Articles by Darren Allan

Leaked IdeaPad looks like a proper MacBook Neo rival — but I don't think Lenovo can beat Apple on price

By Darren Allan Published 13 August 26

'Pretty sure it won't share the same build quality': Lenovo's new laptop with MacBook Neo vibes is leaked, but skeptics are worried it won't match Apple's quality.

Android Phone in Desktop PC, angle view showing display at front of case

Redditor turns Android phone into a desktop PC in a stroke of genius, sandwiching it between two huge CPU coolers so it runs Witcher 3 at 1080p ultra

By Darren Allan Published 13 August 26

Nubia Z70 Ultra smartphone is transformed into a desktop PC in a remarkable fashion, drawing plenty of admiring oohs and ahhs.

Happy woman sitting on a bed with a coffee and a laptop

Windows 11's August update has arrived — here are 3 reasons to download it, including turbocharged app launching

By Darren Allan Published 12 August 26

A speed-boosting feature that was previously for Windows 11 menus only now works with apps too.

COnfused businessman working with his laptop, at the office

'Not all heroes wear capes': Someone ported Word from 1990 to run in Windows 11, and it's perhaps the ultimate protest against Microsoft's bloat

By Darren Allan Published 11 August 26

Think Windows 11's Notepad is too bloated these days? Someone got an ancient version of Word running natively in Windows 11.

5 Comments

SteamBoy close-up on controller and buttons

Redditor somehow turns a Steam Deck into a Game Boy — and I'm loving the 'SteamBoy'

By Darren Allan Published 11 August 26

'I would totally back something like this on Kickstarter': Redditor turns Steam Deck into a Game Boy, and the 'SteamBoy' has gone down a storm.

Frustrated unhappy laptop user girl touching head at work table with computer

Microsoft reportedly pours fuel on PC pricing flames as it implements a 'significant increase' for Windows 11 licenses

By Darren Allan Published 10 August 26

What RAM crisis? Microsoft reportedly hikes cost of Windows 11 for computer makers, rubbing software salt into PC pricing wounds.

3 Comments

Shocked woman worker looking at laptop screen

Windows 11's RAM-hogging, advert-laden Weather app is the poster child for everything that's wrong with the operating system

By Darren Allan Published 10 August 26

Worried about the RAM crisis? Microsoft isn't, if Windows 11's Weather app is anything to go by.

Computer memory RAM on motherboard background

The RAM crisis just hit a new low — here's my advice on what to do based on 30 years of writing about GPUs, memory and PC components

By Darren Allan Published 8 August 26

There are certain components and devices that you should be considering buying sooner rather than later, at least in my view.

ASUS ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition liquid cooled graphics card against a blue background

Redditor gets sick of waiting for Nvidia and makes a tool to protect RTX 5090 GPUs from melting their power cables

By Darren Allan Published 7 August 26

Are Nvidia RTX 5090 and 5080 GPU owners still paranoid about cable melts? Vibe coded tools popping up to defend against disaster suggest they are.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed

This is getting embarrassing now — Microsoft sabotages its good work in fixing Windows 11 with this baffling OneDrive Photos app misfire

By Darren Allan Published 7 August 26

Microsoft needs to sort out Windows Update — we don't want random OneDrive apps shoved onto our PCs without asking.

4 Comments

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 sitting on its retail packaging

More hefty GPU price hikes are rumored — and your only chance of a high-end Nvidia graphics card at MSRP is at QuakeCon

By Darren Allan Published 6 August 26

Want an RTX 5070, 5080 or 5090 at MSRP? Well, there's a chance you might get one — although it's vanishingly slim and highly location-dependent.

Hand holding two DDR5 RAM memory modules in front of gaming computer with RGB lighting

Microsoft quietly stops recommending 32GB of RAM, as even Apple reportedly struggles to secure memory for iPhones and MacBooks

By Darren Allan Published 6 August 26

32GB is the 'no-worries zone'? Not anymore as Microsoft backtracks on past RAM recommendations, while Apple's seemingly having troubles of its own.

