With the rise of mobile technology, combined with increasing urban congestion, remote work is becoming an accepted norm in the workplace. In fact, according to a 2018 study by the International Workplace Group, “70% of employees are working at least one day a week somewhere other than the office”. So it’s no surprise that while sales of both desktop and tablet computers are set to fall in the coming years, Statistica forecast global laptop sales to increase.
Of course, not all laptops are created equal, so what are the most important features you should look for when purchasing this crucial piece of business hardware?

1. Portability
The ability to take your computer wherever you go is central to the appeal of a laptop – a computer that causes shoulder strain when being carted around isn’t much use – so weight is an important consideration. Modern laptops fall into several broad categories: ultra-portable (with a 9–13ʺ screen and weighing about 2.5 pounds), laptop (11–15ʺ screen and 3–6.5 pounds) and desktop replacement (15ʺ screen or larger and heavier than 4.5 pounds). Generally speaking, weight equals computing power, so ask how much punch you require vs. how far and often you’ll have to carry it. And be sure to check whether the listed weight includes the battery (which can add up to another pound).

2. Durability
With many workers constantly on the move, manufacturers have begun to take durability seriously as a selling point. Generally, metal cases offer more protection than plastic ones – though nothing beats a rubber case. You’re also going to want to consider a spill-resistant keyboard if liquids are a factor in your workplace. For less durable models, you might consider buying a shockproof case that attaches to the laptop or investing in a robust carry bag.

3. Storage
Laptops are available that offer between 128GB and 2TB of space. For those who frequently use larger files, such as videos and high-resolution images, more space is better. However, even 128GB is enough for about 60,000 photos, 19,000 songs, or 3.3 million documents. If people in your business travel frequently, you might consider a laptop with a solid-state drive (SSD). Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs don’t have any moving parts, which makes them quicker, more durable and resistant to overheating. On the flipside, if speed isn’t vital, external hard drives are an increasingly affordable option, with 2TB expansion drives selling for less than $100 these days. They also offer increased flexibility, being able to plug into different computers.

4. Battery life
For those who use their laptop on the commute or in other locations that don’t have a convenient wall outlet, battery life is crucial – after all, without an unreliable battery, your laptop quickly becomes an expensive paperweight. That said, while battery life is an important aspect of any laptop, it’s also a difficult beast to nail down because the same machine will last for different periods based on how it’s being used. Simply drafting up a report on a word processor will see a battery last a lot longer than watching videos on YouTube. And new batteries perform far better than older ones. In fact, some new business laptops sail past the nine-hour mark, giving you a full day of work on a single charge.

5. Performance
Ultimately it all boils down to performance. However, this is also a question of your requirements. You can spend as much as ten thousand dollars on a laptop that displays video in 4K and packs the processing power to play the most advanced games on the market. Most business laptops come in at a fraction of that price yet offer fast processors with integrated graphics cards that support multi-tabbed browsing and common office programs. In many cases, this is all you’ll need. Of course, if you do work with large media files, frequently edit photos and videos, or want to play video games on your lunch break, you’d do well to select a laptop with superior graphics, memory, and RAM.
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We know picking out the right laptop can seem daunting, but we make it easy! Contact Yellowstone Computing today and let us help you find the perfect laptop for you! 715-255-0325

“Why is this computer running so slow?” It’s a common complaint. The question is whether it’s your computer or your internet connection.

You may feel your computer is moving at a snail’s pace, but it used to be cheetah-fast! You’re going to want to identify and address the issue to get back up to speed. Yet it’s hard to know whether to blame your computer or the internet, especially now that so many computer applications rely on internet connectivity.
So, how do you determine whether it’s your computer or connectivity that’s the problem? If you are having the problem only on one device in a network, you can guess it’s the computer not the connectivity. Otherwise, think about when you are having slow woes.

If you notice programs are taking longer to load up, your computer may not be up to the task. Running large applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, or some accounting packages can cause slowdowns. The hardware may be overwhelmed. You may not have enough available storage space. Sometimes your computer’s parts are simply too old and not fast enough.

Even a new computer could be the problem if it’s an inexpensive one. Or perhaps you didn’t get enough random-access memory (RAM). Your computer needs RAM to run applications or games; it’s the short-term memory of the computer. This is where the computer loads all the things it thinks it might need soon so that it can process them quickly. Without enough available RAM, the computer has to work harder (and slower) to get the results you want.

