Although well past retirement age, I was always gadget oriented and fascinated by the evolution of consumer electronics. For the past several years, I have been working part-time at a national retail electronics chain advising customers how to buy computers, printers and digital cameras. With the introduction of artificial intelligence in computers, I wanted to point out a few features in the new computers for anyone thinking about replacing an older unit or who has not been in the market for a while.
On the current Microsoft keyboard, there is a new button on the lower right side called the Co-Pilot tab. Click on that and Microsoft’s version of AI will invite you to ask or type a question. It is essentially an enhancement of the search process invented by Google.
Should you review the specifications of a laptop, you will find a nits number starting at 300. That indicates the brightness of the screen. The higher number simply means a brighter image. However, you will also see a resolution figure which indicates picture clarity. Most screens-TV, computer monitors and laptops run at a 1080 or 1200×1980 pixel count. The higher number signifies a more defined and vivid picture. A premium laptop(or TV would be at 3840×2160 which is reaching 4K and perhaps OLED quality.
Many Windows based laptops have a “360” capability which means they fold in half and convert into a tablet. Those laptops have a built-in wireless keyboard. Another feature incorporated into these units is Windows INK which enables you to write and draw on the screen with a special pen you can purchase online or at the electronics store. Most of these units have touchscreen capability as well.
Apple makes its own processors. The other major computer brands-Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, Acer will be equipped with a processor made by either Intel or AMD. Both perform very efficiently and offer generally good battery life. Some of the brands such as the Microsoft Surface also use the Snapdragon-Qualcomm processor, which has some program limitations but is known for being battery efficient.
A high-powered computer used for gaming, engineering, graphic design work, architectural renderings normally has a separate graphics card made by Nvidia or AMD. When you see a green and black sticker on a laptop which is the Nvidia symbol, the video card with its own memory bank is separate from the processor giving the computer considerably more power to do advanced specialty work.
Laptops can be attached to a monitor with an HDMI cable and converted into a desktop. Screen dimensions range from 13 to 18 inches. In many instances, purchasing a wireless mouse may make it easier to manage the screen. Thus far, computers have escaped the imposition of tariffs so it is still possible to find competitive values.
Besides the touch-screen, you can click on ctrl and + or – to change screen size.
Press the Microsoft button along with the right or left arrow and you can split the screen. The same button and letter D will hide the screen instantly.
A site called “keyboard shortcuts” offers a range of ways to adjust your monitor and engage in numerous tasks simultaneously.
I hope this information provides some insight and assistance.
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I’ve used Chromebooks almost exclusively for the past six or seven years. My latest purchase (made about a year ago) was a Chromebook Plus from Costco that cost around $250. The AI program that comes with the “Plus” versions is (in my opinion) amazing.
Because I do not wish to be tracked on the internet nor do I want to receive targeted ads from Google, I do not use’s Google Chrome browser. On my PC, I use Firefox Private Mode, and on my Apple devices I use Safari and do not allow tracking. I am sure that Chrome is a fine browsing application. “Free” software such as Gmail or Chrome, or MS Edge usually involves this kind of tradeoff, between privacy and cost. These are personal choices we each can make.
In addition to Windows PCs and devices running Linux, I have also used Chromebooks since they were first made available in 2010 (I received a prototype for free from Google for early adopter review). Since then I have had several different Chromebooks with ever expanding functionality and quality.
I just upgraded to the latest and greatest available: Lenovo Chromebook Plus (14″ MediaTek)
If you are a user of the Google ecosystem and don’t need to run Windows applications, and mostly just access web based content, I highly recommend Chromebooks for their ease of use and maintainability. They can also run Android and Linux applications. They are a very useful tool.
I am presently using a Lenovo gaming computer laptop i bought at Costco in July of 2019. With tax if was around $1300. I have owned many computers over the years since they first arrived on the scene. With the exception of this one, within 3 years of purchase, they were all struggling to deal with obsolescence; changes in Windows operating systems, and the demands of software for speed, and data storage capacity. For this computer, I intentionally overbought a machine that far exceeded my actual needs. I don’t play computer games. I mainly use this computer to do income taxes and for Quicken to keep track of my finances. While it originally was a W10 device, it easily handled the transition to W11.
The biggest problem we all face with tech devices is what I call the Futz Factor. That is the amount of time and energy we have to invest in a device to keep it and all the software is uses functional. Every time you have to change a PC, you have a huge task involved in moving to your new device, while retaining all your capabilities and data. Therefore, the longer you can keep a PC running and serving your needs without feeling that it is struggling to keep up, the better.
This computer has both an Intel central processor, and an Nvidia graphics processor. It has a one TB HDrive, and a 1/2 TB Solid State Drive. It boots just as fast today as it did the day I bought it. With 16GB of Ram, plus 6GB for video, If I wanted it would easily do photo editing and/or video production.
I don’t know how many more years of service I can expect, but I don’t see anything on the horizon including AI that will be a problem. And, with a 15″ screen and a full keyboard including a numeric key pad, it is easy to read with my old eyes and make doing financial tasks easy. The thing is heavy, but I don’t really travel with it.
