What’s Wrong With Your Computer?

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Wirecutter Show
Episode: What’s Wrong With Your Computer?
Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Christine Cyr Clisset, Kyra Blackwell, Rosie Guerin
Guest: Kimber Streams, Senior Staff Writer at Wirecutter

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Overview

This episode of The Wirecutter Show centers on demystifying laptop troubleshooting and maintenance. With special guest Kimber Streams—a laptop expert and Wirecutter’s senior staff writer—the hosts dive into practical, actionable steps anyone can take to make their old computer feel new again, and how to know when it’s time to finally upgrade. The discussion spans common computer problems, myths about tech witchcraft, affordable laptop recommendations, and essential routines to keep your digital life in shape. The tone is approachable, humorous, encouraging, and practical throughout.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Expert Introduction and Origin Story

• Kimber Streams tests hundreds of laptops yearly and is “the laptop wizard” at Wirecutter. Their practical knowledge is rooted in lived experience, starting out as the go-to tech friend and later a broke college student forced to self-learn after buying a “complete garbage” laptop.
  • Quote: “If you’re looking for my villain origin story, it was… a radioactive laptop bit me.” (06:09, Kimber Streams)

2. How Wirecutter Tests Laptops

• Laptops are tested through real-world usage: browsing, work, streaming, and a Chrome extension battery test simulating daily tasks (07:26).
• Devices mostly go back to manufacturers, but some are kept for long-term use, or responsibly recycled (08:02).

3. Laptop Lifespan Expectations

• General Rule: A good laptop should last at least five years if you treat it well; cheaper laptops (under $500) usually don’t last as long and quickly feel sluggish.
  • Quote: “A great laptop is going to last at least five years or longer—if you’re lucky and don’t spill liquids on your keyboard.” (09:24, Kimber Streams)

4. Rethinking Computer Maintenance

• Analogy: Don’t treat your computer like a car only a mechanic can fix; think of it like your living space—regular cleaning is achievable and makes a huge difference.
  • Quote: “Cleaning up your files and tidying up unused apps isn’t like electrical or plumbing work… It’s more like vacuuming or picking up dirty socks.” (10:41, Kimber Streams)

5. Step-by-Step: Making Your Computer Feel New Again

The Big Three Steps (13:31)

1. Clean up files/free storage:

   • Full storage slows your computer and creates clutter.
   • On Windows: Settings > System > Storage; delete temp files and check the Downloads folder.
   • On Mac: System Settings > General > Storage (look for large unused files/apps).
   • Remember to empty the trash/recycle bin!
   • Quote: “That’s what happens when you throw things out. They’re gone.” (15:35, Kimber Streams)
   • Backups: Use cloud or external backups for important files.

2. Delete unused apps and browser extensions:

   • Extra software takes up space and runs in the background, slowing your system.
   • Cheap Windows laptops often come with “bloatware” (17:02) like junk games or trialware; Mac has less, mostly first-party stuff like GarageBand.

3. Keep your software updated:

   • System and app updates improve performance and keep your computer secure.
   • Quote: “If you take anything away from this entire podcast, please update your software. Please update your operating system, update your computer.” (00:40 and 20:48, Kimber Streams)
   • Updates can be annoying but are crucial for safety and smooth operation.

Other Tips:

• Periodically—ideally every 3 months—set aside time to tidy up. “If I were a perfect person, I would say probably every three months…with a cup of coffee.” (12:01, Kimber Streams)
• Limit apps launching at startup to speed up boot times (19:09).

6. Addressing Common Listener Apprehensions

• Fear of messing things up: Tasks are not “as scary as you think”—most issues can be fixed in 15-30 minutes. (12:41)
• Lost files: If deleted, recover only if they’re backed up elsewhere. Otherwise, “embrace the transience of life.” (16:01, Rosie Guerin)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On conspiracy theories:
  “Every single time my laptop like twitches, I’m like, Steve Jobs has something to do with this.” (02:52, Kyra Blackwell)

• On “bloatware”:

  • “It’s what I wear during a certain time of the month.” (17:03, Christine Cyr Clisset—unexpected moment of levity)
  • “Windows laptops also come with a lot of bloatware that you didn’t ask for.” (16:59, Kimber Streams)

• On saving deleted files:
  "But that's the scariest part. Like, haven't you guys ever thrown away something and then you put it out in a dumpster and you realize that you actually needed something in there?" (15:20, Kyra Blackwell)

• On laptop repair confidence:
  "You could totally do it. Fixing your computer is not as scary as you think it is." (12:41, Kimber Streams)

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Detailed Troubleshooting: Common Laptop Problems

(Speed round starts at 31:33)

• Laptop is hot/loud:
  Dust the fans with compressed air, check for blockages, and don’t use the laptop on blankets/pillows. (31:39)
• Battery drains quickly:
  Lower screen brightness, close background apps, and enable low power/energy modes. (32:19)
• Laptop won’t power on:
  Plug in and charge for an hour or two, then hold power for 10 seconds for a hard reboot. (32:47)
• Keyboard/touchpad not working:
  Restart device, ensure OS and drivers are updated, use an external mouse if needed. (33:13)
• Spills:
  Power off immediately, turn device upside down, let it dry for at least a day.
  Myth-busting: “Do NOT put your tech in rice. What, not even your phone? No, not even your phone.” (33:58, Kimber Streams)

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When It’s Time to Buy a New Laptop (24:23)

• After trying all cleaning/maintenance steps, continued slowness usually means it’s time to upgrade.