Oh, great, GPU prices could climb again — here's my expert advice on why you should buy now (and which graphics card to get)

By Darren Allan Published 5 August 26

The rumors are crystal clear: get ready for big GPU price rises, and that means you should seriously think about purchasing now rather than waiting.

Sad looking person holding head in hands sat at a gaming PC

Steam survey shows GPUs with 16GB are now the most popular graphics cards — and that really doesn't bode well for gamers' wallets

By Darren Allan Published 4 August 26

With more GPU price hikes apparently inbound, gamers are going to struggle to get the VRAM they crave.

2 Comments

The Windows 11 battery life indicator on a Dell 16 Plus

Is Windows 11 spying on you via a new background process? No, it isn't, but the controversy around this clearly shows Microsoft must do better with privacy

By Darren Allan Published 4 August 26

Windows 11 process sparks controversy and user accusations of 'spying,' which are false — but still point to a wider issue around privacy for Microsoft.

2 Comments

After months of silence, the first Googlebook has been spotted — and it looks nifty, but will anyone really care?

By Darren Allan Published 3 August 26

'What's a Googlebook?' After months of silence, the first Googlebook has been spotted — but the reaction to these laptops remains muted or confused.

2 Comments

Microsoft acknowledges how dire the RAM crisis is by promising to reduce Windows 11's 'memory footprint' on 8GB laptops — but it should have been this way from the start

By Darren Allan Published 3 August 26

'There needs to be a mechanism to prevent this from happening': Microsoft vows to make Windows 11 run better on 8GB, but users complain something else needs fixing — rogue software installs.

The PS5 Pro console on a wooden desk in front of a white brick background and next to a potted plant

I defected to the PS5 after 30 years of PC gaming — here's why I have no regrets about swapping the RAM crisis for the disc crisis

By Darren Allan Published 2 August 26

Disc-less Elysium: I'm a veteran PC gamer who vowed not to buy a PS5 — but I changed my mind, and I don't regret switching to Sony's console for a second.

3 Comments

I'm sick of smart TV privacy worries, so I'm taking my TV off the internet for good — here's why you should too

By Darren Allan Published 30 July 26

Do I need my TV online? No, I don't — here's how I'm finally pulling the plug on any spying or snooping fears, while still keeping my smart TV updated.

2 Comments

An Asus laptop screen showing a 'subscription required' message on Windows 11

I'm worried that Windows 11 will slowly turn into a subscription-based OS, and AI agents will be to blame — here's why

By Darren Allan Published 28 July 26

My biggest Windows 11 fear is AI agents — and that they could be a Trojan Horse for subscription fees in Microsoft's OS.

Microsoft Copilot key on a HP Envy x360 14-fc009na laptop

Hate the Copilot key in Windows 11? It looks like Microsoft's bringing in the option to remap it to do nothing — if you feel that's more useful

By Darren Allan Published 24 July 26

Think nothing is better than Copilot? Microsoft is going to let you prefer the former over the latter in a very literal sense, with the ability to remap the Copilot key to do nothing.

Businessman staring at laptop with frightened face in the dark

'Science fiction that happened': experts explain why OpenAI's 'mind-blowing' cyberattack should worry us all

By Darren Allan Published 24 July 26

This might be our first true glimpse of how dangerous AI could be in the future in terms of making hacks much more commonplace.

Own an LG monitor and tired of seeing that McAfee pop-up? Microsoft has banished it from Windows 11 — but wider issues need to be addressed here

By Darren Allan Published 24 July 26

Microsoft kills McAfee ad served via LG monitor app in Windows 11 — but there are wider problems to deal with in Windows Update.

The RAM crisis just forced Framework into a nasty price hike — and Apple's rumored solution to the memory crunch is renting Macs to cash-strapped consumers

By Darren Allan Published 23 July 26

Apple's plan to sidestep the RAM crisis could be renting Macs, iPhones and iPads to consumers.

2 Comments

'Apple is entering 'the touchbar phase' again': MacBook OLED could be on track to launch in a few months, but skeptics still hate that rumored touchscreen

By Darren Allan Published 23 July 26

New report details Apple's Mac plans, including that a MacBook OLED remains on track for a possible release later in 2026.

Darren Allan

Articles by: Darren Allan

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