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Microsoft isn't making another Windows phone for one simple reason
Microsoft isn't making another Windows phone for one simple reason
Microsoft did something unexpected in launching the Surface Duo, a phone with two screens that fold around a hinge down the middle. After two years completely out of the phone game, Microsoft is ready to try again -- just not with its own software running the show. Instead, the Surface Duo will run on Android, a former rival OS.
In doing so, Microsoft is leaning into the old adage: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. (Here's every Surface Duo spec we know, and all the ones we don't.)
"We are embracing customers where they are and building on technology they use with benefits only Microsoft can bring. We are building on top of Android, just as we've built on top of Chromium in our Edge browser, to give our customers the best of both companies," a company spokesperson said in an email to CNET.
Although the Surface Duo won't arrive for a full year -- holiday 2020, in fact -- Microsoft's new hardware represents a renewed interest in a lucrative category that Microsoft all but swore off. Joining the conversation about phones with double the usual screen size, like the foldable Galaxy Fold, puts Microsoft in a position to become relevant to a topic of growing interest.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Surface Duo could augur a future phone that runs on its new Windows 10X OS, just like the other device Microsoft announced on Wednesday, the dual-screen Surface Neo. The Neo is, after all, basically a larger Surface Duo that doesn't make calls, so the foundation for Windows software is there. (Note that the Neo has a different processor inside and works with a magnetic keyboard.)
But Microsoft has assured CNET that it's sticking with Android and has no plans to make a Windows-based phone.
Microsoft's reluctance to build a Windows phone makes sense on multiple levels. From a practical standpoint, it might be easier to leave the practicalities to Google, a company that's far ahead with supporting a wide range of apps on foldable devices, and which may have a better software package for developers to start with.
The more pressing reason to go with Android is because Microsoft learned the hard way that people want to buy Android phones, not Windows phones. Android controls the majority of the global market, and Microsoft already lost embarrassingly to Android (and Apple'siOS) when low phone sales forced it to shutter its Windows phone business.
One of the first smartphone movers and shakers, Microsoft's Windows Mobile software was one of the top mobile platforms in the 2000s. The company's mobile decline began with the rise of the iPhone's far more intuitive iOS, and was cemented over several Microsoft software releases that failed to compete with Apple and Google's rapidly maturing Android OS.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 was a Windows phone for simpler times.
CNET
Despite radically redesigning its OS and even buying Nokia's phone business, Windows for phones never achieved the features or apps that Android and iPhone had. Windows phones are no longer supported.
Should we count out a Surface phone that runs Windows for good? From what Microsoft is saying, yes. But the fact that we're even seeing a new Microsoft device with a cellular voice connection at all is a sign that the company's mobile ambitions aren't as dead as we once thought.
And while the prospect of a future Windows phone remains extremely unlikely, when it comes to the shifting, cutthroat phone world, this upcoming Microsoft Android phone suggests that really, anything could happen.
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Nintendo Switch's wild ideas will echo into 2018
Nintendo Switch's wild ideas will echo into 2018
I've seen VR, AR, iPhones, smartwatches, laptops and robots. But the gadget that impressed me the most, by a longshot, was the Nintendo Switch.
It was a familiar story. Nintendo has a weird, wild idea. Detachable controls on a tablet. A dock that turns a handheld into a console. Even the name of the little wireless, button-studded mini-remotes was weird: Joy-Cons.
Nintendo's done this before. The minimalist, motion-control-driven Nintendo Wii and its deconstructed remote control. The bizarre two-screened, stylus-laden Nintendo DS.
I had some preparation this time, however. In fact, Razer had an idea that was incredibly similar for Windows PCs just a few years before, called the Razer Edge. When I reviewed it, I thought it was a sign of the future: it could transform from handheld to console, changing its form. Then there was the Nvidia Shield, the true predecessor of the Switch, which started as a funky Android game handheld with a flip-up screen and became a dockable, switchable tablet. I thought that was cool, too.