• Ask yourself:

  • What do you need to do on this laptop?
  • How much can you spend?

• Price Bracket Advice:

  • <$500 PCs: risky; often slow and won’t last long. (09:35, 27:14)
  • $800+: Generally more reliable, better components/build, and will likely last at least 5 years. (25:32)
  • Macs: Great resale/deal prices recently; e.g., the M4 MacBook Air usually ~$800, 2020 MacBook Air for ~$600. (27:45)

• Operating System Advice:

  • No “holy war”: Use what you’re comfortable with, and consider what other devices/support you have (phone, tech-savvy friends, nearby Apple Store, etc.). (28:30)

• Buying Refurbished/Used:

  • Prefer manufacturer/refurbished for warranty/condition.
  • When buying used from retailers, look for “excellent/like new” and longest possible warranty. (30:04)

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Final Takeaways and Tips (From the Hosts)

• Rosie: More expensive laptops tend to deliver and last longer—a “hard pill to swallow.”
• Christine: Inspired to set aside regular time for maintenance using Kimber’s guide—“going to sit with Kimber’s article and go step by step.” (36:27)
• Kyra: “I need to get my digital house in order.” Will finally overcome fear and empty her trash, plus debunk the rice myth for tech spills.

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Fun & Lighthearted Moments

• Kimber shares their whimsical favorites—custom frog-shaped crossbody bags from Chimera Bunny (34:37). “The bag is a frog. He’s very long and green, and he’s got big eyeballs. And when you unzip his mouth, it’s red on the inside.” (35:09)

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Recommended Resources & Wirecutter Links

• Read: "How to Make Your Old Computer Feel New Again" by Kimber Streams (referenced repeatedly)
• See Show Notes: For Wirecutter’s in-depth guides, including proper spill cleanup methods

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Useful Timestamps

• 05:19 – Guest introduction and Kimber’s laptop expertise
• 09:24 – Expected lifespan of modern laptops
• 10:41 – Treating your computer like your home, not your car
• 13:31 – The Three Essential Maintenance Steps
• 19:09 – Speeding up startup (apps at launch)
• 20:48 – Importance of software/OS updates
• 24:43 – When to “throw in the towel” and replace your laptop
• 27:14 – How much you should actually pay for a good laptop
• 31:33 – Diagnosing common laptop problems (speed round)
• 33:58 – Do NOT put your tech in rice

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Closing Note

The episode dispels intimidation around computer upkeep and purchasing decisions, empowering listeners with clear, expert-backed, and maintainable actions. The lively chemistry, ongoing humor, and Kimber’s reassuring expertise make it both entertaining and practical—even for self-described “non-techies.”

Transcript

[Dell Commercial Voice]

Introducing your new Dell PC with the Intel Core Ultra processor. It helps you handle a lot, even when your holiday to do list gets to be a lot like organizing your holiday shopping and searching for great holiday deals and customer questions and customers requesting custom things. Plus planning the perfect holiday dinner for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and Uncle Mike's carnivore diet. Luckily, you can get a PC with all day battery life to help you get it all done. That's the power of a Dell PC with Intel inside, backed by Dell's price match guarantee. Get yours [e-mail] deals, terms and conditions apply. C. Dell for details.

[Kimber Streams]

If you take anything away from this entire podcast, please update your software. Please update your operating system, update your computer.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I'm Christine Cyr Clisette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Guerin]

I'm Rosie Garant. And you're listening to the Wirecutter Show.

[Kimber Streams]

Hey, pals.

[Rosie Guerin]

Hi. Hey. We're going tech today.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I think that you both know and that hopefully our listeners know that I'm like a super, super tech whiz. I know all the things. So, you know, you do. I'm looking forward to.

[Rosie Guerin]

You're gonna school our guests.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I'm gonna school our guests today. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

[Rosie Guerin]

Yeah. Because your nose is growing and growing and growing and growing Pinocchio style. Yeah. We are always sort of thinking about what kind of tech episodes we can do. And the truth is that not one of us is particularly tech savvy.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

And it's ironic because Wirecutter is actually known as a tech site foundationally. I mean, that's where it started. So it is kind of ironic that the three of us feel so out of our depth when we're talking about computers.

[Rosie Guerin]

Well, all these years later, there are a lot of really, really clever and talented techie people at Wirecutter who now help us. One of them is Kimber Streams. Kimber wrote a piece on the site called how to make youe Old Computer Feel New Again. And I think each of us individually has bookmarked that piece.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah, it's been on my list of to do all the things in this article.

[Rosie Guerin]

To do.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah.

[Rosie Guerin]

So Kimber's our guest today and we're gonna get into just that. How to make your laptop, your Mac, your PC feel new again, what you can actually do, and how to sort of empower yourself to do that.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And the first step isn't surprise, panic, and take it immediately to your local Apple Genius bar or whatever you're.

