Hey, reminder that one of the reasons humanity has been able to flourish is because we formed societies and helped support each other. Complete independence and self reliance is a myth to try to get you to buy more things. Please reach out. Please connect yourself. There is no reason you have to do things alone.

So You Need To Buy A Computer But You Don't Know What Specs Are Good These Days

Hi.

This is literally my job.

Lots of people are buying computers for school right now or are replacing computers as their five-year-old college laptop craps out so here's the standard specs you should be looking for in a (windows) computer purchase in August 2023.

PROCESSOR

You can get away with a Ryzen 5 but an intel i3 should be an absolute last resort. You want at least an intel i5 or a Ryzen 7 processor. The current generation of intel processors is 13, but anything 10 or newer is perfectly fine. DO NOT get a higher performance line with an older generation; a 13th gen i5 is better than an 8th gen i7. (Unfortunately I don't know enough about ryzens to tell you which generation is the earliest you should get, but staying within 3 generations is a good rule of thumb)

RAM

If you don't have at least 8GB RAM on a modern computer it's going to be very, very slow. Ideally you want a computer with at least 16GB, and it's a good idea to get a computer that will let you add or swap RAM down the line (nearly all desktops will let you do this, for laptops you need to check the specs for Memory and see how many slots there are and how many slots are available; laptops with soldered RAM cannot have the memory upgraded - this is common in very slim laptops)

STORAGE

Computers mostly come with SSDs these days; SSDs are faster than HDDs but typically have lower storage for the same price. That being said: SSDs are coming down in price and if you're installing your own drive you can easily upgrade the size for a low cost. Unfortunately that doesn't do anything for you for the initial purchase.

A lot of cheaper laptops will have a 128GB SSD and, because a lot of stuff is stored in the cloud these days, that can be functional. I still recommend getting a bit more storage than that because it's nice if you can store your music and documents and photos on your device instead of on the cloud. You want to be able to access your files even if you don't have internet access.

But don't get a computer with a big HDD instead of getting a computer with a small SSD. The difference in speed is noticeable.

SCREEN (laptop specific)

Personally I find that touchscreens have a negative impact on battery life and are easier to fuck up than standard screens. They are also harder to replace if they get broken. I do not recommend getting a touch screen unless you absolutely have to.

A lot of college students especially tend to look for the biggest laptop screen possible; don't do that. It's a pain in the ass to carry a 17" laptop around campus and with the way that everything is so thin these days it's easier to damage a 17" screen than a 14" screen.

On the other end of that: laptops with 13" screens tend to be very slim devices that are glued shut and impossible to work on or upgrade.

Your best bet (for both functionality and price) is either a 14" or a 15.6" screen. If you absolutely positively need to have a 10-key keyboard on your laptop, get the 15.6". If you need something portable more than you need 10-key, get a 14"

FORM FACTOR (desktop specific)

If you purchase an all-in-one desktop computer I will begin manifesting in your house physically. All-in-ones take away every advantage desktops have in terms of upgradeability and maintenance; they are expensive and difficult to repair and usually not worth the cost of disassembling to upgrade.

There are about four standard sizes of desktop PC: All-in-One (the size of a monitor with no other footprint), Tower (Big! probably at least two feet long in two directions), Small Form Factor Tower (Very moderate - about the size of a large shoebox), and Mini/Micro/Tiny (Small! about the size of a small hardcover book).

If you are concerned about space you are much better off getting a MicroPC and a bracket to put it on your monitor than you are getting an all-in-one. This will be about a million percent easier to work on than an all-in-one and this way if your monitor dies your computer is still functional.

Small form factor towers and towers are the easiest to work on and upgrade; if you need a burly graphics card you need to get a full size tower, but for everything else a small form factor tower will be fine. Most of our business sales are SFF towers and MicroPCs, the only time we get something larger is if we have to put a $700 graphics card in it. SFF towers will accept small graphics cards and can handle upgrades to the power supply; MicroPCs can only have the RAM and SSD upgraded and don't have room for any other components or their own internal power supply.

WARRANTY

Most desktops come with either a 1 or 3 year warranty; either of these is fine and if you want to upgrade a 1 year to a 3 year that is also fine. I've generally found that if something is going to do a warranty failure on desktop it's going to do it the first year, so you don't get a hell of a lot of added mileage out of an extended warranty but it doesn't hurt and sometimes pays off to do a 3-year.

Laptops are a different story. Laptops mostly come with a 1-year warranty and what I recommend everyone does for every laptop that will allow it is to upgrade that to the longest warranty you can get with added drop/damage protection. The most common question our customers have about laptops is if we can replace a screen and the answer is usually "yes, but it's going to be expensive." If you're purchasing a low-end laptop, the parts and labor for replacing a screen can easily cost more than half the price of a new laptop. HOWEVER, the way that most screens get broken is by getting dropped. So if you have a warranty with drop protection, you just send that sucker back to the factory and they fix it for you.