Nintendo, obviously, agreed (and put Nvidia's Tegra processor into the Switch, too).
Now that the Switch has become a success, and a must-have holiday toy, it's also a real showcase of how a modular piece of tech can work. Nintendo's game lineup for the Switch has been stellar. It's also fun and easy to use.
And, I bet, 2018 is going to be full of companies trying to pull off the same trick.
I can't wait for some of the ideas. I also hope things don't go overboard.
The Nintendo Switch, unplugged.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Perfect storm: Price, hardware design, software support
The Switch's ideas already existed: the Nvidia Shield Tablet was a test run, but the Switch did it better. Nintendo's games, from both first and third parties have been stellar. Its new Zelda and Mario games are ones for the ages. Nintendo's also done a great job rounding up indie game developers and producing a collection of decently priced software, with titles like Rocket League, Stardew Valley, Thumper and Steamworld Dig 2.
Meanwhile, the price of the Switch hovers right at the border between impulse buy and splurge. No, the $300, £280 or AU$470 price isn't cheap, but it's a completely fair price for a handheld and console with two controllers in-box.
After a year playing it, I love it more than I did before.
The missing link: is it still about good controllers?
Sarah Tew/CNET
Mobile gaming needs a kick in the pants
There have been a lot of really great mobile games recently: Fez, Inside, The Witness and The Talos Principle. Many of these games were ported from the PC and console. These little phones are powerhouses capable of great graphics and gameplay. But they're totally hampered as far as game controls go.
Phones and tablets are great for touching and swiping, but there's been a slowdown on adopting connected game controllers for mobile games. It was a trend a few years ago, but not so much anymore. Maybe that's because those controllers never worked as well as the Nintendo Switch's subtly rumbling, totally flexible Joy-Cons do. Two can become one controller, or become separate tiny ones. They work in multiple orientations. They have great motion controls. They enable all types of games.
Mobile games are only going to be as good as the controls available to them. Modular controls and well-made controller accessories can help. So, too, could letting mobile devices connect directly with TVs like the Switch does. There's no reason why a phone or tablet couldn't be a console/mobile hybrid just like the Switch. Some already have toyed with it, for games (the Nvidia Shield) or even work (Microsoft's Continuum, or Samsung's Dex for Galaxy phones).
Razer Edge came out over four years ago. It's time to revisit the idea, post-Switch.
Sarah Tew/CNET
PCs are designed to be modular now: Let them be!
Microsoft's Surface tablet and its various Book/Laptop iterations, and the wild evolution of flexible/hybrid laptop/tablets as a whole, show that Windows hardware is already very capable of turning into new things. (Apple's Mac hardware, not so much). So, maybe, it's time to re-explore what Razer was trying for with the Edge gaming tablet: make transforming game systems, ones that are both mobile and stay-at-home. Battery life is better now, and graphics can be shrunk down to achieve more in smaller forms. It all comes down to what games will support various transformational play modes, but at least many apps are now enabled for touch and game controllers.
Sony, Microsoft must think beyond the big black box
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are venerable systems, but they feel archaic to me now. They're big, rooted in one place. They're graphically powerful (more than the Switch), and can play lots of great games. But the Switch's perfectly mobile spin on consoles is a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too moment. Not everyone wants a portable game console, but if it means being able to play games on a trip or move gaming more easily to other rooms or connect with others, why not?
I play the Switch in handheld mode more than I do in console mode. Meanwhile, my son plays his favorite console, the Wii U, in handheld gamepad mode, too. Sony and Microsoft still haven't figured out a way to make this happen as easily and in as self-contained a way as the Switch, despite efforts like the PlayStation TV, the remote play features of Vita and Microsoft's Xbox-to-Windows game stream connectivity.
1-2 Switch is almost forgotten, but it's a great example of fun Nintendo games my kids loved playing.
