Best laptops with number pads in 2023
If you're looking for the best laptop with a number pad, there are plenty of options in 15-inch and up laptops, but we have you covered.
As laptops get thinner and lighter, features tend to get sacrificed along the way. The best premium laptops we see these days are often tiny and only have Thunderbolt 4 ports in order to save space inside the chassis, for example. Another thing that's fallen by the wayside over the years is the inclusion of number pads, which many of those best laptops don't have. Those dedicated keys can be hugely important if you work with numbers. All the keys are easily accessible in one position, so number-crunching becomes a lot more efficient and convenient. If you want this convenience, though, you have to look at larger laptops, starting at around 15 inches, and even then, not a lot of models have them. But there are some options if this is a must-have for you.
10 useful Windows command line prompts you should try
While you can always use the Windows 11 Settings app or the Task Manager for common things in Windows, the Command Prompt has nifty tricks, too.
These days, you might be used to diving into the Windows 11 Settings app or the Task Manager for things like checking on your disks and even killing unresponsive apps. But, before we had fancy graphical user interfaces on Windows, you had to use the Command Prompt and a command-line environment.
How to cancel Microsoft 365
No longer need your Microsoft 365 subscription? Here's how to cancel it so it doesn't get renewed.
Microsoft 365 is a subscription service that gives you access to Microsoft's suite of apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. While these apps let you make the most out of the best laptops on the market, web apps are available for many of these, and you may want to cancel your membership if you don't need the more advanced capabilities of the desktop apps. Here's how to do it.
The slow and painful death of Xbox Kinect
The Xbox Kinect caused quite a stir when it debuted in 2010, but subsequent versions of the camera failed to make any kind of dent
Back when it was announced in 2009, Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for the Xbox 360 seemed like a worthy rival to Sony’s Move controller and the Wii Remote. Unlike its competitors, Kinect wasn’t just a game controller that could sense your wrist movements; it was a full-blown camera with infrared sensors that was capable of capturing the movements of your entire body. This would enable all kinds of cool ways to interact with games.
How to disable Xbox Game Bar on Windows
Don't care about Microsoft's Xbox overlay in games? Here's how you can disable the Xbox Game Bar UI in Windows.
Out of the box, Windows 11 and 10 give you a way to record and share your games, as well as chat with your Xbox friends, manage system resources, and do all kinds of things thanks to plug-ins. All of this is available through the Xbox Game Bar, but what if you don't care about any of these features and they're just using up resources on your laptop? Thankfully, you can disable the Xbox Game Bar so it doesn't bother you. Here's how.
Microsoft's Surface Duo reaches end of life
Microsoft has ended support for the original Surface Duo, three years after release. The device will no longer receive OS or security updates.
Microsoft announced the Surface Duo and Surface Neo back in October 2019 and while the latter device was canceled ahead of release, the Duo became available in September 2020. We reviewed the dual-screen Android handset and praised its hardware while still acknowledging its limitations, high price tag, and the very specific market niche that it targets. Today, Microsoft has ended support for the Surface Duo.
Skype’s Bing AI gets a massive upgrade with tone suggestions and more
Microsoft has introduced a slew of new features to Bing Chat in Skype to help you get rid of dull messages.
Microsoft is in the process of introducing the AI-based Bing Chat feature to many of its apps and services and is also putting effort into improving the AI experience across its different platforms. The latest app to get massive AI improvements is Skype, which now helps you to be more creative with your messages.
Microsoft will defend AI Copilot commercial customers against copyright claims
Microsoft has committed to defending commercial customers of its AI Copilot customers against copyright lawsuits.
Microsoft has been going all in on its AI endeavors recently. The company has been integrating its AI Copilot services across its Microsoft 365 suite of products and even Windows. However, as the Redmond tech firm expands services in this field of generative AI (GAI), there are natural concerns regarding the potential legal and regulatory hurdles, due to the technology being at a stage of relative infancy. Now, Microsoft has addressed some of the questions in this area in an attempt to assure commercial customers that they should use its GAI technologies without worrying about the legalities.
Paint for Windows 11 is getting background removal
Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels can now use the Paint App in Windows 11 to remove the background in a specific image.
The Paint app in Windows 11 just got a lot more useful, helping you avoid using Photoshop for one more thing. Now rolling out in beta to Canary and Dev Channel Windows Insiders is a new update for Paint, bringing the option to remove the background in an image in a few simple clicks.
How to add a printer in Windows 11
Hooking up your printer for the first time on your Windows 11 PC? It's super easy to get started
If you just purchased a new printer or want to hook up an old one to your new laptop, then you're in luck. Windows 11 makes the setup process really easy. Most printers are plug-and-play, so once you connect it to your USB port (or USB dock) on your laptop, you'll be good to go. But just in case that doesn't go as planned, or you run into issues, we have a look at how you can add a printer on Windows 11.
