About Rich Woods
Hello! I'm the Editor-in-Chief of XDA, and I've been reporting on all things consumer tech since 2013. More recently, I've had more of a focus on Windows, and I've reviewed pretty much every mainstream laptop under the sun. If you see me somewhere, come say hello and let me ask you awkward questions about why you use the tech that you use.
What was your first computer?
I'm not sure of the brand, but back in 1987, my family had a PC with an Intel 8088 processor, 512KB RAM, and 20MB storage. It's fun to think about how I now have photos that wouldn't have fit on that entire hard drive. It ran DOS, and I used it to play games like The Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.
How long have you been interested in technology?
A few years after I got that first PC, I liberated my father's book on GW-BASIC. That was my start with wanting to learn more about how computers worked. By the time I was in high school, I was writing Visual Basic programs to figure out the passwords on school computers. Weirdly, I never actually got into trouble for that.
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
Windows! It's the software that I've been using since I was a child and I've always admired the broad range of hardware that uses it. This interest is what led to that passion to understand why people choose the tech that they do, and to help people to make those decisions by reviewing the products that they might end up buying.
Latest Articles
Apple Mac Studio with M1 Ultra Review: Size doesn't matter
Apple's Mac Studio is the most powerful computer that it's ever made, and Apple Silicon continues to push new boundaries in computing.
Apple's new Mac Studio has the footprint of a Mac Mini that's about two and a half times as tall. Speaking in terms of volume and most of its dimensions, it's smaller than any Intel-powered PC with desktop dedicated graphics. It's pretty obvious when you're looking at it, but it's not so obvious when you're using it, because this thing is a beast, and it's Apple's best Mac yet.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 build 22000.651 to the Release Preview channel
Microsoft has released this month's Windows 10 and Windows 11 preview updates to Windows Insiders on the Release Preview channel.
Today, Microsoft is releasing this month's preview updates to Windows Insiders. Those in the Release Preview channel will get Windows 11 build 22000.651 or Windows 10 build 19044.1679, depending on what your machine supports. By preview update, that means that production users will have the opportunity to opt into testing this in a week or two, and then it's going to be part of next month's mandatory Patch Tuesday update.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 build 22000.643 with notification improvements
Microsoft has released this month's Windows 11 cumulative update, and it includes more toase notifications at the same time.
It's the second Tuesday of the month, making it Patch Tuesday. Indeed, if you like updating Microsoft products (and who doesn't?), it should be your favorite day of the month. That's because every supported Microsoft product that exists is getting an update. For Windows 11, there's only one version still, although there will be a second supported version later on this year.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 is coming soon and it's getting a new color
Microsoft is readying its new Surface Laptop Go 2 laptop, and it's going to come with newer processors and a new color option.
Last fall, Microsoft refreshed its best Surface PCs, including its premium tablet, the Surface Pro 8, along with the Surface Laptop Studio, which is the successor to the Surface Book series. While the Surface Go 3 was announced too, there are a few other members of the lineup that need a refresh. One of them is the Surface Laptop Go 2, and according to a report from Windows Central, it's coming soon.
Microsoft announced new Windows 365 features for hybrid work
Microsoft is announcing new Windows 365 features, making it easier for people to use it primarily, and for them to use it offline.
Microsoft held a big Windows event today, where it outlined not only new Windows features, but also where Windows is heading. The firm said that it wants to take advantage of both hardware and of the cloud, and it wants to put users first. That means that the goal is that you'd be able to pick up and device and start using it, with all of your work ready to go.
Microsoft unveils tabbed File Explorer and other Windows 11 features
Microsoft is announcing a range of new features that are coming to Windows 11, including the recently-discovered tabbed File Explorer.
Today, Microsoft is holding a big event around Windows, and along with a bunch of new Windows 365 features, there's also a lot for Windows 11. Strangely, a lot of the features being announced today...have already been announced. If you're testing out Windows 11 in the Dev channel, you've already seen some of this.
Lenovo Yoga 9i (2022) Unboxing: What's in the box?
Lenovo's latest Yoga 9i premium convertible is here, and it loses the pen garage. You'll probably want to know what comes in the box.
Lenovo's Yoga 9i series represents the firm's consumer flagship, competing with Dell's XPS 13 and HP's Spectre x360 14. One of the key changes with this generation is the design. Indeed, if you put the Yoga 9i of yesteryear next to an HP Spectre x360 and a Dell XPS, it was clear which two were the prettiest, and it wasn't the Yoga. That changes with this generation, with Lenovo adding rounded edges with a chrome-style finish.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro 16 review: Solid value, but a lot of compromises
Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro 16 offers a lot for the price, such as a Ryzen 7, RTX graphics, 16GB RAM, a 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, and more.
One of the great things about AMD Ryzen processors in laptops is that given the right use case, you can get some really premium performance for a relatively inexpensive price. Indeed, for just over $1,200, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro 16 comes with a QHD+ 120Hz display, a Ryzen 7, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. That's pretty sweet.
Microsoft Your Phone is getting revamped as Phone Link, but still doesn't have iOS support
Microsoft has announced that Your Phone is now Phone Link, and along with a redesign, it's also bringing it to China with Honor.
Today, Microsoft is announcing Phone Link, the next generation of Your Phone. With this change comes a new design, but the functionality remains the same. You'll be able to send and receive texts, mirror your phone, run Android apps, and more. Your Phone Companion is also being rebranded, and that will be called Link to Windows.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 Unboxing: What's in the box?
Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 15 is in the house. Here's what the Korean firm bundles with its new convertible laptop.
Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 Pro series includes some of the thinnest and lightest laptops on the market. Indeed, on the 13-inch clamshell, it weighs in at under two pounds. Samsung sent over the 15.6-inch Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, which is the heaviest one of the pack at 3.1 pounds.
Dell has a new Latitude that weighs under a kilogram and blurs the screen if someone looks over your shoulder
Dell has announced its 2022 Latitude business PCs, and it's a revamp of the lineup, including an ultralight, a redesigned flagship and more.
Today, Dell is announcing new Latitude laptops across its whole portfolio, including the 3000, 5000, 7000, and 9000 series. There's a new ultralight version of the Latitude 7330 that comes in at under a kilogram, a new design for the flagship Latitude 9430, and more. And of course, there are new Dell Optimizer features.
Apple Mac Studio Unboxing: What's in the box?
Apple's new Mac Studio promises to be the most powerful PC that the company has ever produced, and you might be wondering what it comes with.
The latest addition to Apple's PC lineup is the Mac Studio, and it promises to be the most powerful Mac in history. The base model comes with the M1 Max, which is found in the existing MacBook Pro, but higher-end models offer the new M1 Ultra. Basically, Apple took two M1 Max chips and stuck them together to create the new beastly chipset. In fact, the M1 Ultra model is about two pounds heavier, due to a different kind of heat dissipation needed for the more powerful, and therefore hotter processor.
Intel NUC 12 Extreme (Dragon Canyon) review: As small as it gets with crazy power
Intel's NUC 12 Extreme is a DIY mini-computer with room to bring your own RAM, storage, and graphics, and it comes with a Core i9.
After using Intel's NUC 12 Extreme, also referred to as Dragon Canyon, for about a month now, I really have to say that I like it a lot more than I thought I would. After all, I normally use a PC that I built myself. I could tell you the finest detail about my tower, such as which parts are in there, why I picked them, and what I'd change with an unlimited budget. How can a pre-built PC top that?
Dell's XPS 15 and XPS 17 get a refresh with Intel 12th-gen processors
Dell is introducing new models of its premium XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops, and the main thing that's new is Intel 12th-gen processors.
Today, Dell is announcing the XPS 15 9520 and the XPS 17 9720. The new variants of its larger premium laptops now come with Intel's 12th-generation processors, up to a Core i9-12900HK in either one. Other than that, the parts remain the same, although the wattage of the graphics seems to be scaled down a bit, offering 40W from the RTX 3050 Ti in the XPS 15 instead of 45W, and offering 60W from the RTX 3060 that's in the XPS 17 instead of 70W.
Check your rings: Windows 11 testers have the rare opportunity to switch
Microsoft is promoting its latest Windows 11 Insider Preview to the Beta channel, and that means that if you want out, now is the time.
Today, Microsoft is set to promote the next feature update of Windows 11 to the Beta channel of the Insider Program. That means one thing: it's time to check your channels. If you want to move from Dev to Beta, you can do that for the first time in a while. If you want to switch from Beta to Release Preview or production, it's your last chance.
Windows 10 build 19044.1620 is out with an actual new feature
Microsoft is releasing a new optional update for Windows 10, and it includes a new feature called Search Highlights, along with fixes.
We're at that halfway point between Patch Tuesdays, and that means it's time for the 'C' and 'D' week updates for Windows 10 and 11. Today, Windows 10 is getting its optional update, and as usual, it's available for versions 20H2, 21H1, and 21H2. Interestingly, this one actually comes with a new feature, a rarity in cumulative updates, especially with Windows 10 when all of the focus is on Windows 11.
Interview: Arm SVP talks about Windows on Arm, competing with Apple, and making more powerful devices
Arm processors are dominating the entire computing landscape, and we got to sit down with the company at MWC to talk about it.
Anyone that knows me knows that if you put me in a room with someone to talk about Windows on Arm, or computing on Arm processors in general, I can talk until the sun goes down. When Arm reached out and asked if I wanted to speak to Paul Williamson, its SVP and General Manager of Client Line of Business, I knew it would be the highlight of my Mobile World Congress.
Windows 11 build 22579 is out with BitLocker improvements
Microsoft is releasing this week's Windows 11 Insider Preview build, and this week, there's not much that's new aside from BitLocker features.
Microsoft is a bit late this week, but there's a brand new Windows 11 Insider Preview that's available to test out in the Dev channel. Unlike what we've seen in previous weeks, there's not a whole lot that's new. There's also no mention of tabs in the File Explorer, something that was hidden in last week's build.
Apple is really making Qualcomm and Windows on Arm look bad
Qualcomm has been in the PC space for over five years now, and while Apple is new at Arm chips, it's already setting the trends.
I'm a Windows on Arm fan. In fact, I'm a Windows fan. I've spent the bulk of my career writing about Windows, Microsoft, laptops, and the whole ecosystem. When Qualcomm and Microsoft announced Windows on Arm in 2016 with actual x86 emulation, I was excited. I wasn't excited because of the benefits that Arm processors promised.
New Surface Go 3 configuration gets you 4G LTE for under $500
Microsoft is producing a new configuration of the Surface Go 3 with a Pentium Gold and 4GB RAM, but it has 4G LTE for under $500.
Back in October, Microsoft announced the Surface Go 3 alongside the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8. It might have flew under the radar a bit, because while the other devices that were announced got redesigns, the Surface Go 3 was just a spec bump. Like its predecessor, it starts at $399, getting you a Pentium Gold processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC storage. Now, you can get that model of the Surface Go 3 with 4G LTE for $499.