Sarah Tew/CNET
I love Nintendo's focus on family
Nintendo hasn't done a great job making the Switch's parental and online settings easy to use, especially when it comes to a complete pack of cloud storage for game saves, game libraries or any sort of family account for purchases. But, I've come to let my kids play with Nintendo games more than any other hardware -- iPhone and iPad included -- because the whole experience feels more curated and safely contained. It's a good experience, and it's easy to set up and use. It's not pandering, but it works for everyone. It's a rare thing in the tech world.
It's not perfect yet
The biggest mistake companies could make in 2018 would be to expect that Nintendo's formula instantly translates. I could see a lot of cracks at Switch-like hardware that would feel like duds: poor game libraries, badly-optimized software, expensive hardware or accessories that feel under-supported. For now, the Nintendo Switch nails the balance. Still, the Switch isn't backwards-compatible with hundreds of games I already own. It doesn't have great battery life as a handheld. It's a little clunky to carry in a bag. And yes, my Switch has slightly warped from keeping it in the included dock.
But the Switch finally proved that wild modular ideas can work. Now, we just need to hope that the next wave of Switch-alikes don't fall down the same rabbit hole that motion control games did after the Nintendo Wii.
Batteries Not Included: The CNET team reminds us why tech is cool.
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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch) review: Premium laptop at a midrange price
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch) review: Premium laptop at a midrange price
Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro gets better the more you use it. Frankly, when I first unboxed it I found the laptop to be pretty unremarkable. It's Lenovo's first laptop to ship with Windows 11 but otherwise, it doesn't really have any big attention-grabbing features. The 14-inch laptop is thin, light and has a full metal chassis -- premium but it doesn't stand out. There's no big performance story: It's respectable but not extraordinary (though battery life is long at nearly 12 hours). Of course, there's nothing wrong with just being all-around good.
But after using the Slim 7i Pro for a little while and putting a few of its somewhat hidden features to work, the little laptop's value is clearer. With this laptop, you're getting the experience of a higher-end model -- the look, feel and upscale features -- but at a more affordable price (even if that price isn't exactly low).
Like
Higher-end design, features at a more affordable price
Multiple voice assistant options
Don't Like
Cluttered with pitches for optional services, software
No physical webcam shutter
Starting at around $1,000 , the Slim 7i Pro is not cheap but it does offer components and features you'd normally pay a few hundred dollars more to get. The configuration I tested sells for $1,200 at Costco and is maxed out with an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. It also has a bright, beautiful 2.8K-resolution touchscreen with a 90Hz refresh rate. A similar configuration of the Slim 7i Pro in the UK sells for £999 and AU$1,599 in Australia.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch)
Price as reviewed
$1,200
Display size/resolution
14-inch 2880 x 1800 touch display
CPU
3.3GHz Intel Core i7-11370H
Memory
16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4X (soldered)
Graphics
128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Ports
USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C (x2), USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, combo headphone jack
Storage
1TB PCIe SSD
Networking
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.1
Operating system
Windows 11 Home (21H1)
What's so Pro about it
Putting Pro in the name of a laptop model means different things to different people. In this case, it seems that it means moving a notch up from the regular IdeaPad Slim 7 in almost every way. The Slim 7i Pro (the letter i is for the Intel processor) has better components, a higher-quality display and some future-proofing tech, as well as some features to improve your work experience. Plus, the laptop is pretty sharp and won't look out of place in a business meeting.
Both of the Slim 7i Pro's USB-C ports are on the left side.
Josh Goldman/CNET
The 14-inch display, for instance, covers 100% sRGB, 80% P3, 78% Adobe RGB and 74% NTSC color gamuts. It hits a brightness of 400 nits. All good things for work, entertainment and basic content creation. The taller 16:10 ratio gives you more vertical room for work, too. And the 90Hz refresh rate smooths out the look of video and games.
With two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports on the left side, you're covered for everything from charging and high-speed data transfers to connecting multiple external monitors. It would be nice if they were split between the left and right sides for greater flexibility, though. Wireless is ready for the future as well with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.
Above the display, there's a serviceable 720p webcam paired with an IR camera and dual far-field microphones. The IR camera is for signing in with facial recognition. But what's even more interesting is the laptop has presence detection, a feature found on ThinkPad business laptops.
