Category: Technology

These days, our smartphones are mostly used for texting and hopping on social media. However, many studies have shown that spending too much time on social media can be bad for your mental and physical health. That doesn’t mean that all apps are bad for you, though, as there are plenty that are helpful, enriching, and even downright calming.

The app store on Android has a lot of options to choose from if you’re looking for something in any of these categories. Whether you’re looking to beat traffic or simulate life on a quiet little farm, here are the five best Android apps to get more out of life while getting away from Facebook and Twitter.

Waze

Waze is a free and handy navigation app that everyone with an android should download. It was developed by the Israel-based company Waze Mobile. Waze relies heavily on its user base, giving regular people the ability to provide real-time traffic updates and possible obstacles that other motorists can use to plan their route or reroute their journey if needed. The fun thing about the Waze app is the function that allows users to customize the voice of the GPS. There are tons of celebrity GPS voice options available on the app and you can even record your own voice. 

Signal 

The internet can be a dangerous place if you’re not careful. Internet safety and privacy are more important than ever these days. One of Signal’s goals is to keep your data secure and out of the wrong hands. Signal is a useful app for those trying to keep their personal messages, files, pictures, videos, and calls encrypted and private. The app was developed by the Signal Foundation, a nonprofit based in California and founded by Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton. It launched in 2018 and has been downloaded over 105 million times, with over 40 million regularly active users. 

My Fitness Pal

Myfitnesspal is a helpful tool for those wanting to keep track of their nutrition and exercise goals. The app offers free and premium services, with the premium of course allowing access to more features on the app. On the app you can enter your weight loss or weight gain goals, then the app will give you daily goals to stick to so you can achieve said goals. Some fun features, like being able to scan the barcode of a package and enter the servings you consumed, the detailed nutrition map, recipe ideas, and the ability to connect to other smartphone fitness devices and apps, make it an easy and quick way to track your meals, activity, and overall progress. 

Calm

Our highly stressful, chaotic, daily lives can give way to so much tension and pent-up emotions. To combat the stress, we need an outlet to release all of that tension. One way to help you do that is the Calm app. Calm is an app developed to aid in the sleep health, meditation, and relaxation areas of your life. The app provides calming audio-book sleep stories and ambient noise recordings to listen to while you drift off to sleep. Some are even read by celebrities and ASMR content creators. There are also guided meditation sessions you can use throughout the day to keep your head straight and remain relaxed the entire day. 

Stardew Valley

Did you know Stardew Valley was available as an app? If you didn’t know, now you know  Stardew Valley is a comforting and cute farming simulator that will provide you with a relaxing escape when you have a moment to relax with your phone or tablet. In the game, you take over your deceased grandfather’s run-down farm. You can interact with the townspeople, farm, fish, cool, raise your livestock, and even create a little virtual family of your very own. 

The iPhone is the most common smartphone in use around the world, and for good reason. The Apple smartphone has had amazing features since its inception, though it seems that there’s an endless list of tricks that aren’t commonly know. With the number of features being too long to list, there’s a lot that your iPhone can do that isn’t listed in the manual.

If you feel like tinkering around with your iPhone and seeing some of the cool features that you may not have known about, check out these five iPhone hacks.

1. Freeze your screen to prevent people from scrolling or swiping.

One incredibly useful trick you can do with your iPhone is you can actually freeze the touchscreen function while still displaying your screen. An especially helpful tool for parents of young and curious children who enjoy swiping the screen and pressing any and all buttons they get ahold of. 

Or when you’re showing off something in your phone to a nosey person who takes it upon themselves to start scrolling through your camera roll, or notifications. All you have to do is turn on Guided Access and when you’re done, press the home button three times in a row to shut off the feature. 

2. Use the Measure App as a household tool.

The Measure app comes pre-installed on any iPhones running iOS 12 and later. You can check if your iPhone needs any updates by going to settings, general, then software updates and updates if needed. 

The Measure app uses the camera to take pictures of objects and then measure their height, width, and even surface area with mostly accurate data taken by figuring out distances of surrounding objects. Another function offered by the app is one that can determine if a surface is level. 

3. Do a voiceover while recording your iPhone screen.

This iPhone hack is useful when recording an instructional, or how-to video. Go to the control center, and press the screen record button for longer than you normally would, and it’ll launch the recording function. Then select the video, or app you’d like to record your voiceover. 

