Exam results are in! I hope everyone got the results they wanted and you are all now looking forward to starting the next chapter in your life. For some that might mean heading off to college or university and as we head towards September you are no doubt going through a list of things you need to get before you start your course. Times are hard for many of us right now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier for some time, so this month I thought I’d put together some top tips when looking for gadgets and tech you need to take to uni.

If you are after some new tech to help you with your studies then take a look at this list of some of the best gadgets out now:

Laptop or computer: The pandemic accelerated the move to online learning and even though we have seen a return to in-person teaching a lot of learning may still be delivered online. This means you will probably need a laptop or computer with a webcam and microphone. There's no need to go crazy on a high spec machine if all you’ll be doing is taking notes or writing essays so shop around for a good budget option. Refurbished machines and second-hand deals are also a great option - just make sure you go to a trusted reseller and do your research before handing over any money.

External Mouse: If you go for a laptop the trackpads on them are not great for your wrists so I highly recommend investing in a separate wireless mouse.

Smartphone: I’m sure you already have one and there’s no need to upgrade just for university but I do recommend checking your tariff to make sure it will cover your needs while you are away at university.

Rocketbook: The Rocketbook is a budget friendly gadget that makes notetaking a breeze - simply write your notes with the special pen then upload your notes via the Rocketbook app to have your notes magically digitised ready to upload to your platform of choice (Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive etc).
 
External Hard Drive: Ok, so hardly an exciting gadget but I would say one of the most important. Imagine spending hours on your assignment only to lose it and have no back up.
 
Noise Cancelling Headphones: Trying to get work done in noisy student accommodation is not easy so to help you might want to invest in a pair of noise cancelling headphones. Prices vary so do shop around and try them out before you take the plunge.
 
E-Reader: Traditional textbooks are heavy so e-readers make a lot of sense. Don’t be tempted to get the latest all singing all dancing models though, the basic e-reader will help stop you getting distracted by other things because you can only use it for reading. Added bonus is that ebooks are often cheaper to buy than traditional books  too.
 
USB Drive: Like a small hard drive, USB sticks are great for transferring small amounts of data from one device to another and they are relatively cheap to buy. A handy device to have if you want to share lecture notes etc.

Student Deals
Student life can be tricky financially so take advantage of all the discounts available to you:

• Sign up for deals at UCAS
  If you are going to uni you are no doubt already very familiar with UCAS but just in case you missed it they have a handy sign up to get you great deals on all sorts of things you might want for university. Simply input your details, check the boxes for the things you are interested in and wait for the deals to arrive in your inbox!

• Search for student offers
  Sites such as Student Beans, My Uni Days, Save the Student give you access to discounts just for students on lots of brands.

Funding and Support

• Your college or university will have funding available for students who need it. If you find yourself unable to afford IT equipment you should ask your university about financial support.
• The UCAS website has a wealth of information about financial support you can claim while at university.
• Check the Government website to see if you are eligible for any other financial support to help you with your studies.
• Turn2Us has some great advice and links for help with financial aid and grants.

Shop around for the best deals and don’t panic buy! Check out Which for recommendations and tech to avoid.

If you need any help with your tech needs before you head off to college or university then contact me here.

Mac is a PC!
You read that right a Mac is literally a PC, in the strictest definition a Mac is a personal computer and therefore a PC. Of course, that’s not how it’s been marketed and now we are led to believe there are two choices- Mac or PC. But for all intents and purposes they are both personal computers, one using a Windows based operating system and the other using the Mac operating system. Mac and PC are so similar that these days you can easily install Windows on a Mac alongside the Mac OS.
 
Mac or PC- It’s Personal Preference
The real question when you’re choosing between the two would be what would you prefer and what can you afford? The differences between Mac and PC’s come down to design, functionality and cost. All PC’s used to look the same - boring, grey boxes but Mac changed all that when they started producing innovative, funky computers - who remembers the first iMac?! There are lots of choices for PC’s these days and there’s bound to be something that ticks all the boxes from one of the many manufacturer.

• Cost - It’s a common misconception that Macs are more expensive than PC’s, but this is not necessarily the case, and it all comes down to the spec of the machine you are buying (alongside any extras such as fancy monitors etc). Indeed, a high spec PC can cost just as much as a high spec Mac. The problem is it’s almost impossible to compare the two as you are unlikely to find a like for like PC/Mac.

 

• Choice - Apple has much less variety to choose from when it comes to buying a new computer- this is just their marketing strategy, but it does mean you are limited to what you can buy. PCs on the other hand have plenty to offer- with lots of different manufacturers each offering all manner of configurations.

 

• Brand Power - Probably the biggest factor when choosing a Mac or Pc is brand loyalty. Meet a lifelong Apple user and they’ll no doubt tell you Macs are easier to use, secure and look great. PC users will tell you PCs are better value for money, more choice and software availability.

 

• Compatibility with Other Devices - Apple products are designed to work together and the same goes for Windows products. This doesn’t mean they can’t be mixed but if you’re not tech savvy you might find it a bit of a pain to get the different devices to communicate with each other. You can always call on your tech guru for help setting up devices.

 

• Security - Because there are more Windows PC users than there are Mac users, there are more viruses and malware attacks on PC’s than there are Macs. This isn’t to say that Mac’s aren't targeted– if you have a Mac, you should install and activate Antivirus software, but there is definitely a reduced chance of a Mac being successfully attacked by malware.  

 
Conclusion
It really does come down to personal choice and budget. Mac’s are user friendly and look great and Apple has great customer service as seen in a report published back in 2020.
PCs are customisable, easily upgraded and there are absolutely loads of machines to choose from.
 
If you need more help choosing the right computer for your budget and needs, then get in touch and we can chat about the many options you can look at.

• Clear your Desktop- If you often save random files and downloads to your desktop so you can see them but then forget to move them, delete them or back them up. Then now is a good time to get on top of it. Delete unwanted files and downloads then make some new folders and archive the rest of the files into the appropriate ones. Be sure to then move those folders off your desktop to a suitable location.
  
• Delete Emails- If you currently have 100’s (dare we say 1000’s) of emails sitting in your Inbox then now is definitely a good time to get rid of some or at least organise them into relevant folders. Check out this handy guide to attain the elusive Inbox Zero! Once you’ve got a bit of a handle on things try to stay on top of your inbox by addressing them as they come in and either responding or deleting as appropriate.
• Delete/Uninstall Unused Apps- Remove any apps you downloaded that you no longer use or need but take care when removing software that you don’t recognise as it may be important for the running of your operating system. When in doubt ask a professional for advice first!
• Check for Viruses- Make sure you have up to date antivirus software installed and switched on! And check regularly for viruses. Try to run a weekly or bi-weekly virus scan as part of your maintenance routine.
  
• Clean Your Hardware- Dusty air vents can cause real damage to your components so keep them dust free. Take care when dealing with laptop air vents and consider asking a professional for help and advice if you are at all unsure. Wipe over monitors or laptop screens with a lint free cloth and lens cleaning solution.
• Backup your Data- Undoubtedly one of the most important tasks to do regularly. It’s worth remembering that while your hardware is relatively easy to replace, your valuable data is not. For most of us storing essential data to the cloud would be more than sufficient but if you run a small business we’d highly recommend storing your data to an external hard drive as well as the cloud.

 
If you follow these simple tips, you’ll soon have your computer running as efficiently as possible and it will hopefully continue to run smoothly.
 
As always, if you have any concerns about your tech or need some professional advice please get in touch.