The Slim 7i Pro's cameras can automatically lock and unlock the laptop.
Josh Goldman/CNET
If you walk away from the laptop, it will automatically lock itself down. When you return, the Slim 7i Pro senses your presence and starts looking for your face to unlock it instantly. The feature can even be used to pause video playing on your display when you leave and resume when you return when using certain players like VLC.
What Lenovo did remove is the sliding physical shutter for the webcam to help with privacy. That's a step back, but you can use Lenovo's Vantage software toolbar to quickly kill the webcam and mic, as well as change fan and system control modes, adjust battery and charging performance and even turn on and off the keyboard backlight. You can also do some of these things and much more with your voice.
The keyboard and touchpad are both excellent.
Josh Goldman/CNET
The laptop is preinstalled with Lenovo Voice, which lets you control the laptop and change settings with voice commands. There's a long list of options from controlling screen brightness and volume to opening the calculator app to disabling the webcam. It also has translation and voice-to-text features. And if you want to use your voice for more, the laptop is preinstalled with Amazon Alexa services and Microsoft Cortana. This is why those dual far-field mics are nice to have, along with better conference calls.
Aside from the Lenovo Vantage and Lenovo Voice apps, there's surprisingly little preinstalled bloatware on the laptop, but be prepared to get partner software pitches anyway. Yes, Vantage is where you'll find all the controls for turning on and off the extra features on the Slim 7i Pro, but it's also the company's avenue for pitching you on various partner services. Things like SurfEasy VPN, McAfee Live Safe, DashLane password manager and Lenovo's own Smart Performance service for $30 a year, which scans your PC and fixes any issues it finds. This is also where you'll get offers for extended warranties for the laptop and battery. It's annoying but I suppose it's better than having all of it preinstalled.
A headphone jack, USB-A port and power button are on the right side.
Josh Goldman/CNET
At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro's charm is that it's a really good clamshell laptop for people who need just that. it looks good, if a little bland. It has an excellent display and the components are top-notch for its class. Plus the Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 mean there's some future proofing for connections. Add in the fun extras like presence detection and voice commands, especially nice if you're a heavy Alexa user already and you've got a premium laptop experience at a more midrange price.
Geekbench 5 (multicore)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Cinebench R23 CPU (multicore)
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
PCMark 10 Pro Edition
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Streaming video playback battery drain test (minutes)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
System Configurations
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
Microsoft Windows 11 Home (64-bit); 3.3GHz Intel Core i7-11370H; 16GB 4.27GHz LPDDR4X; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 1TB SSD
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.9GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3.2GHz; 512MB AMD Radeon; 512GB SSD
Framework Laptop
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 3GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7; 32GB DDR4 SDRAM 3.2GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 512GB SSD
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 4980U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 512MB AMD Radeon Vega 8; 512GB SSD
Razer Book 13
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-1155G7; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 256GB SSD
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 3GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 512GB SSD
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New Profile Pic App: Innocent Photo Fun, or a Privacy Risk?
New Profile Pic App: Innocent Photo Fun, or a Privacy Risk?
Maybe you've seen some of your Facebook friends upgrading their profile pictures to look like fancy illustrations of themselves. They're likely using a free app called NewProfilePic Picture Editor, the latest social media craze. And while the new images may look glamorous, using the app may be a bad idea -- but perhaps not for the reason some say. Let's look at the facts.
What is NewProfile Pic?
NewProfilePic is an app you can get for iOS or Android. It does pretty much what it says -- makes your profile image look like a painting, using artificial intelligence. People on various social platforms are having fun tinkering not only with their own photos, but images of famous people and pets.
So what's the controversy?
On Wednesday, the UK tabloid The Daily Mail published a story with the unnerving headline, "Is Russia after YOUR personal data? Experts warn internet users not to download latest online craze New Profile Pic that hoovers up your details." ("Hoovers" as in "vacuums," for those not up on British slang.)