[Rosie Guerin]

Or buy a new one. Yeah.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Exactly right, right, right. But I think Kimber will be able to help guide us in when there is a limit to what you can actually do to make your computer feel faster and more efficient and when it is actually time to buy something new.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Well, I'm really excited you guys know that saying when, when you don't know how anything works, everything is a conspiracy. Like every single time my laptop like twitches I'm like Steven Jobs has something.

[Kimber Streams]

To do with this.

[Rosie Guerin]

Well, I think Kimber might have a different perspective, so let's hear from them right after the break. Stick around.

[Dell Commercial Voice]

Introducing your new Dell PC with the Intel Core Ultra processor. It helps you handle a lot. Even when your holiday to do list gets to be a lot like organizing your holiday shopping and searching for great holiday deals and customer questions and customers requesting custom things. Plus planning the perfect holiday dinner for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and Uncle Mike's carnivore diet. Luckily you can get a PC with all day battery life to help you get it all done. That's the power of a Dell PC with Intel inside backed by Dell's price match guarantee. Get yours [e-mail] deals, terms and conditions apply. See Dell.com for details.

[Wayfair Commercial Voice]

As the holidays approach, get prepped for all your hosting and decorating needs with Wayfair. From dining tables and chairs that bring the whole family together, to extra sheets and towels that make guests feel comfortable, Wayfair is your one stop shop for everything home this season. Transform your space into an entertainer's dream. Get everything you need to host all in one place at Wayfair. Plus, Wayfair ships everything fast and easy right to your door. Shop all things home [e-mail] that's W a Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every Home.

[Kimber Streams]

Taking care of your skin is a personal daily ritual. No matter what regimen works best for you. It's important to remember that great skincare doesn't have to be complicated. With Clinique's classic three step routine, fresh, radiant skin is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Clinique's iconic trio of products used to.

[Rosie Guerin]

Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize is specifically created.

[Kimber Streams]

To address your skin's needs to and.

[Rosie Guerin]

Provides a refreshingly simple solution for maintaining.

[Kimber Streams]

Beautiful, resilient skin twice a day, every day. Great Skin starts here.

[Rosie Guerin]

Visit clinique.com to learn more.

[Kimber Streams]

Welcome back.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Today we're talking with Kimber Streams, Wirecutter's senior staff writer covering laptops. Kimber has tested hundreds of laptops, including ultrabooks, gaming laptops, Chromebooks, and budget Windows laptops, plus a ton of keyboards, mice, and other accessories. They're a laptop wizard, and I cannot wait to hear your best advice. Kimber.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Hey, Kimber. It's great to see you.

[Kimber Streams]

Great to be here.

[Rosie Guerin]

We've established utest laptops, specifically PC laptops, plus accessories like keyboards and mice. I'm always curious how different folks at Wirecutter got into their line of work. So how did you get into this?

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, so I've always been the person that people in my life come to for laptop advice, but if you're looking for my villain origin story, it was.

[Rosie Guerin]

What kind of spider bit you?

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, a radioactive laptop bit me. Back when I was a broke college student. My laptop died and I needed a new one and I had no money, so I saved up and I saved up and I finally bought a new one, and it was awful. It was complete garbage. It just gave me grief forever. So now I make it my job to save other people from the same fate.

[Kyra Blackwell]

That's amazing.

[Rosie Guerin]

What actually made you interested in intrigue? Because I think if my laptop broke, I would call for someone to fix it.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, I didn't have anyone like that to lean on. I was, like, kind of the most tech person around. So I went on the Internet and I learned about all the different laptop specs and what to look for in a laptop and did a lot of reading. And then I got into tech journalism, and here I am.

[Rosie Guerin]

The rest is history and auto died. How do you test laptops for Wirecutter? What is this process like for you?

[Kimber Streams]

We test laptops at Wirecutter by using them, just like everyone does. So we browse the web. I do work on them. I binge watch shows on them. We also have our own battery test that we designed that simulates real world web browsing use. That gives readers kind of an idea of how long a laptop's going to actually last versus some of the more synthetic benchmarks that there are out there that don't do that.

[Rosie Guerin]

What is this battery test you created?

[Kimber Streams]

So it's a Chrome extension, and it cycles through a series of popular websites and it opens a Google Doc and it messes in the Google Doc. It opens up a YouTube video, it has audio streaming in the background. It checks email. It kind of does all of the things that you would usually do on a laptop.

[Rosie Guerin]

How many laptops are you testing a year?

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, so last year I tested around 90 laptops. So far this year, I've tested more than 80, but I also just got some more delivered like yesterday. So I'm sure that number is going to go up before the year is out.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Kimber, what are you doing with all these laptops once you're done with them? Where are they going?

[Kimber Streams]

So they go back to the companies that lend them to me for testing. The ones that we've bought, we either hold onto for long term testing to make sure, like in a year, how does it feel to use? Did the screen break? How's it going? And then the ones that we own that we don't use anymore go to a recycling service called Reviven.

[Rosie Guerin]

Are you stress testing them at all? Because I was typing last night and I accidentally spilled some seltzer on my keyboard. And so I'm just suggesting that there are real people who make mistakes.

