspire" PC makers to do better. But in the meantime, yes, a desktop PC does have certain advantages, among them the upgradeability and serviceability stuff.

I like the thoroughness of your reviews and would be interested in seeing your write up of a mid-level desktop. Something with an i5 or i7 equivalent processor and the option for 4K video.

Thanks … I mean, I would be open to that. I guess I could at least write about my experience with the workstation and perhaps that will trigger some conversations with PC makers. But again, they're pushing what sells and does best for them.
Be brave
Brumfondl asks:

Based on your recommendation I have finally transitioned to Brave from Edge (which I was also on due to your recommendation :P) and I was wondering if you were considering doing a 2024 guide to setting up and using it as there have been a number of features added in the years since you transitioned to it, including vertical tabs and LEO.

Yes, I would have published that by now, actually, but I've been distracted over the past month, largely by the security topics I'm finally putting behind me. But that article is mostly written and j...