The Daily Mail quotes a security expert who says "this app is likely a way of capturing people's faces in high resolution and I would question any app wanting this amount of data, especially one which is largely unheard of."
Wait, what's the Russia connection?
Once the app became popular, people began digging into the company's history. It turns out the NewProfilePic domain was originally registered in Moscow. Given the war in Ukraine and the history of hackers working in Russia, just the mention of Russia's capital sets off suspicions for some would-be app users.
But the company isn't located in Moscow, though it does have an office in Russia.
"We are a [British Virgin Islands] company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus," a representative for PhotoLab, the company behind the app, told me. "All user photos are hosted and processed on the Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure servers, which are located outside the Russian Federation. ... It is the truth that the domain was registered to the Moscow address. It is the former Moscow address of the founder of the company. He does not live in the Russian Federation now."
But these are complicated times.
"We understand that due to the current events in Ukraine, any connection to Russia could raise suspicions," the representative said. "That's why we want to share the position on this issue on our founder's Instagram."
In that Instagram post, company founder Victor Sazhin says he was born in Moscow, moved to Ukraine as a child, and is against the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.
Company founder speaks
Sazhin told me via email that he felt the Daily Mail story hyped up anti-Russia hysteria.
"I haven't been completely surprised [by the negative reaction]," he said. "Recently when our other app, Photo Lab, was No. 1 in Ukraine, when people were using it to create patriotic avatars with a beautiful effect we created, some Facebook [conspiracy theorists] started a similar story. And a few years ago when we first got viral in Bangladesh and India, there was another 'story'... but tying us to the CIA."
He praised the research done by Snopes.com, however. The urban-legends site wrote an article after the Daily Mail story was published in which it concluded NewProfilePic is not especially invasive, noting that, "the claim that this app is stealing data for the Kremlin is also unsupported by evidence."
"That [Snopes] review is comprehensive and I probably can't add anything to it," Sazhin told me. "The app is safe, the photos are processed on Amazon and Azure servers, and we are not KGB."
Shades of FaceApp in 2019
I spoke to cybersecurity journalist and author Bob Sullivan about the app.
"This feels exactly like the FaceApp situation, with one important difference: the world is at war with Russia now," he told me.
Back in 2019, a similar app, FaceApp, was all the rage -- you could use it to age a photo of yourself or alter it in other creative ways. It was also based in Russia, and the FBI investigated the app.
War changes everything
"Many Russians are great developers," Sullivan told me. "Many Russians who learned to program there and now live abroad run very successful companies. The world needs Russian programmers."
Sullivan understands that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Russia's autocratic president, Vladimir Putin, leave many suspicious of apps related to Russia in any way.
"People have to understand that even if a person or company has every good intention of not sharing data with a government, they can be compelled to do so anyway," Sullivan said.
The PhotoLab spokesperson told me, "We did not and do not plan to have any affiliation with any governmental organizations of any country."
You're giving away your photos
Russia aside, is it smart to hand over a photograph of yourself to an app you know little about?
"I really think people are crazy to use this app or anything like it," Sullivan said.
Artificial intelligence researchers, he says, are "desperate" to acquire large datasets they can feed into a computer to perfect their algorithm.
"You have no way of knowing where these images of you might end up in the future," Sullivan said. "For that reason alone, don't do it."
The company representative pointed me to their privacy policy, which states, "The photos are sent to the servers through the encrypted connection. We use Secure Socket Layer technology to protect the privacy and integrity of the transmission process."
The policy goes on to say, "For non-registered users and users who don't share their results within the Services, the original photos and results are automatically removed from our servers by two weeks after the last interaction. For registered users who share their results within the Services that provide special social network features, the shared content will be stored on the servers and shown within the Services unless a user either removes the images themselves or requests such a removal by contacting our support team."
Permissions and pet photos
But what if you've already used the app? And are you safe if you don't use photos of your own face, but, say, of your cat or horse?