[Kimber Streams]

I do some basic stress testing, like I'll flex the hinge a bunch and I'll grab the screen and see how flexible it is. I'll push on the lid and see if it's creaky or bendy or if it cracks. I did crack like the underside of a laptop once doing that. And I'll push on the keyboard. But we don't do spill testing on laptops because generally, aside from one laptop that I've tested that actually had holes underneath the keyboard to vent liquid out, it was designed for kids specifically.

[Rosie Guerin]

I feel attacked.

[Kimber Streams]

I clearly need a laptop with holes in the bottom. Yeah, generally we don't spill liquids on them on purpose.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Kimber, these days, how long should you expect a laptop to last?

[Kimber Streams]

So a great laptop is going to last at least five years or longer if you're lucky. And don't spill liquids on your keyboard.

[Rosie Guerin]

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Kimber Streams]

It doesn't actually differ too much based on the brand, but rather like the price bracket that you're working in. So cheaper laptops that are under $500 aren't going to last as long as five years. They're going to start to feel slow probably in just a few years because they start with slower processors, less memory, slower storage, just lower stuff overall to that point.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Kimber, what are some signs that your current laptop might need some love or might need to be replaced?

[Kimber Streams]

So if your laptop is super slow to boot up, it takes kind of a long time to launch some apps or just generally feels sluggish to use. It might need some tlc.

[Rosie Guerin]

Your article about fixing laptops sort of blew my mind, Kimber. Mostly because it's never really occurred to me, like I said, to fix my own Laptop. I've always assumed that if there's something wrong, I should bring it somewhere and have someone who knows how to do it fix it. Kind of like I think about my car. You suggest in your piece that we should actually think differently about troubleshooting our laptops. Can you talk about that a little bit?

[Kimber Streams]

We kind of live inside of our computers nowadays, and, like, the space that you live in gets messy and cluttered. So you might feel like your computer is a car because it's a complicated piece of technology, but it's really more like your home. It's like your living space. So cleaning up your files and tidying up unused apps isn't like electrical or plumbing work. It's not something that you need an expert for. It's more like vacuuming or picking up some dirty socks that are on the floor. If you can do those things, you can clean your computer, too.

[Rosie Guerin]

Again, I feel attacked. So essentially, you're suggesting that a lot of the issues people have with laptops are coming from maybe the fact that they're not caring for them in the way that they could be.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, I mean, I think people feel intimidated by technology and that neglect builds up over time. But if you take like 15 minutes here or there just to do, like, a little bit of routine tidying, it's going to add up over time just like the opposite adds up over time.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I love this analogy of a computer being kind of like your home, because I also, like Rosie, always have thought of my computer as this, like, chore that I'm going to take to someone else to fix. But if you're thinking about cleaning up your computer as you would your home, do you have a strategy for how you time that?

[Kimber Streams]

I mean, I guess I'll. I'll out myself too here. I do it whenever my desktop is, like, completely a mess because that's kind of where I save all of my files to. And that's my biggest indicator of, like, this is a huge, cluttery mess. Or like everyone else, whenever something's broken and doesn't work, then I need to sit down and do something about it. If I were a perfect person living in a perfect world, I would say probably every three months, you could sit down on, like, a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and take a little bit of time to tidy up your computer.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So let's just assume that I have the confidence to try to fix my own laptop. How hard is this actually going to be? And will I mess up my computer in the process of doing it?

[Kimber Streams]

You could Totally do it. Fixing your computer is not as scary as you think it is. A lot of these things are things that you could do in about 15 minutes, maybe 30, if you have like a lot of files to go through. And you don't have to be a tech wizard to do any of this.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I imagine you are probably the person who all your friends come to with questions about their laptops.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Is that right?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes, that is absolutely correct.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Broken. Can you help me?

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah. Family too.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

And I would imagine a lot of these problems are maybe individual problems. Everybody has their own issues. But are there themes that you find? Are the common things that seem to be problematic with computers? Why they're slow, why they're slow to boot up, why they're not doing the things you want them to do as fast as they as they used to? I guess like advice, the first biggest impact things that you would tell somebody in general to do if they're feeling like their computer isn't operating as well as it used to.

[Kimber Streams]

The first one would be to tidy up your files and make sure your storage isn't too full. After that, you should get rid of any apps or browser extensions that you're not using anymore. And you should also make sure that everything is updated. Your operating system and your apps. And those three steps will fix probably 90% of computer problems, if not more.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

These steps seem simple enough the three steps you just listed, but let's dig into each of those a little more, starting with cleaning up your storage. Why do you need to do this? And how do you even start?

[Kimber Streams]

When your storage is close to full, your computer can actually slow down. It's also just a good idea to tidy things up to make stuff easier to find and get rid of stuff you don't need anymore. Because otherwise you're going to be looking at just like multiple filing cabinets worth of documents and you can't find anything anywhere. So in Windows you'll click System and then Storage, and in here you can get rid of your temporary files. That's an easy way to free up some space, and you're not going to break anything by doing that. I also recommend checking your Downloads folder because a lot of cruft ends up in there that people forget about. On Mac, you'll open the system settings and go to General and then you'll click Storage and there's going to be a little I symbol next to stuff in there. You can see what's taking up the most space on your computer. And you're going to get rid of anything that you don't need personally in there. Whenever I was doing the research for this piece, I found a two gig garage band sound library. I'm never going to use that app. I got rid of that.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Isn't that what comes with the laptop when you get it? Or that's something that was your own personal project that you saved two years ago?

