Destroying the Hard Drive in an Unwanted Laptop
Once you have backed up your old laptop , you may decide to destroy its hard drive . Reformatting may not remove all private information if someone is determined to access it . Using a magnet may have worked years ago but isn ’ t enough for today ’ s laptops , not even your old one . Physically destroying the hard drive with a sledge hammer requires safety equipment and know-how to be effective , and advice for this on the internet isn ’ t always accurate . Better to use a company that professionally destroys hard drives than try it on your own .
Buying a New Laptop
Laptops range from $ 300 to $ 3,000 . The cheaper ones usually have limited features , are slower , and often have a shorter lifespan . The expensive ones have sophisticated features that you may not use or need .
When making your selection , find a laptop that does all the things you normally do , with maybe a few shortcut features that make your work easier . If you are hoping to use your laptop for design work , research what you might need and speak to the salesperson about the capabilities of each machine . Make sure the machine you ’ re considering has sufficient memory to handle your applications and to store your photos , movies , spreadsheets , documents , and other items . Automatic updates from the manufacturer are also important .
Preparing Your New Laptop
Before you start using a new laptop , consider these steps : 1 . Acquire and install software and apps that you prefer . This might include a word processing tool and accounting software .
2 . Check the security features already on your new machine ( e . g ., fingerprint reader , facial recognition ) and supplement as necessary . ( See our article on VPNs in the summer 2022 issue of news & views .)
3 . Upload the files that you want to access from your old laptop .
4 . Customize your settings ( e . g ., font size , brightness , screensaver ) to make this machine truly yours .
Inge Coates ’ s interest in computer technologies prompted her to complete a Master of Arts in Communication and Technology at the University of Alberta in 2005 . She has been fascinated by the impacts of these technologies ever since . Inge was on ARTA ’ s Communication Committee for several terms . news & views WINTER 2023 | 39