"The app probably has an ongoing way of feeding information about you back to its owner, so I would delete it immediately," Sullivan said. "Same for the cat theory. I don't know what they are doing with non-picture data. But every piece of info you share ends up in the horrible ad-tech ecosystem, with inferences drawn that would shock you."
The app's requested permissions are similar to those of other mainstream apps.
"I do agree this app doesn't ask for more than many apps .... which doesn't make it right, but that's not suspicious on its own," Sullivan said.
It's the hot new app
The app is popular. On Friday, it was the top free app on the Apple app store.
"Without any doubt, we are happy that users enjoy our NewProfilePic and ToonMe apps so much," the representative told me. (ToonMe is a similar app from the company that turns photos into cartoons.) "And for sure we are going to do our best to create even more stunning effects and make even more users happy."
Company founder Sazhin echoed that.
"It seems we finally found the recipe with NewProfilePic," he told me. "It looks like a quick success (and it kind of is -- this viral wave started only last Saturday, one day after we released a new set of effects in NewProfilePic), but it was actually years of work."
Support your local artists
Even if a company has never had a Moscow address, users should think twice before agreeing to hand over personal photographs to an app you know nothing about, even for an elegant profile pic, Sullivan says.
"When you share intimate data like your face with an app like this, you have no way of knowing where that data will end up," Sullivan warned. "If you really want a cool portrait of yourself, hire a local artist!"
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Your Old Laptop Could Last Longer if You Try These Tips
Your Old Laptop Could Last Longer if You Try These Tips
Before you splurge on a shiny, new laptop, you may want to consider giving your current system some TLC. There's a lot you can do to take better care of that old laptop and stretch its lifespan as long as possible.
Brett Pearce/CNET
The longevity horizon of a laptop is analogous to the longevity of a human: It partly comes down to responsible behavior, partly genetics and partly just dumb luck. There's no guarantee that anything you do can save it from dying young or failing to keep up with increasingly demanding tasks.
And there's no guarantee that if you treat it like crap it won't last far longer than expected -- in 10 years you might find yourself cursing it. "Fail already you slow POS so I can justify buying a replacement!" That's the argument I had daily with my 7-year-old iPad. (Which I still use for some things despite having finally bought a new iPad Pro.)
It baffled me, for instance, when I learned that my friend's 7-plus-year-old Lenovo Yoga 2 13 still functions, and actually functions well. It's filthy, it's been knocked off precarious perches by flying cats, it sits baking in hot sunlight, endures summers with 90% humidity indoors, and its operating system hasn't been updated in... I don't think ever. She still hasn't filled up the 128GB drive. Recently she asked if she should upgrade to Windows 11 (from Windows 8.1). After picking my chin up off the floor, I pointed out that she probably couldn't; even if it meets the requirements, it would likely be even slower than it is now.
But I have to report that it has finally gone to that great e-waste bin in the sky. Only because she dropped it one time too many. Time to recycle it.
I kept on using it, thinking the trackpad was just going bad, until it popped out completely and I realized the battery beneath it had swollen. Ah, the joys of the early ultrathin models! (This is a 2013 Samsung ATIV Book 9.)
Lori Grunin/CNET
Yet, in the interim, I've gone through at least two laptops, one with a battery that swelled and another with a wiring and broken plastic issue that rendered the display unusable. They exited this world in close to pristine aesthetic condition. And she had to return a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13-inch after a year of working from home thanks to connectivity failures, though it already looked pretty beaten up.
Bottom line: It's a crapshoot.
Read more: Do I Really Have to Upgrade to Windows 11 From Windows 10? What to Know
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Data backup is on my long, long list of "do as I say, not as I do" advice. But the longer you hold onto a laptop, the more irreplaceable files and information you'll accumulate on it. And the greater the chance it'll crumble into e-waste. So before you touch your laptop to address any issues -- including cleaning -- you should back it up.
The unwritten rule is this: If you don't back up your laptop, it will experience a catastrophic failure. But if you do, then nothing will happen. Because that's the way the universe works.