No wonder common advice for people dealing with slow computers is to invest in more RAM. If your device is less than five years old, you can often upgrade the RAM inexpensively, or switch to a solid-state drive (SSD). An SSD reads and writes differently than a traditional hard drive, which allows it to access information faster. Meanwhile, buying a replacement computer may be the answer if your device is more than five years old.

Then Again, Maybe It’s the Internet Connection
On the other hand, you might notice computer slowness when online. Web pages might be slow to load, or you might be waiting ages to access YouTube videos. If the lag is happening on only one website, it could be that site’s problem. Otherwise, internet slowness could be a provider problem. Or you might have a poor connection.
One way to confirm a connection issue is to check your internet speed. A site such as fast.com or speedtest.net can measure your speed, then you can compare it against the connection speed you’re paying for. Don’t know that? Check your service bill. You may have a slow internet speed plan. Maybe you haven’t changed it in years but have added many more devices. In that case, you’ll want to call your service provider about an upgrade … or confiscate the kid’s devices when you want to stream a favorite show.
When testing, you are looking for a speed of at least 10 Mbps. Anything below that, and you’ll start seeing slowdowns and hearing the complaints from all corners of the house. To put that in perspective, Netflix needs at least 5mbps to stream in HD.
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Other Tidbits to Tackle Slowness
You might also try rebooting your computer or your modem and router. If you leave these running all the time, never actually turning them off, they can get stuck in a slow rut.
If you’re on Wi-Fi, that could also be the root of your problem. Maybe you’re on a network with too many users making demands. For instance, if everyone in your family is streaming on their devices, expect a slowdown. You might be in a signal dead zone. In that case, you could look into a Wi-Fi mesh network.
Ultimately, there are many reasons for a slow computer or internet connection. Don’t get stuck with a tortoise of technology. A managed services provider can find the root cause and get you running faster. Contact us today at 715-255-0325.

Why can’t we all just get along? You’ve probably thought that before. But the sentiment is also one that goes through our heads when we’re trying to set up home networking. When cables and passwords abound, we can’t help but wish it was easier to get all our devices to play nicely together. Here’s help.

Desktop computers. Laptops. Tablets. Network printers. Routers. Modems. Smartphones. Smart speakers. Media players. Gaming systems. Homes today have many, if not all of these. Each has all sorts of features, and they’d be even more useful if they connected to one another. If only it wasn’t so challenging to get all our devices to relay information between each other reliably.
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Home networking can bring so many benefits. You might enjoy:

• accessing emails on all your devices, wherever you are;
• surfing the Web using your voice;
• being able to share files, photos, and other media with any other networked device;
• viewing a baby photo album from your computer on your Smart TV during a Sweet 16 birthday party;
• printing from your smartphone or other devices, even when not connected to the device via cable, using AirPrint or Google Cloud Print;
• backing up all computers in the house to a centralized location via the network;
• securing your activity on all devices at home with a protected Wi-Fi network.

Yep, all that sounds pretty great, but we’re right back where we started. How do we get our devices to do all that? 

What Your Home Network Needs
First, take a moment to imagine connecting all the computers and smart devices in your home via cables. Ack! As if you want more cables snaking around your home! You don’t want to feel as if you’re rooming with Medusa. So, you’ll be looking into a wireless home network to connect your devices to the internet and each other. That means setting up a modem and a router (we’re assuming you already have an internet service provider). 

The modem is what connects your network to the internet. The router connects your devices to each other and to the internet through your modem. The router communicates the wireless signal between your devices and the modem. A gateway option combines the modem and router functions in one device. 
If your home is spread out over several floors or square feet, or you have to deal with thick walls, you might have difficulties at home with Wi-Fi dead spots. Great! You’ve made all this effort, and it’s still not working! You could try a mesh network. Instead of making one device do all the signaling, a primary router and many smaller satellites (or nodes) relay the signals with equal power. 

Securing Your Home Network
When you get your devices connected, you’ll want to secure your home network. Taking these simple steps helps protect your personal information and prevent cyberattacks. First, change the default passwords on your modem and router, and choose something more complex than “123456,” “password,” or “letmein.” You’ll also want to set up a guest network if the router supports it. This allows visitors to access the Wi-Fi without you having to share access to your main network.