Beneath that, press the microphone button to record your voice. When you’re ready, press start recording and it will record your screen and voice simultaneously. Press stop recording when you’re finished. 

4. Set a sleep timer so you can listen to music while you fall asleep.

We’ve all fallen asleep while using our phones, waking up abruptly later in the night to the startling sound of a particularly loud and energetic song. Or maybe you put on a relaxing video, or podcast to drown out other sounds while you drift off to sleep, but don’t want your phone to play them the entire night. Well, lucky for you there’s a way to put a stop to that annoyance. 

Open the clock app, click “Timer”, and select the time you want your iPhone to run your preferred music, podcast, or video. But before you press “Start”, click on “When Timer Ends”, scroll down through the lists of sounds until you get to “Stop Playing” and select that, then click “Set”, and then “Start”. 

5. Turn on your ‘Do Not Disturb’ during a movie and have it turn off automatically.

Nobody wants to be the person with their phone going off in the movie theater. You also don’t want to be the person who forgets to turn your notifications back on afterward, in case someone is trying to reach you when your movie, or another event, is finished. 

You can prevent that from happening by using this hack to ensure your Do Not Disturb feature turns itself off after you leave the location. Use the Focus feature in iOS 15, or later, by going to the Do Not Disturb option, under “turn on automatically” you can put in specific times and locations when/where you want the feature to turn on. 

Ever since it was first introduced in 1982, “Microsoft Flight Simulator” has been the top flight sim with several editions over the years. MFS picked up a lot of new fans when it was introduced onto the Xbox as part of the Game Pass subscription, opening a new generation of players to what it’s like to be a pilot.

While you can play “Microsoft Flight Simulator” with just a controller or a keyboard and mouse, there are certain accessories that hardcore enthusiasts love to use. Out of the countless peripherals made for the flight sim, these five stand out as the best to use when playing “Microsoft Flight Simulator”.

Thrustmaster TCA Yoke Pack – Boeing Edition

If you want the most accurate simulation of flying a jet, look no further than the Thrustmaster pack that features aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s name right on it. The first of its kind, this yoke is a full 1:1 scale and was made with experts in mind that want to take full control of the skies. There are plenty of key features that make the Boeing Edition even more special.

The ergonomics are complete replicas, simulating the feel of being in a Boeing Dreamliner down to the metal frame. The springs are adjustable and the levers are swappable, with a Boeing-designed autopilot mode. The Boeing Edition can be used on the Xbox One, Series X|S, or the PC, but comes at a hefty price. A new Boeing Edition out of the box costs $499.99, though much cheaper when used.

T Flight US Air Force Edition

One of the most important aspects of flying is making sure that you have good communication, which means having the right headset. The highest-rated headset is the Thrustmaster T Flight US Air Force Edition, which of course is officially licensed by the military branch. These comfortable headphones work on the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and can be bought for $119.99.

These headphones are designed to simulate real-life aviation ones and have faceplates that adorn the United States Air Force logo. Function, fashion, and comfort, are all things that you’ll be getting with the T Flight USAF Edition. 

Samsung CRG Curved Gaming Monitor

The right monitor is important to get an accurate flight simulation, and Samsung has a top of the line one that makes it feel like you’re staring out of a cockpit window. The CRG curved gaming monitor is Samsung’s best, featuring a curved design that really increases the immersion for simulation fans.

Since those that are playing flight sims tend to be staring at the screen for lengthy time periods, you’ll want a monitor like the CRG since it’s easy on the eyes. For something a bit cheaper, Samsung also makes the CHG, with both being fantastic options.

TPR: Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder

Getting total immersion in a flight simulator wouldn’t be complete without the right rudder mechanism, and Thrustmaster has a great (albeit expensive at $600) option that can be adjusted and is compatible with all flight simulator games.

Thrustmaster uses what they call the PENDUL_R technology to make the TPR a unique experience that hardcore flight sim fans love. The precision of the TPR is second to none, which is why so many find it to be worth the price. There is one caveat, though, and it’s that the TPR is only able to be used for the PC.

Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls

If you want something that doesn’t take up a lot of room and can fit onto your computer desk, the Honeycomb Alpha is a fantastic option at $279.99. The Alpha has pretty much everything that a flight sim fan could ask for, including an eight-way hat switch, two vertical two-way rocker switches, and a push-to-talk button.

