Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Is it worth the expense to max out the RAM in my new PC?

Posted on February 5, 2018

Question from Chris: I recently bought an Acer Aspire TC-780-ACKI5 desktop computer (#ad) and I have a question about it.

This machine came with 12GB of RAM but my friend says I should max it out to 32GB so PhotoShop and Lightroom will run faster.

I checked around and I can get four 8GB memory sticks for less than $200, which is about what I can afford to spend.

Do you think the extra memory will speed up this computer enough to justify spending that amount of cash? My friend says it will, but I’d like your opinion on this before I order the RAM. Thanks.

Rick’s answer: That Acer is a great computer, Chris. I believe it will serve you well for running the programs you mentioned above. However, the answer to your question is no, for two reasons: [Read more…]

Kindle Domination: 25 Strategies To Sell More Books On Amazon

Posted on February 4, 2018

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you have probably read this post that explains just how easy it is to create and sell ebooks on Amazon. But once your ebook is for sale in the Kindle Store, how do you promote it in order to make lots of sales?

Kindle Domination: 25 Strategies To Sell More Books On Amazon offers plenty of solid advice for increasing your ebook sales and income.

Author Alan Woods explains his proven strategies and methods in powerful, yet easy to understand language and without the use of confusing and unfamiliar jargon. [Read more…]

Q&A: When will Microsoft be releasing Windows 11?

Posted on February 3, 2018

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Ingrid P.: Do you know when Microsoft is planning to release Windows 11?

If memory serves they have always released a new version of Windows every 3 years or so and it’s already been longer than that since Windows 10 was released.

I really need to buy a new laptop but I’d rather wait to get one with Windows 11 if it’s going to be available pretty soon.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Heads-Up: Your PC will have to have Windows 10 if you want to run Microsoft Office 2019

Posted on February 2, 2018

According to a new blog post from Microsoft the upcoming release of MS Office 2019 won’t be available for computers running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

In a nutshell, if you want to use Office 2019 and your computer isn’t running Windows 10 you’ll either have to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 or buy a new computer that already has it pre-installed.

You can read the details for yourself at the link in the first paragraph, but here’s the relevant info: [Read more…]

This is the absolute easiest way to add a second monitor to your computer!

Posted on February 1, 2018

It’s no secret that using multiple monitors with your computer greatly enhances the user experience and boosts productivity.

For example, you can use your primary display for your essential tasks while your email and other tangential apps are running on one or more side monitors where they are out of the way, yet always in view and ready to use when you need them.

The biggest drawbacks to installing additional monitors have always been the need to have multiple video ports on your PC and the complexity involved with setting everything up in Windows or OS X. But thanks to the wonderful world of USB, that is no longer the case. [Read more…]