No. Just no.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Coddle it
I don't mean sing it a lullaby before you put it to sleep every night, or even treat it gingerly. Just use some common sense when it comes to handling and storage. For example, don't think, "Awww, cute. Instagram it!" when your cat curls up on your laptop keyboard seeking attention or warmth. Think, "That cat is going to annihilate my MacBook's butterfly keyboard."
Other simple practices include:
Don't leave it sitting in hot sunlight.
Keep animals and kids away. If you have to leave it unattended for a minute, shove it somewhere a little less accessible, or at least tilt the lid down partially so that the screen and keyboard are protected.
Don't leave it hanging off the edge of a desk, couch, chair, ottoman and so on. This is a good policy for any object, frankly.
Don't eat around it (she says, flicking pistachio shell pieces off the keyboard and digging flakes out from gaps).
Wash or sanitize your hands before using it to minimize dirt and oils transferring. These can build up over the years.
If you only use it sporadically, keep it in the most dust-free location available.
When it's on or in sleep mode, don't cover it with fabric or leave it in any other environment where there's no airflow. (This goes triple for Windows 10 laptops, since Microsoft's default is to wake them to force updates, but not to make sure it goes back to sleep afterwards. Twice I've had laptops come close to overheating in bed with me because having current virus definitions is obviously more important than not setting me on fire.)
Don't leave it charging 24/7. Note that depending upon the vintage or model of your system, leaving it plugged in may not cause any problems, but using it off-power periodically lets you spot-check incipient battery or electrical system issues. You can also use a utility to check how worn your Windows laptop battery is.
Don't smoke around it. Nothing gunks up electronics faster.
You should also check the adapter cable periodically, especially if you've got pets. Run your fingers along it feeling for teeth marks. A chewed-through cable won't ruin your laptop -- they're designed to stop working if the insulation is punctured -- but it can get expensive replacing them. My cat, Iris the Destroyer, earned her name by chewing through two Dell AC adapters at $70 a pop (among other reasons). If you catch it early, you can reroute them for safety. Plus, it's not good for the animals.
If your cat likes to curl up on the keyboard, get a tilting laptop stand -- Felix will likely find an alternative space on your desk that's even less convenient -- or create a space near your desk where your cat can still supervise you and that mimics the radiating warmth of the keyboard.
Clean it
It's easy to ignore basic maintenance, especially if you use your laptop every day. You just stop noticing the crud after a while. But periodically taking a minute to examine entry points around keycaps, the keyboard surface, touchpad surface, speaker grilles, hinge, ports, vents and screen may save you some heartache (and money) in the long run. A filthy touchscreen can make it less responsive as well.
But even if none of it poses a long-term health issue for your system, you don't want to wait until detritus builds up so much that it's almost impossible to get out or off. Keeping the fan vents clear and dust-free is especially important.
Streamline it
Every now and then, take a pass through applications and files, as well as programs and services that run at startup, and jettison anything you don't need. Will doing that extend the life of the system? Probably not, except perhaps by reducing a fractional amount of heat generated by unnecessary processor activity.
But at the very least, periodically weeding it can make it feel faster, just like cleaning out a room can make it feel bigger. And at best you will experience some real performance improvements, including improved battery life. It may also turn out that you don't need the memory or storage upgrades that you thought you did. And if you never bothered to uninstall the bloatware that came with your Windows system, try uninstalling it. A clutter-free Start Menu may improve performance a little.
The best way to make it feel like new is to freshen the operating system, which essentially reinstalls it while leaving your data and files intact, rather than wiping the drive and starting anew. In Mac OS you use Recovery Mode. Windows has a couple options: Refresh to reinstall the operating system while preserving your files; and Fresh Start, which refreshes the operating system but without all the bloatware that might have come with it initially.
At some point, you'll probably feel like the incremental approach isn't working for you anymore. Then it's time to consider wiping it off and starting from scratch: You'll need to reinstall the same version of the operating system and applications. This can be trickier, since it may require repurchasing old programs, recustomizing every aspect of the operating system or application behavior, debugging system glitches again and more. Plus, you run the risk of breaking something that was working fine before.
