Another Computer Upgrade

 

Of course, this image is just for reference. My computers have cables all over the place and are surrounded by printers, scanners, and other technical odds and ends. I view computers as a consumable product. The technology changes so rapidly that any given model of computer will be obsolete in as soon as you buy it. After having worked my way through dozens and dozens of computers over the past thirty or so years, I mostly watch for major upgrades and change computers about every three to five years. Of course, since I spend sometimes 12 to 14 hours a day on my computer, I have a higher priority on advances in speed and utility than most genealogists. 

I had my last computer, an Apple iMac for just over five years. It was starting to act up and rather than wait until it crashed and lost data, I decided to upgrade. I bought a new iMac. Over the years, I have also had a rule to buy the fastest and most advanced computer I could afford. Now, so you know that I am not that extravagant, we keep our cars until they fall apart, sometimes for more than 15 years. With the Pandemic, we have had to stay home and our spending has been curtailed so having a new computer became a priority. This is true because of the number of webinars, videos, and classes I have been producing and teaching. 

Genealogists are not known to be big spenders. I won't go so far as to say they are "tight-wads" but they do tend to be very conservative in their purchases. I am not advocating or even suggesting that genealogists buy a high-end computer. When I recommend a computer to someone, I suggest they buy a laptop beginning at about $350 to $500. Most of the laptops in that range are perfectly adequate for most genealogical work and the portability is a plus. 

The reason this is an issue is that recently, I have been helping people get on to Zoom for video conferencing. I am finding that their computers and their operating systems will not accommodate the video requirements of Zoom. They need an upgrade. I realize that many people are having an economically difficult time during the Pandemic and the people I am dealing with may be challenged in that way but just take my comments as suggestions.