Also, rename your Wi-Fi network so that it isn’t obvious that it’s your house. For example, if you live at 920 Hassell Place, you wouldn’t name it 920Hassell. Or, if you’re the Wilsons, don’t name it WilsonNetwork. Don’t make it easy for someone trying to target you to identify which network they are trying to hack.
You like using all your devices but getting them all networked seems like a headache. Still, once you have a home network set up, you’ll wonder why you waited so long. Don’t put off the convenience any longer. We can help you get all your devices playing together nicely and securely.

Connect with us today at 715-255-0325!

If you’re still running Windows 7 or Windows 8, you could be vulnerable to a range of risks. That’s because Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7 way back in January 2015, and its extended support will end in January 2020. Additionally, Microsoft discontinued mainstream support for Windows 8 in January 2018, and will end extended support in January 2023. 

What does this mean? While you can still use Windows 7 and Windows 8 after support ends, you won’t receive any further security or functionality updates. This will leave you vulnerable to a wide range of risks including cybersecurity attacks and hardware inefficiencies. However, the solution is simple: upgrade to Windows 10 to secure all the extra security features and functionality that comes with the new operating software. If you delay this upgrade for much longer, you’re leaving yourself open to the following risks:

1. Hardware Slowdowns
Windows 7 and 8 are both several years old. To be honest, that may as well be decades in the fast-moving tech industry. Neither is designed to run on the latest hardware, which may cause system slowdowns and even crashes. It’s like dropping a Ferrari engine into a lawnmower and hoping for the best.

2. Bug Battles
Bugs are a fact of life for every operating system, and they can cause a wide range of functionality issues. As part of its extended support, Microsoft works to identify bugs and provides Windows users with regular fixes via downloadable updates. The end of extended support means no more bug fixes, so you’re on your own with any problems that arise. 

3. Hacker Attacks
Hacking techniques are evolving incredibly quickly and keeping hackers out of your system requires constant security updates. Again, Microsoft provides these security updates as part of its extended support service. Once this ends, your operating system won’t receive any further security updates, and you’ll be left unprotected against new hacks and exploits.

4. Software Incompatibility
Not all new software is backwards compatible. As your operating system ages, the chance that new software or apps you download will not be able to run on it will only increase. Software developers pay close attention to operating system specs, and often design new software to take advantage of the extra processing capability of more advanced operating systems like Windows 10. 
As much as you love Windows 7 or 8, you can’t sit back and ignore the inevitable. Upgrading to Windows 10 will ensure you get the best out of your hardware, have access to bug fixes, are protected from hacker attacks and enjoy full compatibility with the latest software and apps. 

5. Standards Compliance
If you work with confidential data, like that found in the medical, financial or government fields, failing to upgrade your systems will lead to compliance failures and leave you more exposed to attack.

Give Yellowstone Computing a call today to get your systems updated and secure!

Your old computer is beginning to slow down. So, you invest in a shiny new laptop. The clouds part and the sun shines down on this bright and lovely new device. Everything will be faster and easier. Only, from the first day, the new laptop is lagging. Why is it running so slow? One of these might be the reason.

#1 Not Enough Computing Power. 
In many cases, the laptop doesn’t have enough RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is the computer’s main memory. This helps your computer do more at once. Information from the operating system, application programs and data are kept here, when in use, for quicker processing. 
RAM is like the computer’s short-term memory, while the hard drive is the long-term memory. Just as the human brain can’t hold everything in short-term memory, RAM can get overloaded too. When this happens on your laptop, the computer processor needs to go to the hard drive. This slows things down.

Resolution: You might see 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or more of RAM available. How much you need is going to depend on what you plan on doing with the computer. For a laptop with Windows 10, we recommend at least 8GB of RAM, but 16GB is more comfortable for a better experience.
Not all laptops will let you access the RAM. When you can, though, upgrading memory can be quick and affordable.

#2 Mechanical Hard Drive. 
Often a single part is letting you down. With a less expensive computer, manufacturers skimp. While it’s less common these days, some laptops will come with a mechanical hard drive. You might think of this like a record player with a needle reading the vinyl album. Since something is moving to find data, the laptop runs slower than it would with a Solid-State Drive (SSD), which has no moving parts. 

Resolution: In many cases, a mechanical hard drive can be easily upgraded to an SSD. However, some super slim laptops have limited upgradability.