So, if it is at all possible, check if the manufacturer of a laptop you're looking at has a warranty option with drop protection. Then, within 30 days (though ideally on the first day you get it) of owning your laptop, go to the manufacturer site, register your serial number, and upgrade the warranty. If you can't afford a 3-year upgrade at once set a reminder for yourself to annually renew. But get that drop protection, especially if you are a college student or if you've got kids.

And never, ever put pens or pencils on your laptop keyboard. I've seen people ruin thousand dollar, brand-new laptops that they can't afford to fix because they closed the screen on a ten cent pencil. Keep liquids away from them too.

LIFESPAN

There's a reasonable chance that any computer you buy today will still be able to turn on and run a program or two in ten years. That does not mean that it is "functional."

At my office we estimate that the functional lifespan of desktops is 5-7 years and the functional lifespan of laptops is 3-5 years. Laptops get more wear and tear than desktops and desktops are easier to upgrade to keep them running. At 5 years for desktops and 3 years for laptops you should look at upgrading the RAM in the device and possibly consider replacing the SSD with a new (possibly larger) model, because SSDs and HDDs don't last forever.

COST

This means that you should think of your computers as an annual investment rather than as a one-time purchase. It is more worthwhile to pay $700 for a laptop that will work well for five years than it is to pay $300 for a laptop that will be outdated and slow in one year (which is what will happen if you get an 8th gen i3 with 8GB RAM). If you are going to get a $300 laptop try to get specs as close as possible to the minimums I've laid out here.

If you have to compromise on these specs, the one that is least fixable is the processor. If you get a laptop with an i3 processor you aren't going to be able to upgrade it even if you can add more RAM or a bigger SSD. If you have to get lower specs in order to afford the device put your money into the processor and make sure that the computer has available slots for upgrade and that neither the RAM nor the SSD is soldered to the motherboard. (one easy way to check this is to search "[computer model] RAM upgrade" on youtube and see if anyone has made a video showing what the inside of the laptop looks like and how much effort it takes to replace parts)

Computers are expensive right now. This is frustrating, because historically consumer computer prices have been on a downward trend but since 2020 that trend has been all over the place. Desktop computers are quite expensive at the moment (August 2023) and decent laptops are extremely variably priced.

If you are looking for a decent, upgradeable laptop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

If you are looking for a decent, affordable desktop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

If I were going to buy any of these I'd probably get the HP laptop or the Dell Tower. The HP Laptop is actually a really good price for what it is.

Anyway happy computering.

as a huge lover of birds, 90% of the concern against wind turbines being used for energy is literally just pro fossil fuel propaganda. birds ARE at a risk however there is a lot of strategies even as simple as painting one of the blades that reduces a lot of accidental deaths. additionally renewable energy sources will do more in favor of the environment that would positively impact birds (and all of us). one study found over one million bird deaths from wind turbines. while that is a shockingly high number and we should work to drastically shrink it, at least 1.3 billion birds die to outdoor cats on a yearly basis. it was never about caring about birds

there was a study done in 2015 that shows an even greater possible yearly divide than the 2012 one

someone smarter than me needs to write a full breakdown of how a lot of modern "feminism" is actually just christian complementarianism wearing a pink trenchcoat

#so much of it is just propaganda to encourage women to embrace “our natural role”#including the idea that women are uniquely virtuous/intuitive/nurturing/vulnerable/special/etc#divine feminine and all that you're literally just regurgitating the stuff that's supposed to make us content to be subordinate#it's not even a shiny new coat half the time it's the exact same stuff regressive churches explicitly teach (@thatdiabolicalfeminist)

FEMA is doing an emergency alert test on all TVs, radios, and cell phones on October 4, 2023, at approximately 2:20pm ET.

If you live in the US and you have a phone you need to keep secret for any reason, make sure that it is turned off at this time.

Yes, I'm doing this months in advance, and yes, my blog has very little reach, but I figure better to post about it more than less.

Please reblog and add better tags than mine, I'm bad at tags.

Wizards (1977)

tumblr staff have...

STOP GIVING THEM MONEY! stop trying to make crab day or whatever else happen. paying for stuff from the shop is rewarding them for ignoring the userbase continuously and doing things the majority don't want, even if the things they're doing and allowing can cause actual deaths. staff shouldn't be praised and get profit for ignoring their users in exchange for trying to turn tumblr into twitter 2 ft. tiktok. at this point i don't even care for "staff are people 🥺 be nice" arguments, because even when people are being very polite in feedback, they're perfectly fine ignoring it in exchange for implementing changes nobody wants or asked for, all because new users may like it more (and forget anyone who's used the site for years, apparently).

leave bad reviews. don't buy things from the shop. send feedback, even if they never reply. email them and @ the staff, send asks to the wip blog. don't just blindly buy into "we need to support the site, buy xyz shop product", they don't deserve more money for giving a worse product.

just in case it breaches tiktok, someone is doing a gon.charov 2 basically. its called "zepotha" and it is yet another 'joke' based in acting as though a work of fiction that does not exist and never has is 100% real and claiming that people look "just like maxine from zepotha!!" and will not let up on the bit, and refuse to give real information about the topic (because there isnt any). if you see these "jokes" (which, if you are participating, please, please tag them as un.reality, without the period), you are not insane, the world is not warping to leave you out of information, or whatever other type of delusion this trend may trigger. this is a media that does not exist, and as such, no concrete information will ever be able to be found. you are okay

edit: please do not tag this post with tags meant to steer people away from un.reality based content. doing so stops people who need this warning from being able to see it.