[Kimber Streams]

No, I've. I've never opened GarageBand in my entire human years on this earth. I don't need it. It probably came with the laptop. That's two gigs I could use for anything else.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

And just to be clear, I know this is such a basic question, but you drag all this stuff into your little trash can, right, and then you need to empty your trash can?

[Kimber Streams]

That is correct. You do need to empty your trash can or your recycle bin whenever you're done.

[Kyra Blackwell]

But that's the scariest part. Like, haven't you guys ever thrown away something and then you put it out in a dumpster and you realize that you actually needed something in there?

[Dell Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

So, Kimber, what if the trash person has come? What. What do you do if you've put something into the trash that you're like, oh, gosh, I didn't mean to get rid of that.

[Kimber Streams]

It's gone.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah, see, don't tell me that.

[Kimber Streams]

Okay, that's what happens when you throw things out. They're gone.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

So it turns out you can screw some things up.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Kimber, is there a fail safe for that or an extra security measure for it?

[Kimber Streams]

Well, if you have your things backed up to an online backup service like the one Wirecutter recommends, or to a separate drive, then you could probably get a copy of your file from one of those other locations if you have it there. But otherwise, you really should just be getting rid of garbage that you don't need.

[Rosie Guerin]

Otherwise, you just. You embrace the transience of life.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, you're free.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

You've lost those Bitcoin passwords. Never to happen again.

[Kimber Streams]

Kyra could be rich on Bitcoin by now.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So, next, let's talk about apps. What should people know about the apps installed on their computer and what they're doing to potentially slow it down?

[Kimber Streams]

We've all installed apps for, like, one specific task that you needed to get done to, like, e sign something or make one particular clip of a PowerPoint and then you forgot to uninstall the app after you were done. So again, it's a good idea to take 10, 15 minutes to go through that list of apps and get rid of anything that you don't need. Anymore. This is going to free up even more drive space and it's going to make your computer feel faster by reducing the number of things that you have running at the same time in the background. Windows laptops also come with a lot of bloatware that you didn't ask for.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

What is bloatware?

[Kyra Blackwell]

I like that term.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kimber Streams]

So it's, it's what I wear during.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

A certain time of the month.

[Rosie Guerin]

That'S actually really funny.

[Kimber Streams]

So this happens the most in cheap Windows laptops that are under $500. It'll come with stuff like random salad games and like a free trial of some editing software. Like there's already editing software in Windows. You don't need all this other junk. So you should go through and get rid of those things.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

What about Apple? Are there things that people should be looking out for, you know, related to the apps that come pre installed on Apple computers?

[Kimber Streams]

So Mac does not come with as much pre installed garbage. And at least all of it is like first party. It's from Apple. Apple controls the operating system, the hardware, all of that stuff. So it's only things that Apple wants you to have.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Like GarageBand.

[Kimber Streams]

Like GarageBand, exactly. So it's not going to be like random salad games, but it is still going to be like I don't need a 2 gig GarageBand sound library. So there are things you can get rid of, but it's not as necessary.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I recently did this on my computer because it was really slow. And what I realized is my daughter, who is 12 and now uses a computer for her homework, had been using my laptop and basically it's hers at this point. But we have two different profiles. So I log into my profile, she logs into her profile and I think she had downloaded some stuff. There was some like graphics app that was running a huge amount of the space on the computer. And when we sort of figured that out and turned that off, all of a sudden the computer was really fast. So if you are sharing your computer in a household, is there anything you should watch out for there?

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, I mean basically just the experience you described. So you'll want to have like an administrator account so that you can see like what everyone on the computer is doing. And then your daughter's account would be an account with less privileges, basically. Like she would need permissions to install things and delete things and all of that. And then your account would be the one that can do all of that stuff.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Okay, so I need to go back and do my homework and I like being called the administrator. I will tell her that that is my new role.

[Kimber Streams]

Bonus tip. You can also limit how many apps launch whenever you start up your computer, which is also going to help it run faster. Whenever you launch your computer, it's going to try and launch all of the apps that it thinks you might need, but you don't necessarily use them all the time. So you can go into the list of applications on both Windows and Mac and toggle off ones that you don't want to launch whenever you boot up your computer, and then you can just go launch them the normal way that you need to whenever you are actually going to use that app.

[Rosie Guerin]

That's interesting. I never thought about that.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, it helps speed up how slow your computer is when it boots. Like, a lot, a lot.

[Rosie Guerin]

This is a wild card question, but do we need to be turning our computers off at the end of the day?

[Kimber Streams]

No, you don't need to do that.

[Rosie Guerin]

Do we need to turn them off ever?

[Kimber Streams]

Sometimes, yes. So you'll get a software update and then it'll say, hey, I would like you to restart your computer. You should do that.