#3 Bloatware. 
Retailers like to tout all the bells and whistles that come with their laptops. So, when you turn on your laptop for the first time, you may notice there’s already a lot of software preloaded. Much of it you’ll probably never use. Maybe there are toolbars you don’t need, games you’ll never use, or stock widgets that you couldn’t care less about. These examples of bloatware slow down your computer.
The third-party applications are a revenue source for the manufacturer, but don’t always help you. Microsoft, for instance, sells a line of computers that come without any pre-installed third-party software. Computerworld reported those PCs “start up 104% faster, shut down 35% faster and have 28 minutes more battery life.”

Resolution: When you get a new laptop, check out the pre-installed software before you add your own. Determine what the existing software will do and uninstall anything that you won’t want.
If your laptop is slow on the first startup, this may be due to system updates. For instance, a Windows 10 automatic update to bolster the security of the computer. You can’t do much about these, but look on the bright side, your laptop security is current!
Improved speed is a main reason to invest in a new laptop. Don’t let a lagging laptop disrupt your productivity. We can help with a slow running laptop.
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Best Solution: Skip all the guesswork and uncertainty by shopping with us! Stop in and enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee or tea while we discuss your computing needs to get you the right computer the first time! Before you take delivery, we’ll make sure any bloatware is removed and handle the transfer from your old system as well as install top-shelf security.
Instead of wasting valuable time waiting on a slow computer, give us a call at 715-255-0325! 

Your business likely talks a lot about continuous improvement. It’s everyone’s goal, right? Yet “set it and forget it” is a common approach to handling business technology. Here’s why IT needs your ongoing attention too.
Your competition is increasing, and it can feel as if it is doing so exponentially. Why? There are lower barriers to entry in many businesses. The marketplace has gone global. Transaction costs are declining. Technological advances, automation, and AI are making processes more efficient and increasing productivity.
Your business can’t stand still. Don’t leave your IT sitting unattended either. Sure, the very term “continuous improvement” may have you twitching with discomfort. Not that buzzword again! Yet taking an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach to IT could be hurting your business. Settling for “alright” or relying on “the way we’ve always done it” could leave you lagging behind competitors.
Your business may not have a CIO (Chief Information Officer) lobbying for the latest tech, but every business can benefit from asking itself: “can we be doing this better?”. Of course, you don’t know what you don’t know. You are focusing on your industry, not all the new technology, automation, artificial intelligence, or machine learning to:
·   Innovate process
·   Automate routine, repetitive tasks
·   Increase productivity
·   Enable global collaboration
·   Streamline workflow
·   Integrate existing applications
·   Support informed decisions
·   Optimize information access
·   Enhance document, data exchange
·   Advance analysis-based action
 
The Value of a Strategic MSP Partnership
A managed services provider (MSP) can answer the technology questions you don’t even know to ask. Don’t rely on the old way of doing things. You don’t need to suffer through long, drawn-out processes and the inefficiency of manual work. Your business can partner with an MSP to embrace the power of digital transformation.
Protecting your business from cyber bad guys isn’t the only thing an MSP can do. An MSP can help you improve processes, exceed customer expectations, and reduce costs, all while minimizing your risk.
The MSP will get to know the ways in which you do business and your vision for the future. The MSP can help your business work smarter and reach its goals faster. Understanding available improvements, the MSP can make recommendations to fit your budget and help you become better, faster, and more agile.
Of course, incorporating continuous improvement in your technology can mean making changes to the way you work. Your employees may shudder. That’s why it’s important to work with a partner that can help you clearly articulate the value of digital transformation.
Your people will want to know “what’s in it for me,” and the MSP can help you provide the answer. Explaining how innovation will help employees do their job better or drive business outcomes is key. Working with an MSP means intentional strategy drives your technology improvements. That's the foundation for successful implementation and adoption.
Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all, set-and-sit approach to information technology. Your competition will be happy if you do. Instead, work with an MSP that doesn’t just keep your technology running and your systems secure. Join forces with a service provider who is your strategic partner – they'll ensure your technology is continuously improving.

You’re Not Alone, Adapt With Us!
Technology's rapid pace of change was a top threat for business leaders, according to a 2017 survey of business school grads. Digital advances surpassed economic, political, and environmental changes. But you’re not alone in your struggle to continuously improve.
Turn to the experts who can answer your questions and plan strategic improvement. No matter what your industry or business size, you can enjoy our technology expertise. Talk to us about a technology assessment. Our experts will suggest options that suit your needs and help you beat the competition. Give us a call at 715-255-0325!