If I were buying a PC today, I would look for another gaming computer, maybe not the best of these, but certainly a capable one. With it, I would be pretty certain that I would get a lot of years of service, with minimal Futzing.
I use AI frequently mostly for drawing pictures. This morning I tried co-pilot for the first time to draw Sen Sanders and got this reply. No problem with the other AI programs.
“I can’t create that image. I’m not able to generate or edit depictions of current elected officials or political candidates in any form, including stylized or artistic renderings.”
I wonder why?
A few come to mind: Legal exposure to avoid lawsuits from unauthorized use of image of celebrities, defamation and libel. Self-preservation for the AI provider in case the generated image is used illegally or worse (foreign interference in elections?). Prevention of “guardrail evasion” in case users try to trick AI into dropping the safety features.
Why do you think the others don’t block such?
risk tolerance, or maximum caution vs permissive business/PR strategy
From a frugal and practical standpoint, I approach computer gadget selection this way
1) Its utility starts with me – actual vs desired use case – not the marketers’ hypes of specs. No computer sits on my lap; it is either on the desk or in my hand only 🙂
2) Reviews by experts and consumers are used as filters – watch out for fake reviews, but give weights to reports of lemons
3) Compare technical specs only at the end if there are tiebreakers / deal breakers
AI-capable gadgets? Do you actually need real time translation / transcription or instant photo manipulation AND are you willing to be locked in ONE ecosystem while the battle for AI primacy is raging on?
I know I know, a few companies already wanted me to upgrade from Windows 10 in order to use their stock market software (Thinkorswim) or Tax software (Turbotax 2025). If they abandon me, I’d take my money elsewhere.
It feels good to save money while watching the marketers squirm 🙂
locked in ONE ecosystem while the battle for AI primacy is raging on?
I’m not sure what you mean; can you explain?
I use free versions of several AIs for searches as needed (e.g., when helping solve tech problems for my fellow CCRC residents).
Tech giants like Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, are integrating proprietary AI features deep into their hardware (like the Neural Processing Unit), and operating system (like Windows 11). The primary goal is to create high switching cost for consumers – similar to the old Windows vs MacOS battle, but this time the battle is raging among half a dozen AI providers.
The AI market is extremely turbulent (e.g., Google’s Gemini triggering “code red” at OpenAI). If Microsoft’s AI platform falls behind its competitors, the exclusive NPU-reliant features and even the dedicated Copilot key on your new laptop could quickly become obsolete or irrelevant, potentially forcing users into premature hardware upgrades.
the dedicated Copilot key on your new laptop
Not on my laptop — I’ve been happily using Macs for three decades. 🙂 My own since retiring in 2021, and before that the school leased laptops on four-year cycles to provide to employees. We could choose between Mac and Windows. IT was always happy when someone chose a Mac: the Windows laptops often failed a year or two early, whereas the Macs were always going strong.
And like stelea99, I intentionally overbought to lengthen years of service as much as possible. I don’t know whether I’ll outlive my Mac, but I figure it’s a win either way.
Great article – I saved a copy for my next laptop purchase.
Question: I’ll be scanning old photographs, doing corrections in Photoshop, and then adding them to a photobook…or printing & framing. Most photographs probably don’t have a lot of detail so 600 dpi is good, but some of the older photographs have great detail. Is the Epson Scanner V600 a good flatbed scanner for high quality digital images? (My old epson scanner finally died, so I’m in the market for a new one.)
A good rule of thumb for actual prints, be they from a ink jet printer or an online service is 200 DPI at the true size of the final print. ie 8×10″ at 200 dpi.
“Keyboard Shortcuts”. I will check that out, thanks, Henry.
Since retiring, I’ve found that both my PC and laptop just gather dust—I honestly can’t remember the last time I turned either one on. These days, I do almost everything on a cheap tablet that I use exclusively for online banking and logging into my Vanguard account. I also have a second, better tablet that I use for just about everything else.
A very timely article for me.
Thanks, Henry!
Thanks for this article!
I bought a new laptop a few months ago because the old one wouldn’t run MSWin11 and it was old and increasingly unreliable. I used a Labor Day sale with HP to make my upgrade. I’m sure the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday sales will yield similar results.
I use a Dell dock and wireless mouse to expand usefulness at my desk, but can disconnect and use it as a laptop whenever I like.
Thanks so much! My laptop died a few days ago, and I’m about to replace it. Your info will be very helpful,
thank you.
I’m in the market for one because mine can’t run windows 11.
I’m looking for something cheap that is renewed from Amazon. The last one came from Amazon and it cost less than $300.
Also, I like the font color of your piece which I didn’t know was possible.
Nick, For a great deal on a computer check out the dell outlet https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/lp/outlet. I’ve been using it for decades to keep my family equipped. Some of the products only have cosmetic case scratches, others are overstock or end of line new products (e.g. Latitude 13” 3000 (3340) Laptop or 2-in-1, $280, MSRP $1324).