[Rosie Guerin]

Right.

[Kimber Streams]

But otherwise, not really. They'll go to sleep, they'll wake up. You don't really need to do anything beyond that.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Hypothetically, if you never update your computer, what happens then? I'm pulling a Rosie here. I'm asking for a friend. Is that going to make everything slower and work worse?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes. And also, I come to your house with a spray bottle and you're going.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

To spray water on me like I'm a cat?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes. I'm going to.

[Rosie Guerin]

I'm going to reprimand you, I imagine. Tell me if I'm wrong, Kimber. But if you're never installing software updates, you're not necessarily updated safety things that come with new operating systems or updates to operating systems, Is that right?

[Kimber Streams]

Correct. So if you take anything away from this entire podcast, please update your software, please update your operating system, update your computer. I know that we all get grouchy whenever that pop up shows up. You're in the middle of something, you're busy, you don't have time to re restarting your whole computer right now. Or on the other side of that. Okay, you updated your apps, you updated your operating system, and now nothing is where it was before and you're just mad because the menus are different. Even so, it is very important to update your computer. This will help keep your computer more secure. It will also keep it running better than it did before. Everything will be smoother. It's a good thing to do, even if it's annoying.

[Rosie Guerin]

You hear that, Christine?

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I hear it loud and clear. Thank you very much.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So, to recap, it sounds like fixing your laptop at home isn't as scary as it sounds, as long as you've got Kimber by your side, at least. But a lot of the issues we experience, like a slow startup or a quickly drained battery, can be solved with three simple steps. Number one is tidying up your files, which is getting rid of anything that you don't need and deleting it from your trash can. Second is deleting or turning off apps you never use. And third, remember to update your operating system.

[Rosie Guerin]

All right, we're going to take a quick break. When we're back, Kimber is going to talk to us about when to consider throwing in the towel, getting a new laptop, and how to find an affordable one.

[Dell Commercial Voice]

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[Rosie Guerin]

Chapter one oh no, no, no, no. Part one Perfect.

[Kimber Streams]

The mountains are impressive.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Oh, I wish you were here to see them. Dear Diary, Meet my new writing companion, the Meister.

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[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Welcome back. Today we're talking with Wirecutter senior staff writer Kimber Streams about a piece that they wrote that outlines all the ways that you can make an old computer feel new again.

[Rosie Guerin]

All right, Kimber, I've psyched myself up. I've read your article. I've cleaned my storage, I've taken an inventory of my apps, I've checked what software my computer is running, updated all of the things, and I'm still convinced it's not functioning as well as it should. When do you know it's time to give up on your old computer and get a new one?

[Kimber Streams]

Well, first of all, great job. You did all of this work.

[Rosie Guerin]

Thank you so much.

[Kimber Streams]

I don't have to show up to your house with a spray bottle. I'm just very proud that you did all of those things.

[Rosie Guerin]

Thank you. I feel seen.

[Kimber Streams]

But now I have bad news for you. If your computer is still frustratingly slow, it's probably time to consider an upgrade.

[Rosie Guerin]

What should the average person be looking for in a new machine? What's important to pay attention to? What do you not have to pay attention to?

[Kimber Streams]

The two biggest questions whenever you're shopping for a new laptop that I always ask everyone is what do you need to do on the computer? And how much can you spend on the computer? They're actually very like big picture questions that will kind of inform everything else that comes after that.

[Rosie Guerin]

So you mentioned earlier, and this was actually, I thought, a pretty hot take, that if you are spending more, you're likely going to get a better product. Is that fair to say, Kimber?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes, absolutely. A laptop that's probably $800 or more is going to last you longer than a cheaper laptop. That's generally, in my experience of a lot of research and testing over the years. That's kind of where the cutoff is. That's not to say that every laptop over $800 is great and will definitely last you that long. That's just to say that tends to. This is a budget model where you're making compromises versus this is a really good laptop that's going to last you.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Why is that? Is it because you're buying more storage space? Is it because the internal software is better? What makes these 800 plus laptops last longer?

[Kimber Streams]

It is a combination of both the specs that you're getting inside of the laptop, so the processor, the storage, the memory. You're going to have faster and better options in that higher price range. But it is also partially the build quality and the materials of those laptops. So to make a laptop cheaper, it's going to cut corners. They're going to put a crappier screen in it. The body is not going to be made out of metals like aluminum. It's going to be made out of crappy plastic that creaks and crunches whenever you move it. So it's not going to really survive being thrown in a bag and run all over the place the same way that a higher end laptop will.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I often do see deals for relatively cheap laptops, especially on Amazon. I feel like they're always trying to push the lowest price for the most unrecognizable product ever. But you know, if I'm shopping for a cheap laptop, I wanted the price to be at least 500 or lower. I don't know how realistic that is. So, baseline, how much do you think people should expect to be spending on a solid cheap PC?

[Kimber Streams]

To get a great PC, meaning one that's going to last you at least five years, you do typically need to spend at least $800. You can get a decent PC for under 500 dol, but you have to be careful because a lot of them are pretty bad.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Meaning they just won't last that long?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes, meaning they'll be bad the day you get them. Like my college laptop.

