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We Have Moved!

We’re now conveniently located near the corner of Whitcomb and Westnedge behind the Burger King. We are the upper suite in the rear of the building. If you need driving directions, please don’t hesitate to call!

Geek Easy Computers
435 Whitcomb St. UL 201
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269)548-TECH (8324)

Posts Tagged ‘Cloud’

Laptop Vs Chromebook

The quarantine has many folks “rediscovering” their laptops and also bringing the school provided devices their children are using into focus. We are finding that many of these people don’t know the difference between a laptop and a Chromebook. In this post we’ll cover some of the main differences.

Chromebook or Laptop? Step-By-Step Decision Guide


Chromebooks may look like fully featured laptops, but instead of Windows or MacOS, they are running a browser-based operating system called Chrome OS which is built on Linux. Chrome OS is a minimal system that is a wholly different experience from Windows or MacOS.

Initially Chromebooks were very limited in scope and had to be constantly connected to the Internet. Chrome OS has greatly matured since then, but there are still limitations to its functionality. Chrome OS started out essentially as Chrome web browser and not much else. It has since grown to encompass more but is still primarily web based.

Chromebooks are not natively compatible with either Windows or MacOS applications. Meaning that you won’t be able to install and run your favorite applications on a Chromebook. Alternatively, the number of web (browser) based applications is constantly expanding so chances are, your favorite apps may have a web based version! If you are looking to play games, a Chromebook is not a good choice, unless they are browser based games. Most current models can also run Android apps.

Chromebooks typically don’t offer very much in power or storage as their primary function is to access the web. The following is a decent combination for general usage:

  • Intel Celeron, Core m- or Core i-series processor
  • 4GB of memory or more
  • 32GB of storage
  • Full HD (1,920×1,080-pixel) display

As far as storage, a combination of cloud storage, USB drives or SD cards are recommended.

Lastly, Chromebooks tend to be consumer-grade items, meaning that they are not really designed to be repaired if damaged. They are meant to be replaced. This also means they are generally not upgradeable. Note that many times storage and memory are soldered onto the motherboard. Due to this, while we are available to support your Chromebooks, Geek Easy Computers is limited in what we can repair with them. 

All of this is not to say that it isn’t worth owning a Chromebook. They are growing in popularity for their low price and ease of use, especially in the education sector. As long as you are willing to accept the limitations of Chrome OS, a Chromebook could be the perfect media consumption device for you or your child!


Adonis Pointer is a photographer, a collector of vintage razors, and a certified technology geek!
Adonis has been involved in computer technology since well, a LONG time! He has been involved in nearly every aspect of the industry from sales to repair to training to consulting. As the Social Media Manager he writes the majority of the posts on the Geek Easy Computers blog.

Cloud Storage…Why Should I Use It?

At Geek Easy Computers, we see too many clients with failed or failing hard drives with no backup system in place! It’s a tragedy because data recovery is not guaranteed and can be expensive when it does work. Today there is really no excuse for not having some type of regular backup in place. Especially with the availability and ease of use of cloud storage. With this post, we hope to show you why you should be using the cloud.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jan/Feb/March Newsletter

Well it has been an eventful first quarter of 2018, has it not? The latest newsletter edition has travel tips, resolutions, and helpful tidbits!

Have you signed up for our monthly newsletter?  It’s got great information, packed with helpful tech tips, relevant news, and money saving promotions!

Here’s the PDF version of this month’s issue:
ge_newsletter042018

If you like what you see, you can sign up for it here:
I Want The GE Newsletter!

Which Anti-Virus is Better?

By now, you should know that if you are on the internet, your computer needs to be protected from malicious viruses and malware/spyware.  We mentioned some ways to do that in our previous blog post “Your Computer Needs You (Why?)”.  Today, we’d like to expand on that some and answer the one question we get the most often:  Which anti-virus is the best?

antivirus2

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What should I buy? Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet?

Technology is changing at an astounding rate with new, exciting products hitting the market every few months.  With the constant shifts in computing, it can be difficult to decide what will work best for you. At Geek Easy Computers, we want to help you make the most informed decisions possible when it comes to technology. With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to break down some key differences in device types that might affect your holiday purchases.
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Death of the Desktop Operating System: A Glimpse into The Future

The Death of the Desktop Operating System is something you might hear geeks whispering about in corners, arguing frantically over the benefits of a streamlined, cloud-based, iPhonesque system versus the power and capabilities of the clunky-yet-hearty desktop. It’s chatter on forums and other social media. It’s even been the subject of a whole lot of blog posts in the past year (Meta much?). With Apple’s Mountain Lion merging another step closer to iOS and Microsoft’s Windows 8 launching tomorrow looking like a squarer version of Milton Bradley’s Simon, what does the future look like for the desktop OS and computing in general?
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Cloud Storage 101: What is it?

There’s a lot being discussed today about the “Cloud” on the internet. If you’re not sure what the “Cloud” is, check out our earlier article that defines it -> https://geek-easy.com/2012/02/are-you-in-the-cloud/.

 

Our purpose today is to discuss some of the uses for cloud storage and its advantages. The most popular (arguably) of the providers of these services is Dropbox [https://db.tt/a8BcOMv]. There are other popular services out there such as Google Drive, Box.net, Microsoft Skydrive, Sugarsync and more.

Are you in the Cloud?

Are you using the “Cloud”?  it is becoming more and more a solution for many people and businesses.  Being able to access documents, music, and pictures from any Internet connected computer or smartphone is a benefit some people are finding they cant live with out!

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The “Cloud”…What is it?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility(like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet). – Wikipedia

Cloud computing is the “hot new thing” on the Internet.  Everybody is talking about it.  Trouble is, everyone has their own definition of what it is! Read the rest of this entry »

Lost in the Cloud

If you’ve been paying attention to technology lately, the buzzword in the industry is definitely the “cloud.” Cloud computing, for people confused yet interested, isn’t some sort of magic technological breakthrough that harnesses the raw power of water droplets and ice crystals to load YouTube videos (although that would be pretty buzz-worthy). Put more simply, the cloud is a method of distributing services (like email, music, videos, documents and even video games) to end-users without having to run a program or save the data on a local computer; even simpler would be to say that it’s a way of computing entirely on-line. Read the rest of this entry »

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