Microsoft will stop offering third-party printer drivers through Windows Update soon
In a major move, Microsoft has announced that it will soon stop third-party printer manufacturers from bundling drivers in Windows Update.
With the general availability of Windows 10 version 21H2 back in April 2022, Microsoft also began offering built-in support for Mopria-compliant printer drivers interfacing through USB and internet connectivity via the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. Although this particular version of the operating system is no longer supported for most users, the change in driver implementation has carried over to newer versions of Windows too, including the upcoming Windows 11 version 23H2 too. As such, Microsoft has announced that it is winding down support for third-party printer drivers offered via Windows Update.
Surface Laptop Go 3: Release date, price, and everything we'd like to see
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is still fresh in our memories, but we're already thinking about the Laptop Go 3 and what it might look like.
The latest iteration of Microsoft's budget-oriented laptop, the Surface Laptop Go 2, is just over a year old, and while we found it pretty good in our review, it's starting to feel a little long in the tooth. It does offer a premium-feeling design with the clean Surface design language and a tall 3:2 display, but as new hardware comes out, the need for improved specs is starting to show. So while this is still a great laptop in its own right, we're eagerly anticipating a successor, presumably to be called the Surface Laptop Go 3.
How to back up your Windows 11 PC
Want to keep a full copy of your PC in case something goes wrong? Or just back up your files? It's made easy with Windows 11's system tools.
The more you use your Windows 11 PC, the more important files and memories you gather. Whether you have photos, documents, videos, or even favorite apps, it's natural to want to back things up in the event something goes wrong with your PC. Thankfully, Windows 11 offers three different ways to back up your system. You can back up individual files with File History, copy folders to the cloud with OneDrive PC folder backup, or create a system image of your PC. We have a look at all three for you right here.
Bing Chat will make it easier to continue chatting on your phone
Microsoft's Bing is now offering you another way to continue chatting on your phone.
Microsoft's Bing made a lot of headlines when OpenAI's generative AI technology was introduced earlier this year. To take the whole AI chat experience to a different level, the company keeps adding new features to Bing, the latest being the ability to start the chat on a desktop and continue it on a phone.
MSI issues BIOS fix for unsupported processor BSOD error on Windows
Following Microsoft's denial of any wrongdoing, MSI has worked with Intel to issue BIOS updates for its motherboards running into Windows BSOD errors.
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft documented an issue affecting several Windows 10 and 11 customers who were reporting instances of Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with error messages of "UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR". This problem was seemingly impacting MSI customers who had installed the optional preview Windows update in August 2023, but after conducting an initial investigation, Microsoft emphasized that it was not to blame for these BSODs. Now, MSI has taken ownership for the issue and rolled out BIOS updates for affected motherboards.
The classic Outlook app may be killed off in the next two years
Microsoft 365 YouTube channel posted a video, giving us details about the company's vision for Outlook as a whole.
Microsoft has recently posted a video on its Microsoft 365 YouTube channel, revealing a lot of information about what's next for the new Outlook app on Windows. Towards the end of the video, Microsoft also confirmed that it would take at least a couple of years to replace the classic or Win32-based Outlook app with the new Outlook.
How to create a guest account on Windows 11
If you need to share a Windows 11 PC with someone, you can add a guest account under their name through the Windows 11 settings app
There might come a time when you have to share your laptop, or your Windows 11 PC with someone. In the old days of Windows, there was a dedicated guest mode for these situations, but Windows 11 and Windows 10 have since removed this. It doesn't mean you can't manually add a guest account, though.
Photo albums in OneDrive are about to take up a whole lot more space
Microsoft is implementing a controversial change in OneDrive's storage space policy that may affect many.
OneDrive is one of the best cloud storage services out there, especially because of its cost and how tightly it integrates with Microsoft Office applications. The service is due to receive some AI features next month if the latest rumors are to be believed, but ahead of that, Microsoft has announced a change in policy that may be deemed controversial by many.
OneDrive may get an AI boost at an event next month
A leaked promotional video shows that Microsoft will unveil new OneDrive features next month with a potential focus on AI.
Microsoft already has some big news lined up for a Surface event later this month, but it looks like the company may have a few more surprises in the works beyond hardware. A leaked video shared by X (Twitter) user WalkingCat shows that the company is unveiling new features for OneDrive on October 3rd.
Best laptops at Best Buy in 2023
Best Buy is a great place to buy your next laptop, with a wide variety to choose from, including some of the best laptops on the market.
Best Buy is one of the best places to go if you want to buy any kind of electronic device, including laptops. Not only does the company offer a huge selection of products, but its Price Match Guarantee helps you get the best deal. There are some exceptions to that, but regardless, this makes Best Buy a compelling place to visit if you want to get the best deal on a new laptop. Not only are you getting them from a reputable retailer, but you can also get them at one of the lowest prices available on the market.