Even the lighting can be adjusted on the Alpha, which really helps the immersion. Sim fans have praised the Alpha for being durable, and though it comes with a two-year warranty, you aren’t likely to even need it.

“Microsoft Flight Simulator” is the most extensive in-home flight simulator that the world has ever seen, and it’s been that way for decades. It’s not just hardcore simulation fans that are playing MFS, though. Each year, there are countless people that are playing for the first time, and it can be easy to give up quickly if you don’t know exactly what to do.

If you’re thinking about trying out “Microsoft Flight Simulator” for the first time, there are some tips to make the sim more enjoyable. If you follow these five key tips, you’ll find yourself wanting to rush home and fire up your console or PC to take to the skies while perhaps even investing in the peripherals for diehard fans.

1. Tutorials Are Key

For most video games, a lot of us like to simply spam the A button or left-click our mice repeatedly until we’ve skipped through the tutorial and gotten right into the action. While this might work for games like “Call of Duty” where the controls typically remain the same each year, the tutorials are much more important when it comes to simulating flying an aircraft.

For this reason, make sure that you’re paying close attention to everything that’s being taught. People that are serious about learning MFS should download the tutorial in PDF form and keep it handy, just like a real pilot would do in their cockpit. 

2. Start Small

Most beginners are going to want to hop right into a jumbo jet on an international flight path, but that should be reserved for more experienced players. To really get into good habits, start out by picking a smaller plane and choosing a short flight path. 

Not only will you get the gratification of starting and finishing a flight, but you’ll also be learning a lot more than just setting your plane to autopilot. Being fully engaged is important for picking up any new hobby, and the excitement will have you coming back for more.

3. Stick With One Plane At First

Another aspect of becoming fully engaged with a flight simulator is becoming accustomed to flying one type of plane. Once you learn the ins and outs of a particular aircraft, you’ll become an expert, and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as knowing pretty much all there is to know on a topic.

Start with the smaller single-engine planes and work your way up to the jumbo jets. Eventually, you’ll be an expert at just about every type of aircraft and you’ll be fully immersed in your flight sim experience.

4. Get Some Peripherals

One of the reasons why people tend to give up on a flight sim like MFS so quickly is that they don’t have the proper tools. The game wasn’t truly meant to be played with a mouse and keyboard or an Xbox controller. Instead, see if you can pick up some used peripherals like a yoke system or flight stick.

A lot of the peripherals are compatible with the Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S. “Microsoft Flight Simulator” is available for free on Game Pass, meaning that the money you saved by not buying the game could be put toward some accessories that make the game an experience.

5. Pick Familiar Sites

Among the best aspects of “Microsoft Flight Simulator” is that you can start and end a flight at just about any airport in the world that you’d like. If you’ve ever wanted to see what your house looks like from a cockpit, you can pick the nearest airport to your home. If you want to check out some landmarks instead, the world is your oyster.

From the Las Vegas Strip to the canals of Venice, there are some amazing takeoffs and landings that you can make in “Microsoft Flight Simulator”. Seeing these from the plane for the first time will make you want to see what else you can explore.

Released to much fanfare in March 2017, the Nintendo Switch became one of the best-selling consoles of all time thanks to its ability to serve as both a handheld gaming device and a standalone console that connects to televisions. Along with its trademark games, the Nintendo Switch does have its fair share of common issues, though. Here are the five most common Nintendo Switch problems that you’re likely to run in to as an owner.

5. Internet Connectivity

One of the most frustrating things, especially if you’re trying to play online, is facing network issues with your Switch. While you can still play your downloaded games without an internet connection, you may not be able to have the most up-to-date version or play online unless your wi-fi is working properly.

Obviously, the first thing that people check is their own internet connection, and if that’s working, then it’s typically the Nintendo services, the router is out of range, or the security settings keeping your Switch offline. After seeing if a modem/router restart helps, you can try to encrypt your home network and check the compatibility of your equipment with the Switch.

4. Dock Scratches Screen

Though it’s not a problem for everyone, the setup of the Nintendo Switch docking station can cause scratches to the console’s screen if not inserted properly. People can accidentally place the Switch into the dock backward, young children can try relentlessly to jam it into the dock, or any other reason and scratches can happen.