[Wayfair Commercial Voice]

Oh, right.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And then it's just dead on arrival essentially.

[Kimber Streams]

Yep. It's just going to give you a hard time the whole time and then you'll have to replace it sooner than if you had just spent a little bit more money up front in the first place.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, super frustrating. Is it the same with Macs too?

[Kimber Streams]

Macs have a reputation for being more expensive and historically they have been. But Mac prices are honestly really great right now. Our top pick, the M4 MacBook Air, has regularly, regularly bid on sale for $800, which is a pretty bonkers price for just a general purpose MacBook. Walmart also still sells the 2020 MacBook Air for about 600 bucks, which is the best option if you're working on a tight budget. That model is fast enough for basic tasks, but it did come out five years ago, so it struggles with some more intense workloads. And it's not going to get new features like Apple Intelligence.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Say you are in the market for a new laptop. Cristine, Rosie and I all use MacBooks, but do you think there's an argument to be had about maybe switching completely over to a PC?

[Kimber Streams]

PC versus Mac has been a very long running debate. You've seen the commercials With John Hodgman, Even though it's like a long running debate. I use both for work. It's my job to use both. And my advice is really just get whatever operating system you're the most comfortable with. Neither one is better than the other. If you're not already wedded to a particular operating system that you love, that you know that you're already like deeply embedded in, you should consider the other devices in your life in that decision. So do you already have an iPhone? Do you have an Android phone? And you should also consider how easy it is to get support. So if the most tech savvy people in your life use Windows, or your school or company provides support for Windows, then you should get that. If you live near an Apple store and you want to be able to take things there whenever they do break for real in a way that you can't fix at home, you should get a Mac.

[Rosie Guerin]

And let's say I find a great deal on a budget laptop and let's say it's a brand I've never heard of. Would your advice be to scoop up that deal as quickly as possible or pause because it might be a scam?

[Kimber Streams]

Please, please, please, please, please do not just buy that random laptop from a brand that you've never heard of. I'm begging you. My advice is to be patient. Check Wirecutter. I have advice for you. I have done all of the research and testing to find cheap laptops that are not bad. So please do not do that.

[Rosie Guerin]

Before we move on, I want to know your guidance for buying secondhand. Where can you buy that's safe and reliable? And how do you help folks determine which is the best route?

[Kimber Streams]

So I would always start with manufacturer refurbished laptops, which means those are straight from Apple, Dell, Lenovo, hp, the first party manufacturers. These refurbs are computers that have been returned to the company that made them. That company then repairs them with new parts and then resells them in like new condition with the same warranty that you get on a new device. So that's the best case scenario.

[Rosie Guerin]

And those are going to be less expensive, but perhaps not as cheap as something that's used, correct?

[Kimber Streams]

Yes.

[Rosie Guerin]

And what's the deal with used?

[Kimber Streams]

So used is for retailer refurbs from sites like Best Buy or Newegg. In that case, refurb is more just a fancy word for used. You'll want to look for excellent, like new or very good condition. And you want to look for the longest warranty that you could possibly get. So if you can't go into a store like a Best Buy and physically touch that laptop to say, like, okay, I like the condition it's in. You want to look for longer than 90 days, but you can get away with a shorter warranty if you can actually go check that laptop out in person.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Kimber, I feel that you are our genius bar. You're our laptop doctor, whatever we want to call you. I want to throw you a few questions of common problems that people have with their laptop, maybe some of our listeners have with their laptop. And I want you to diagnose the problem.

[Kimber Streams]

Let's go.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Let's do it. Okay. My laptop is really hot and the fan is really loud.

[Kimber Streams]

So first up, dust out your laptop. If you can see the fans, you can get some compressed air. Dust the laptop out. If you can't really get in there. You can also use a Q tip and a toothpick to kind of like pick any debris out of the vents carefully. Another important thing is to not block the fans. Sometimes it's like up under the hinge, sometimes it's on the sides, or sometimes it's on the bottom of your laptop. If you're using your laptop on your lap or on a pillow or on a blanket, like a lot of people will just lay down with their laptop all in their cozy zone. You're probably blocking something you shouldn't. We do have lap desk picks that will help with this.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

All right, this one is my problem. My battery seems to run out really quickly.

[Kimber Streams]

So the first thing you can do is to turn down your screen brightness a little bit, because the brighter your screen is, the more energy your laptop needs to power that. Also, if you followed the recommendations from earlier and you've cleared out some of your apps, having fewer apps running all at the same time in the background will also help. Use less battery. You can also toggle on energy saver mode in Windows or enable low power mode on Mac if you're like, really in a pinch and you need to get through the rest of the day.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Okay, help. My laptop won't turn on.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Scary. Scariest one.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, it's just absolutely terrifying. But don't panic. That's step one. Don't panic. Plug your laptop in and let it sit there and charge for an hour or two. Then try holding the power button down for at least 10 seconds until it turns on.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Why 10 seconds?

[Kimber Streams]

That's going to do a hard reboot. So it's going to force shut down whatever it was stuck on before and then turn it back on fresh.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I need that, like, on. On me, like a hard reader. Okay. My keyboard and or my touchpad are not responding.

