12 JULY2020|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE
IWASPLANNINGtorant this month about certain companies
using coronavirus as ameans to offer even worse customer service
than usual, hiding behind the pandemic as an excuse.
But in the scheme of things, Irealised there is much more to
worry about than aparcel or two going missing (I’m looking at
you, Hermes), and decided to instead focusonapositive from
this virus outbreak: reconnecting.
Many of us are now turning to video-chat services such as Zoom,
Google Hangouts, House Party and FaceTime to keep up with friends
and family.However,I’m already suffering from Zoom fatigue and
have cut back on the amount of regular video meetups Idoeach
ek.Suddenly,peopleIsawonlyonceeveryfew
onthsarekeentodoweeklycalls,orenticemeinto
gulargamesofvirtualmusicbingoorfamilyquizzes.
Afterafewweeksofnightlythree-hour-plus
ideo chats, Ihavecleared my diary.Instead, I’m
oying the more passive sport of watching web
sand reading online posts from organisations and
sI’d lost touchwith.
In anormalweek of rushing from work to evening engagements,
and dropping the kids to various after-school activities in between,
Iwouldn’t have time to sit and watch donkeys frolicking in
Devonshire fields, or try to pick myself out of awhole school
photoposted online.
But the travel time I’ve recouped during the lockdown has freed
up an extra hour or so each day, when Ican catch up on the Donkey
Sanctuary’s latest videos, or check my secondary school’s Facebook
group and reminisce with long-lost friends.
Better still, this can all be done webcam-free via aquick written
post rather than ascheduled hours-long video chat.
Covideocalls areallwellandgood, butthe lockdownalso givesusachance to
reconnectdigitally witholdfriendswe’velosttouch with–and look at donkeys
RANTS&RAVESS & S
ALLGOODTHINGScome to an end, which is why this is my final
issue as your News Editor; the mothership signalled and it’s time for
me to go home.But before that, Ihavealittle time to reflect on my
two-and-a-bit years at this magazine.Soindulge me if you will.
Despitebeing calledComputerShopper,regular readers will know
these pages are filledwith more than just desktops, laptops and
various PC parts. Everything from smartphones to looking at how
very stupid people are scared of 5G is covered here.
That’s because everything is now acomputer,from the cliché of
asmartphone being aPCinyour pocket, to smart speakers touting
advanced chips and games consoles doing impressions of PCs.
However, since starting out as atechnology journalist six years
ago,one thing that hasn’t changed is the constant bleating that the
PC is dead. Yetmytime atShopperhas shown me it’s anything but.
Yes, traditional do-everything desktop PCs might not sell like
hotcakes, but there’s still amassive appetitefor gaming machines
and all manner of laptops. Apple’s marketing forits iPad Pro might
try to present it as acomputerreplacement, but with Cupertino’s
MagicKeyboard accessory bringing atrackpad and
proper keys to the tablet, the iPad is more like a
MacBook and thus acomputer than ever before.
Recent tech showcases have shown that while
smartphones are evolving slowly,PCs have alot more
innovation going forthem. We’veseen laptops with
secondary screens, Microsoft’s Surface Neo showing off
poper next-generation dual-screen computer,and
extremely thin yet powerful laptops.
Where once there were bulkyPCs in dull cases, we now have
RGB-laden machines in all manner of form factors, ranging from
monolithic behemoths with clever water cooling to palm-sized PCs
and things in between like Intel’s Ghost Canyon NUC machines.
Hybrid laptops such as the Surface Pro actually work well and
gaming laptops have become true mobile pixel-pushing machines.
Intel is still popping out desktop processors despitethe PC’s
supposed death, and AMD’s comeback with its Ryzen chips has
been captivating to behold. Meanwhile,Nvidiahas brought in
dedicated ray-tracing hardware.
And that’s before we talk about improved storage chips to slice
dull loading times, and ridiculously high refresh-ratedisplays.
In short, the traditional beige computer is in the bone orchard. But
the computers of todayand tomorrow are still full of innovation.
So while IhandmyShopperbadge and gun back to Commander
Bennett –inaresponsible,socially distanced fashion –Iencourage
you to keep reading on, as the PC is farfrom dead.
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