To combat this, it’s wise to get a screen protector for your Nintendo Switch. Think of your Switch the same way you would think about your smartphone. Both screens can be fragile, so using a layer of protection will help tremendously. Screen protectors aren’t that costly, either, making it a simple solution.

3. Screen Freezes/Crashes

Perhaps more frustrating than either of the previous common issues, having your Switch freeze or crash repeatedly is always panic-inducing. Many think that it means their Switch’s hardware is about to die, rendering their console obsolete. There are many reasons why this could be happening, including the software being corrupted if it only happens during one particular game.

The system could also be out of date if this problem becomes common, so clear the console’s system cache and download the latest update. Also try to force the shutdown of the console, charge it, and make sure that the wi-fi is properly connected. In rarer cases, the hardware could be completely dead, though it may be covered by warranty.

2. Dead Pixels

While it doesn’t really affect the gameplay or hardware in general, having a dead pixel or two on your screen can be very annoying. When you see one pixel that’s completely white or black, that means this pixel is never coming back on your Switch screen. The worst part, though? Nintendo says that it’s a non-issue and can do nothing for you.

“Small numbers of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens,” Nintendo says on their official website. “These are normal and should not be considered a defect. With that in mind, don’t even bother trying to contact Nintendo support regarding the issue. You either have to play with the dead pixels or completely replace the console if it’s a major nuisance.

1. Joycon Drift

Of course, when mentioning issues with the Nintendo Switch, you have to talk about the Joycon drifting issue that almost everyone has experienced. This occurs when your Joycon’s sticks continue to function even when you’re not touching them. It’s painful when playing a platformer like Super Mario Odyssey that requires precise platforming control.

There are several temporary fixes that you can perform at home, but most require actually taking apart the controller, which voids the warranty and leaves you with a dead Joycon if unsuccessful. Instead, it’s best to contact Nintendo and get a replacement for free. Unfortunately, the timeframe for receiving your replacement can be anywhere from a few days to over a month.

While there are plenty of prebuilt PC options, nothing quite beats building one yourself. You get to pick all of the parts you want like a kid in a candy store, and then get the satisfaction of assembling it together just how you like it. While it can be time-consuming and a bit costly, most hardcore PC users prefer to build their own.

If you’re building a PC for the first time, there are some things that you need to know first. Here are five of those things to take into consideration before you spend a single penny.

1. The Costs

There are going to be some people who will buy parts one at a time when they can afford them and assemble the entire PC eventually, while others will set aside money a little bit at a time until they can get everything at once. 

Whichever method you’re choosing, make sure you’re fully prepared for all of the costs that come with building a PC first and foremost. The most important thing, though, is to track the prices as they change. PC parts are volatile in terms of price, so try and snag them when the prices are lower.

2. Compatibility

While a lot of PC parts are compatible no matter which brand or company is making them, there are going to be some cases in which a PC part won’t work with the rest of what you have. For those that have never assembled a PC before, this is the most common mistake that gets made. 

They will tend to buy parts because the price of a part fits into their budget, but it ends up being a waste of money. Though these parts can be sold to others that may need them, you’ll still end up in the red for buying them in the first place.

3. RAM Needs

RAM, or random access memory as you already know, is going to determine how much you can do on your PC at once. Most people that are building a PC are looking to play the latest games, so the more RAM you have, the better. Standard laptops will have about 4GB on the lower end and 8GB as the standard.

It’s when you get into 16GB of RAM that you start getting into gaming capabilities. 16GB will be fine, but 32GB is the optimal memory for gamers to aim for. If you have a really big budget, then you can shoot for 64GB or even more, though this is more reserved for professionals and can cost thousands of dollars.

4. Availability

We’ve mentioned that the market for PC parts can be very volatile, which affects both price and availability. If you’re missing that one key component to finalize your PC, you may be waiting for a long time. There have been several instances of parts in high demand but with very little supply.

PC parts are tied very closely to the overall economy. When the market is good, the supply is going to be much higher but can become scarce fast. PC builders will never forget the GPU shortage of 2021 that had people waiting for months on graphics cards until they could finish their dream PC.

5. Monitors and Space

Let’s say that you’ve picked out all of your PC parts and have the money, you’re just ready to hit submit to purchase them all. The only problem is that you don’t know exactly where you’re going to put the PC. Many don’t realize the first time when they’re building a PC just how large the tower is going to be.

