RIP Windows 7 – time for a new computer?

By now you must have heard that come January 14, 2020, Windows 7 reaches “end of life.” What does that mean? Essentially, it means no more updates or support from Microsoft after that date. Your operating system becomes “orphaned.” It will continue to work on your computer, but without support, it could expose you to serious security risks. It’s not worth it. Windows 7 has been faithful for more than a decade. That’s an amazing accomplishment in the Operating System Universe. Now it’s time to move on.
 
Many people have the misconception that it’s easy to upgrade an existing computer to Windows 10. Even when Microsoft was offering a free Windows 10 upgrade (which has long since been discontinued), there was a strong probably that a machine not built for Windows 10 would malfunction after the upgrade. Even in cases where a computer works okay after a Windows 10 upgrade, purchasing the license and the work to perform the upgrade costs hundreds of dollars that would be better spent on a new computer, designed from the ground up for the latest version of Windows 10. 
 
Click here to read more about the Windows 7 “End of Life.”

If you’re ready to take the leap for parting with Windows 7 and purchasing a new machine, Asheville Digital Lifestyle is ready to help. Make an appointment to assess your needs and we’ll find the right system for you.

Change is in the air for Macs as well, with MacOS Catalina about to be released in October. Catalina supports Macs sold in 2012 and newer.  We’d recommend that you wait a month or two for any glitches to be ironed out before diving into Catalina. It’s also important if you use any programs not made by Apple, to check whether they are fully compatible with Catalina before making the leap to the new operating system. 

Time to Whoop it Up?

Photo by Whoop

We are testing a new fitness platform called Whoop! Many people are familiar with Fitbit, which has popularized the idea of fitness tracking, and the idea of getting to 10,000 steps daily. It turns out that while most people can get behind the idea of staying active, the 10,000 step idea was actually created by a Japanese marketing company!

Whoop takes a different approach, eschewing steps and focusing on Strain vs Recovery, giving advice on whether you should “push it” and work out harder, or take it easy to let your body recover.  Jensen is testing the technology as an aid to building fitness and improving his soccer game as his team, Watershed Ale House, hits the next level of competition, after getting 1st place in their division and being promoted to the 3rd division in ABASA’s Open League.

Watch for future updates about Jensen's experience with Whoop.