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What is the difference between HDD and SSD?The standard hard disk drive (HDD) has been the predominant storage device for desktop computers and laptops for a long time. However, computers with solid state drive (SSD) technology are quickly becoming the norm. If you’re looking to upgrade your hardware, you need to know the difference between HDD and SSD. What is an HDD? […]

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16 Dec, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020december16hardware_b, computer, flash storage, Hardware, hdd, ssd, storage, technology category
What is the difference between HDD and SSD?

The standard hard disk drive (HDD) has been the predominant storage device for desktop computers and laptops for a long time. However, computers with solid state drive (SSD) technology are quickly becoming the norm. If you’re looking to upgrade your hardware, you need to know the difference between HDD and SSD.

What is an HDD?

An HDD is basically a storage device in a computer. It consists of metal platters with magnetic coating, a spindle, and various moving parts to process and store data. The common size for laptop hard drives is the 2.5” model, while a larger 3.5” model is usually found in desktop computers.

What is an SSD?

An SSD is another type of data storage that performs the same job as an HDD. But instead of storing data in a magnetic coating on top of platters, an SSD uses flash memory chips and an embedded processor to store, retrieve, and cache data. It is roughly about the same size as a typical HDD, and resembles smartphone batteries.

HDD and SSD comparison

The differences in capabilities between the two storage devices can be grouped into six categories:

1. Speed

This is where SSDs truly prevail. While HDDs need a long time to access data and files because the disk must spin to find it, SSDs can complete this task 200% faster since data is instantly accessed through flash memory chips. This is why an SSD-equipped PC will boot operating systems within seconds and deliver blazing-fast speed for launching programs and applications, whereas a computer that uses an HDD will take a much longer time to boot the operating system, and will continue to perform slower than an SSD during normal use.

2. Capacity

The largest SSD units have a maximum 100 TB storage capacity. Although there are large SSDs, anything that’s over 1 TB will cost businesses a lot of money. HDDs, on the other hand, have much larger capacities available for much more affordable prices.

3. Durability

HDDs consist of various moving parts and components, making them susceptible to shock and damage. The longer you use your HDD, the more it wears down and most eventually end up failing. Meanwhile, an SSD uses a nonmechanical design of flash storage mounted on a circuit board, providing better performance and reliability, and making it more likely to keep your files and data safe.

4. Noise

An HDD can sometimes be the loudest part of your computer. Even the highest-performing HDDs will emit some noise when the drive is spinning back and forth to process data. SSDs have no moving parts, meaning it makes no noise at all.

5. Heat

More moving parts means more heat, and HDD users will have to live with the fact that their device will degenerate over time. SSD uses flash memory, generating less heat, helping to increase its lifespan.

6. Cost

SSDs are generally much more expensive than HDDs for the same capacity. This is why many budget laptops may only have up to 512 GB of SSD storage.

Despite the high costs and low capacity, however, SSDs are the clear winner over HDDs in terms of performance. While you’re paying more for less memory with an SSD, you’re investing in a faster and far more durable data storage option in the long run.

We recommend using an SSD as the primary storage for your operating system, applications, and most-used programs. Many laptops and computers also allow you to install additional SSDs, so you can upgrade as required if your storage needs grow. Implementing HDD as a secondary storage unit is another great idea, especially if you need a place to store documents and pictures because they don’t need to leverage the incredible access times and speeds of an SSD.

Looking to invest in some new hardware for your business? Talk with our experts before you make a decision. We can provide sound advice and help guide you in the right direction.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Exciting new features in the Windows 10 October 2020 UpdateIn the past few weeks, Microsoft has rolled out the Windows 10 October 2020 Update. Also known as Windows 10 version 20H2, the latest update to the popular operating system brings a wealth of useful new features designed to improve your PC’s functionality and performance, as well as your overall experience. Read on to learn […]

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16 Nov, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020november16windows_b, chromium, computer, microsoft, microsoft edge, pc, Windows, windows 10, windows 10 october 2020 update, windows 10 version 20h2 category
Exciting new features in the Windows 10 October 2020 Update

In the past few weeks, Microsoft has rolled out the Windows 10 October 2020 Update. Also known as Windows 10 version 20H2, the latest update to the popular operating system brings a wealth of useful new features designed to improve your PC’s functionality and performance, as well as your overall experience. Read on to learn more about the new update.

Start menu’s new look

The Start menu gets a makeover with “theme-aware” tiles, or tiles that take on the dominant color of your theme. Microsoft has removed the accent color behind tiles in the apps list, replacing it with a uniform translucent background in light mode and a solid black background in dark mode. The theme-aware tiles give the Start menu a more modern, streamlined look.

However, you still have the option to use accent colors for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center when you enable dark mode. Just go to Settings > Personalization > Colors. From the dropdown menu, choose Dark to enable dark mode, then pick an accent color from the swatches below. To apply your chosen color to the Start menu, taskbar, and action center, tick the box next to the “Start, menu, and action center” option at the bottom of the Colors menu.

Alt + Tab changes

You can now switch seamlessly between open tabs in your browser with the new and improved Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut. Pressing Alt + Tab opens the task switcher, which will now show you all open tabs in Microsoft Edge, not just the active one. This way, you can go to the browser tab you want straight from the task switcher interface without first opening the browser window.