The threead continues:

The book linked is free to read and download. See the link above.

if you’re a transfem you should read this, and if you’re not you should reblog it for your transfem friends & followers, the advice in here is extremely good and the grips breaks are not hard to practice!!

Hi Everyone I need to ask for urgent aid from you my wife's ARFID (food aversion) is acting up something terrible and we have nothing in the house she will eat

If you can help with that I would literally be so greatful we're both disabled and autistic but because I'm bedridden most days and on SSD/I she is the one who makes money for us through online work

She hasn't been able to do her job because she hasn't been able to eat for 2 days straight and she was just barely picking at food in in the days before that id really appreciate any help to secure the safe foods she needs to function and help our little family keep going.

Cashpp & pypl @/ lumophobia

If you can't send money PLEASE reblog im literally on my hands and knees here

Saving my mom's eyesight.

Hi guys- so. Gofundme doesn't work in the Philippines, so I had to arrange this on fundrazr, where PayPal works! No account needed- it's where I also fundraised surgery for my dad.

It would mean everything if you guys could please, please, once more spare me a reblog.. would much appreciate it.

I had some funds saved via commissions back in March, but they have been depleted because I did not account for her care after surgery- and because it kept getting delayed because they kept needing additional lab tests from her. Mom has preexisting conditions, like her kidneys are very weak, she is prone to seizures due to a brain injury from a sudden sepsis attack a few years ago, and she has diabetes.

Im sincerely n humbly asking for mutual aid.

I'm a disabled trans guy from the global south. Don't have a car, and I have been taking care of my family ever since I was a teenager all by myself- I have three jobs at the moment, but none of them are stable incomes, and because out of all four of us, I am the only one who works, I've been living paycheck to paycheck due to both my parents medical and day to day needs. I've put all the info I have on the fundrazr post.. and for additional info.. this is the most recent prescription/ note from the doctor.

I guess this is all. I'm so very sorry for having to write another one of these posts, but have been having an extremely difficult time, and prayers, donations, shares and even just a kind word would mean the whole world to me. Thank you so so much.

ok but why is OP asking free labor out of houndreds of thousands of people for the convenient price of £500 💀

and they didn’t even make the poster either? they’re asking for free marketing and creative input for a product they don’t even know the story of this is where we’re at

Hi guys, would absolutely mean the whole world to me if you guys could please share my tipping jar, inrprnt or patreon. My mom has been in and out of the hospital bc of what was at first her glaucoma and and sepsis recovery... And every time she goes, they keep finding smth wrong. Today is another Big Checkup to see if she is healthy enough to finally do her eye surgery.

I do commissions, but because two of my devices broke this month, I've accumulated a work debt and had to raise my prices. I've no wiggle room at all, and both imprnt and patreon has been bugging out. Having so much trouble earning a living.

Would absolutely feel so so grateful if you guys who like my art and have anything to spare can be a patron, I post several exclusive drawings every month- or you pick up a drawing on my inprnt, or directly send me a tip. It sincerely helps truckloads. Thank you so much. If you see this, it would mean everything if you could spare me a retweet.. please and thank you.

Hi guys, short update and I will make a longer post later. Sort of having a very bad mental health day and unable to talk much. But my mom is officially partially blind, her one eye is inoperable and we are in a race against time to save her other eye. Her operation is on next Friday.. please, please If you can shaew this post, it would mean lot.

Spoilers for Barbie I guess

Im just feeling a certain way rn

!! DO NOT SIGN UP FOR NOSPACE/NEW MYSPACE APP !!

okay so I did some digging into that MySpace app called nospace and turns out it’s acctually just some new social media set up by crypto/nft ppl hoping to get more people into thier bullshit by specifically marketing to gen z >__> so whilst they’re *probably* not going to like directly steal ur card info or smthn they’re still trying to drag ppl into tech bro pyramid schemes so I’d absolutely stay away

sources:

... Ugh.

likes charge reblogs cast

hamed!!!

PSA

If you happen to stumble upon an ad that looks like this, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN.

The rest of the ad is a very tall GIF of strobing red light that can potentially cause seizures. You cannot scroll past this ad quickly enough to avoid seeing it.

There seems to be no way to report the ad, so the next best thing is to use an adblocker (if you haven’t already) or even stay off the mobile app.

Please reblog to help spread awareness.