Not only that, but you have to think about the monitor situation. Those that are willing to build a high-powered PC would want at least two monitors, requiring a lot of desk space. With that in mind, get your desk situation sorted out before you start buying and building your PC.

Whether you’re trying to recover important spreadsheets at work or finding out how to fix your wifi router at home, everyone needs tech support at one time or another. In fact, most people will need tech support on a daily basis. The most tempting thing to do is to call a professional to seek help, naturally.

However, getting professional tech support can be extremely time-consuming with long queues on the phone. In some cases, tech support can also be expensive if someone has to come to your home or office. The best thing that you can do is to become your own tech support. You’ll be able to troubleshoot your problems right away, saving you time and money. Here’s how you can do that:

5. YouTube Instructions

While the internet does, admittedly, have its problems, there’s a lot of good that the world wide web has done for everyone. One of these things is access to free instructional videos via YouTube. Each day, countless videos are uploaded instructing people how to do almost everything under the sun. 

This includes technical support, all the way down to the specific equipment that you’re using. The videos may not be the highest quality, but you’ll learn a lot by going down a tech support rabbit hole.

4. Get Active in Forums

Technical support is a true passion for a lot of people, and thus, there are a lot of online forums dedicated to the field. One of the more popular ones is Reddit, while Tech Support Guy Forums, Tech Support Forum, and Tom’s Guide also lead the way. 

You’ll be able to talk with some of the brightest minds in tech support who aren’t looking for a payday to help you, they have a genuine passion for IT and want to help others become masters.

3. Online Courses

While you can take courses for just about anything online these days, one of the first major fields where online classes became popular was tech support. You don’t have to go to a full-fledged four-year university to take tech support courses, as many of the ones offered online are free to the public.

One of the more common types of free courses you’ll find online is coding. Not only can learning coding help land you a job, but it also allows you to run your own website while not needing to enlist the help of professional tech support. From HTML to JavaScript and everything in between, more people are becoming versed in coding each day.

2. Crack the Books

Sometimes the most simple thing you can do is one of the best. There are plenty of online courses you can take to learn tech support, but maybe not being able to get online is the current issue you’re facing. If that’s the case, head down to your local library or bookstore. There are countless books regarding tech support, ranging from beginner level all the way to expert/master’s degree-level difficulties.

You don’t want to just grab the most popular or best-selling tech support book, though. Many of them can become dated rather quickly, so always check to see if the latest edition is available. Books that are specifically targeted toward IT professionals will be your best bet for learning.

1. Tinker When You Can

You can read and get instruction all you want, but you have to put what you’ve learned into practice before it becomes second nature. Like shooting free throws on the basketball court, always be practicing to see where you can improve. This can mean trying to build something from scratch like a website or running virus scans on someone’s computer. Practice makes perfect, and the more that you practice, the better your chances are of becoming your own tech support.

“Big Tech” are the Tech Giants, also known as the Big Five. They are Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (formerly Facebook), and Microsoft. These are the dominant companies in search, online advertising, e-commerce, social media, computer software, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, and more. The companies are all “unicorns,” having market capitalizations of over $1 trillion up to $3 trillion.

Jaron Lanier, an early advocate and inventor of virtual reality, says, “If an online service is free, you can bet it is feeding a scheme that makes money by subconsciously manipulating people.” They achieve this manipulation by collecting and mining data with the help of artificial intelligence and then make money selling the results to the highest bidder. 

Here are five ways that Big Tech uses data to transform their business.

1. Algorithms

Big Tech created complex algorithms called “algos,” for short. An algo is a program that optimizes for a specific function, such as relevance or engagement. Using algos made these companies billions in profits.

Goggle’s algos are so powerful that they can predict a user’s behavior before the user thinks about the idea. Not only does Google know you better than your mother does, the algos know you better than you know yourself.

Meta has some algos that optimize for engagement. They learned that social media posts, which provoke outrage, attract more attention. This phenomenon is why negative information, even if untrue, spreads so quickly. Using this method is how the company keeps users engaged.

2. Big Data Mining

People using web content create a dataset of user information everywhere they go online. There is also mobile-phone tracking data showing where a person went, even if their phone is off. These two datasets can be combined and mined for insights.

Did you know that there are thousands of dataset repositories on the web? Scientists, researchers, students, or anyone interested in data mining can search for datasets using the Google tool.