That's software. What about hardware? Aside from upgrades, a laptop's hardware remains pretty static. There's no magic wand to wave that will make your trackpad feel five years younger. One exception is battery life: Changing your software settings can make a big difference to the battery's longevity.
Here are some more suggestions:
An external hub can greatly expand the usability of an older system as well as reduce wear and tear on the connections.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Accessorize it
Using accessories such as an external keyboard, mouse or monitor -- even cheap ones -- may help save wear and tear on the built-in components and hinge. More important, once those components of a laptop start to get wonky, the system itself will still be usable if you can find external replacements for the devices.
If you're constantly moving between desktop locations, it's worth getting a dock or hub for those external devices. This will save wear and tear on the connections from constant plugging and unplugging. It also adds extra ports, which is another perk that will extend the useful life of your laptop. Here are some more suggestions:
Upgrade it
Because real upgrades always require some expense, this is probably one of the final steps you'll consider. But small, incremental upgrades can make a big difference. Not as many laptops support internal memory or storage upgrades as they used to -- replaceable batteries even less so -- but if you can, you should definitely take advantage of the option as you start to hit limits. That's one of the advantages of hanging onto an older laptop -- it's more likely to be upgradable.
That's as long as you feel comfortable opening it up to stick things in. Before you start down this path, make sure to find an upgrade or maintenance guide for your particular system to verify that it supports your plan. You should also check that it doesn't require expensive nonstandard components, which will cost more than it's worth.
When I bought this inexpensive Asus UL30 in 2009, it was partly for its upgradability and removable battery. The display failed before I even got a chance to take advantage of that. (It was probably fixable, but wasn't worth it given the price.)
Lori Grunin/CNET
External upgrades can be easier and more practical, though in some cases they don't provide as big a boost. Or they may not make as big a difference as you thought they would. I secretly added a Netgear Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) USB dongle to a tech-challenged friend's laptop, which was equipped with pokey Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n). Speedtest showed that throughput doubled. Given how much time she spends online, that seemed to make it worth the money.
She didn't notice any difference.
If you're running short on storage, an external drive is an obvious enhancement. Unless you only plan to use it to offload files you don't use often, you may want to avoid going too cheap. A slow external drive can be more annoying than uplifting. You can also potentially improve performance by booting from an external drive, though that depends on the connection and the drive speed.
Another possible performance upgrade -- only if you've got a newer laptop with a Thunderbolt 3 connection, though -- is to add an external graphics processor, aka eGPU, to boost speed in applications or games with heavy GPU usage. This can be a pricey upgrade, though, and the enclosure and the graphics card are frequently sold separately, which can obscure the true cost.
You may want to consider moving to a newer version of the operating system if you're not on it already. If your laptop supports Trusted Platform Module, or TPM -- it probably does if it's not really old or really low-end -- consider upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 11 adds almost nothing notable in my opinion, but it has a refreshed interface and surfaces features you might not have known were there, which can at least make your laptop feel like it's newer.
I don't think an OS upgrade is a no-brainer, though. If your laptop's crumbling to dust, a newer version of the OS may not unequivocally improve things. And you also run the risk of losing the ability to run some applications.
Case in point: In 2019, Mac OS Catalina (10.15)removed support for 32-bit applications. So if a program hasn't been migrated from 32 to 64 bit -- and there are good reasons why it may not have been -- the upgrade would actually be a step backward for you.
Sticking with an outdated version of an operating system is widely considered to be bad hygiene, though, because you don't get the constant barrage of virus, malware and security updates that up-to-date systems receive.
Convert it
And finally, when you're at the end of your rope, you've got nothing to lose by replacing the operating system with something new altogether. If your laptop powers on and at least most of the keys work, there's a good chance it can be converted into a Chromebook, running Google's Chrome OS, to give it at least a little more useful life before it goes to live upstate on a retired laptop farm.