[Kimber Streams]

You can try restarting your computers and hope the gremlins that are living inside of there leave if they haven't left yet. By restarting your computer, you'll want to make sure that everything's updated with the latest version of your operating system, which is going to pull down drivers, which is how your computer talks to your keyboard and mouse.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Well, how are you supposed to figure that out if your touchpad isn't working?

[Kimber Streams]

Plug in an external mouse.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

We have the technology. And then what? In the case for Rosie, if you spilled coffee or soda or something on your laptop, top what?

[Kimber Streams]

Then turn it off immediately. Shut it down. Then flip it upside down. Just let it dry out for a little bit for like a day.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Does rice work here?

[Kimber Streams]

No. Don't put your stuff in rice. Do not put your tech in rice. What, not even your phone? No, not even your phone. Okay.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

We have a piece on the site that explains what you are supposed to do, which we will put in the show notes.

[Rosie Guerin]

I dropped my phone in the bay like a month ago and then put it in rice. And spoiler alert. Oh, no, I've got a new phone now.

[Kimber Streams]

Rose.

[Rosie Guerin]

See, I know, I know. I'm doing my best.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, Kimber, we're down to our final question. What's the last thing you've bought that you've really loved?

[Kimber Streams]

I love cross body bags that are really cute. It's like my favorite way to, like, add whimsy to an outfit. Back in January, I think I shot a video with the video team that also had my frog bag in it. And everyone on Instagram wanted to know about this custom made frog bag that I had. The bag is a frog. He's very long and green, and he's got big eyeballs. And when you unzip his mouth, it's red on the inside. And then you put everything into his mouth, and then he's got long, little goofy arms.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Cute. I like it.

[Kimber Streams]

So there's a shop called Chimera Bunny. It's like a couple of artists work together to, like, design these bags. So. So earlier this week, I got the sequel to the frog bag. This one is a Pac man frog. So he's very round and yellow and he looks absolutely ridiculous.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Oh, my goodness. That is so cute.

[Kimber Streams]

Yeah, I love this. So this. This is what's bringing me joy right now.

[Rosie Guerin]

Kimber, thank you so much. Really appreciate you coming on and appreciate all your recommendations and insight. Come back soon.

[Kimber Streams]

Here to help.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

All right. Do you feel more educated? Do you feel like you know what to do with your laptops?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, I think I know how to handle the ghost in the machine now.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah. Okay. Great, Great, great, great.

[Rosie Guerin]

As often happens at the end of these episodes, I feel slightly more empowered.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah, educated. It doesn't seem as hard as I've been making it to be in my own head.

[Rosie Guerin]

One of my takeaways is that if you pay more for a laptop, you often are getting more hard pill to swallow, honestly. But the other thing is that, that you can kind of choose your own adventure for operating system. If you are a PC person, go PC. If you're a Mac person, go Mac. It's whatever works for you. Whatever works for your life, you know.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

My takeaway is I am going to take one of these Saturdays coming up and I'm going to sit with Kimber's article and I'm going to go step by step on how to clean up all the different things on my computer. Because it has been really slow and sluggish and I've been wondering, do I need to get a new one?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Kind of in the same vein, I need to get my digital house in order. I know that I constantly put stuff in my trashcan, but then I never actually delete the stuff in the trash can because I'm scared. So I'm going to do the same thing. I'm going to sit down, make sure I'm not about to delete anything forever that I will need again. And I think that will make my laptop a little bit faster. And then one of the tangential things that I learned from Kimber today is that rice is not the option when you drop water any liquid on any of your tech.

[Rosie Guerin]

Yeah, I had no idea.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yeah, you're just going to get like wet, sticky rice on your devices. So.

[Rosie Guerin]

So, yeah, the more you know.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

Yes.

[Rosie Guerin]

Well, if you want to find out more about any of Kimber's reporting, all of it is so helpful. The piece we've referenced today is called how to make youe Old Computer Feel New Again. Check it out. We'll be back with a new episode next week. Thanks for listening.

[Kimber Streams]

Bye. Bye.

[Rosie Guerin]

The Wirecutter show is executive produced by me, Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Matty Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Alicia Etoupe, Rowan Nymisto, Katherine Anderson and Diane Wong. Cliff Levy is Wirecutter's deputy publisher and general Manager Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's Editor in Chief.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Rosie Guerin]

And I'm Rosie Guerin. Thank you for listening.

[Christine Cyr Clisette]

We have a piece on the site that explains what you are supposed to do, which we will put in the show notes I should read Wirecutter. It is a great site. I've really fallen in love with it over the years.

[Dell Commercial Voice]

Yeah Introducing your new Dell PC with the Intel Core Ultra processor. It helps you handle a lot, even when your holiday to do list gets to be a lot like organizing your holiday shopping and searching for great holiday deals and customer questions and customers requesting custom things. Plus planning the perfect holiday dinner for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and Uncle Mike's carnivore diet. Luckily you can get a PC with all day battery life to help you get it all done. That's the power of a Dell PC with Intel inside backed by Dell's price match guarantee. Get yours [e-mail] deals, terms and conditions apply. See Dell.com for details.