Big Data mining looks for trends and gives insight into patterns that are not obvious and may be counter-intuitive. All Big Tech companies have massive data mining programs in progress and use many datasets to train AI.

3. Artificial Intelligence

Alphabet, through Google AI, is making such rapid advancements with artificial intelligence that it recently sparked a controversy about whether AI is sentient or not. One software engineer claimed that the AI was demonstrating self-awareness. Google promptly fired him for publicly making these claims and leaking confidential information.

Perhaps we can forgive him if he became confused between AI and human responses. The AI running behind the scenes for the Google Assistant, which you activate by saying, “Hey Google,” feels very humanlike at times. The huge amount of data collected by Google allows it to train the AI to simulate human responses, which are uncannily similar to what a real human person sounds like.

4. In-App Purchases

If you download an app from the Apple App store that contains in-app purchases, you may use the app for free. However, some users will make an in-app purchase. This purchase may be a digital collectible, premium feature, or game enhancement.

This strategy turns a free app into a revenue generator. Did you know that Apple takes a 15% to 30% cut of the sales? Elon Musk says that is ten times too high. Providing the App Store to let people download apps makes billions for Apple. More importantly, the data collected from app use is extremely valuable and allows Apple to track individuals across multiple devices. 

5. Privacy Moats

Apple thwarted Meta by cutting off access to iPhone user data by using the trend toward privacy concerns as an excuse. In May 2021, Apple added the App Tracking Transparency feature to the iPhone, allowing users to opt-out of advertising tracking.

Before this change, advertisers could track iPhone users across applications. Now, users can turn off this ability. They did this in droves.

Meta complained that the new policy cost them $10 billion in annual revenues. Moreover, the user data is still available to Apple, just not to others. Apple is expanding its mobile advertising efforts, which may partially explain this policy change.

Under the guise of protecting users’ privacy, Apple created a privacy moat. Apple retains its exclusive access to iPhone user data, giving Apple a significant competitive advantage.

The popularity of shows, like Stranger Things, has brought all the retro goodness of the 80s back into conversation. Music, Dungeons and Dragons, and even the nostalgia for movie rental stores has gained popularity. All of the retro conversations have Generation X basking in the nostalgia and younger generations enjoying the novelty.

Nothing was more 80s than the personal computer. The 1980s were the first time that the average person could buy a computer for home use. Families across the US and the entire world flocked to stores to jump into the future with a home computing system. And we have fond memories of our very first computers. We talk about the types of word processing available and the computer games we all played. Even pong, a pretty basic game by today’s digital standards, is something we remember well.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, pinpoint the five best computers of the 80s, and find out why people loved them so much.

5 Best 80s Computers

In the 80s, computers were the newest craze. The idea of being able to log on to your own computer, in your home, was basically the newest fad. But it’s one that stuck around and evolved over time. 

Parents thought it was the wave of the future for their kids (and they were right). And kids wanted to play the latest games without going to an arcade. 

Here are the five best 80s computers and why they made our list:

IBM PC 

We can’t compile a list of 80s computers without the IBM PC. This was the granddaddy of them all. Also called the IBM Personal Computer Model 5150, this model was released in 1981. It was the model that began the whole personal computer revolution. Think of it as the Cadillac of computers. It had all the bells and whistles, the best technology of the time, and, of course, a very high price tag. Saying you had this computer gave people the impression that 1. you knew computers, and 2. you could afford quality.

Apple IIe

Who doesn’t know Apple? That fun logo wasn’t just on Macs back in the day. It all started with the Apple series and the Apple IIe was the most popular model. It was also the longest-running and last model with the Apple name before the company switched to Macintosh. The Apple IIe was affordable but still well built. There was no shame in telling your friends you just got a “two e”.

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 was one of the best-selling computers of all time. It was faster, had better storage capabilities, and was more affordable than many models. The popularity alone made this a good model to have. Most people were familiar with the Commodore.

Compaq

What was so great about the Compaq? It was billed as completely IBM-PC compatible, but at a fraction of the price. And that sales point made it a super popular model. After all, who doesn’t want the bells and whistles of the best-ranked computer, at a much lower cost?

Macintosh 

Of course, Macintosh had to make the list. After all, Macs are still one of the most popular computers on the market today. Yes, Apple gets two mentions, but we’re talking about computers, so that fits. 

The 80s was the beginning of the personal computer craze. It was the foundation for how we work and play and these five models started it all.