If you’d rather not see all open tabs at once, you can configure the task switcher’s settings by going to Settings > System > Multitasking. Then, choose from the following options:

  • Open windows and all tabs in Edge
  • Open windows and 5 most recent tabs in Edge
  • Open windows and 3 most recent tabs in Edge
  • Open windows only

Taskbar tweaks

If you’re like a lot of Windows users, you probably have your most visited or favorite websites pinned to the taskbar for ease of access and convenience. Having sites pinned to your taskbar lets you open a website or switch to the most recent app quickly.

With the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, you can now see all open tabs in your pinned websites by simply hovering over the website icons on the taskbar. This eliminates the need to search through open tabs and browser windows just to find and switch to the specific tab you need.

The taskbar also has a new layout, but this is limited to first logins to a new PC or new account creations. The taskbar will be personalized depending on the user’s preferences. For instance, if the user has an Android device, the Your Phone app will be automatically pinned to the taskbar.

Less intrusive notifications

Microsoft also made minor tweaks to the notification panel. Now, all notifications have an X icon at the top right corner so you can quickly dismiss them with a click. All notifications will also show the app logo so you can easily tell which app has sent which notification.

Additionally, by default, Focus Assist will no longer show you a summary of any notifications you missed while the feature was enabled. To change this setting, go to Settings > System > Focus assist, then tick the box next to “Show me a summary of what I missed while focus assist was on.”

Enhanced Edge

If you haven’t gotten around to installing the new version of Microsoft Edge, you’ll be glad to know that the Windows 10 October 2020 Update comes with the browser preinstalled.

The new version of Microsoft Edge is based on Chromium, the same technology on which Google Chrome runs. As such, it offers a range of features designed to maximize performance and thus improve your browsing experience. What’s more, Edge affords users more control over their data, ensuring that their privacy online will always be protected.

Microsoft is constantly developing new features designed to keep Windows 10 devices running smoothly and securely. Drop us a line today to learn more about the latest Windows 10 features and how they can benefit your business.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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The benefits of syncing your Android phone with Google ChromeMost people nowadays swap between their computer and their smartphone for their productivity needs — from work to passion projects to simply running their daily lives. It’s simpler than ever to do so, thanks to Google Chrome’s sync-up features for Android phones. Send directions from your laptop to your Android phone While Google Maps works […]

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17 Jul, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020july17android_a, android, chrome, combination, computer, duo, google, it, pair, phone, team, technology category
The benefits of syncing your Android phone with Google Chrome

Most people nowadays swap between their computer and their smartphone for their productivity needs — from work to passion projects to simply running their daily lives. It’s simpler than ever to do so, thanks to Google Chrome’s sync-up features for Android phones.

Send directions from your laptop to your Android phone

While Google Maps works great on smartphones, it’s often easier to use on larger screens. To send driving, walking, or commuting directions from your PC to your Android phone, do the following:

  1. Click on a specific location on Google Maps, or enter a location in the search field and click on the desired result.
  2. Click on the “Send to your phone” button in the pane on the left side of your screen.
  3. Choose to have the directions sent to your phone via text or email.

Sync your computer’s Chrome tabs with your phone

This is especially useful when you need to bring your work outside of the office. Here’s all you need to do:

  1. Open the Chrome App on your Android phone.
  2. Tap the three-dotted menu icon beside the search field.
  3. If you’re not using multiple Google accounts, go straight to Step 4. Otherwise, tap Settings > your user icon > Sync > Sync to > your desired Google account, then press the back button until you see the three-dotted menu icon. Press it once more.
  4. Tap Recent tabs. You’ll see all the tabs you’ve opened recently while logged into a particular Google account regardless of device.

Find your lost mobile device

Simply entering “find my phone” in the Google search bar will display the current or last known location of your phone. On top of that, you can also ring your device for five minutes — even if it’s set to silent — in the hopes that a kind soul answers it and tells you where you can get your phone back.

Use your phone to control your computer

For this trick, start by installing the Chrome Remote Desktop app from the Google Play Store on your Android phone and the Chrome Remote Desktop extension app for Chrome on your computer, regardless if it’s running on ChromeOS, Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Each device you want to connect must have Chrome installed, and each Chrome browser must be signed into the same account. With everything in place, you can remotely control a system that’s switched on, such as your desktop, via your phone or Chromebook, or allow one-time access to give or receive remote support.

Set reminders via Google Assistant or Google Keep

You can use voice commands on your Android phone to set reminders. Say “OK Google” or press the mic icon to activate Google Assistant, then say “Remind me to buy milk at the grocery store” or whatever it is you want to be reminded of. Once the “Add a reminder” screen appears, you can edit reminder details, such as when you want to be alerted. For instance, you may want your device to remind you of your grocery list when you enter a grocery store.

Alternatively, you can install the Google Keep extension app in Chrome or the Google Keep app on your Android. Simply open the app, click the Take a note field, type in your reminder, click the Remind me icon, then click on either Pick date & time to set when you want to be reminded, or Pick place to set where you want to be notified.

As long as you have syncing turned on for your Google account, you can use Google Calendar, Google Assistant, or Google Keep on one device to unleash reminders across all your devices. Syncing lets you make the most of your devices giving you the illusion that you’re using one machine. For any questions regarding Android/Chrome pairing, feel free to give us a call anytime!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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