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
On this day in 1995, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer and changed its course forever
It was when Microsoft finally decided to embrace the internet
On August 16, 1995, Microsoft first launched its web browser, Internet Explorer. Codenamed O'Hare (after the airport), it was officially named after Windows Explorer and, well, the internet.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: It's what a flip phone should be, mostly
Samsung's latest foldable bois are here, and the Flip 5 packs some important improvements
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes with some big improvements over its predecessor, including a larger external display, a much-improved hinge, and a faster processor. But the question is, is it enough? After all, for the first time ever, Samsung is facing real competition in the North American foldable space.
Microsoft thwarts its own A/B testing by leaking its internal Windows 11 feature-enabling tool
While the world already has ViVeTool, Microsoft accidentally leaked its own internal tool for turning on Windows 11 features
If you're a Windows Insider, you've probably been frustrated by Microsoft's A/B testing at one point or another. That's where the company asks you to sign up for previews by enticing you with the latest and greatest features to test, and then only delivers those features to a select few people.
Hands on: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has the screen you want
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 is finally official. Here's what we think of it.
After months of leaks, rumors, and speculation, Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event today. Holding it in Seoul for the first time, it showed off its new range of wares, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch 6, and Galaxy Tab S9 series. We're here to talk about the Z Flip 5, though, because frankly, it's the more interesting of the two foldables that Samsung announced today.
Dell XPS 17 (2023) review: The best 17-inch laptop on the planet
Once again, Dell built a winner with the XPS 17.
The Dell XPS 17 (2023) is the best 17-inch laptop on the market. It's really that simple. Part of the reason for that is because 17-inch laptops are somewhat rare, and a lot of them cater to more specific markets, such as gaming.
Samsung will give you $50 off the Z Fold 5 or Z Flip 5 just by signing up, with no commitment to buy
Samsung has opened reservations for its next Galaxy foldables, offering a $50 incentive to those that sign up.
Samsung announced that it will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event in July, and it looks like the arrival of its new foldable smartphones is on the horizon, as the company has now begun its reservation process for its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. On top of that, we should see the Galaxy Watch 6 series, and the Tab S9 series. Indeed, the Unpacked event should be, well, pretty packed.
Explaining the Windows Insider Program channels for Windows 11 betas
Microsoft's Windows Insider Program can be confusing if you're new, so here's everything you need to know for testing the Windows 11 beta.
It's been a few years since Windows 11 first launched, and just like Windows 10 before it, the operating system is always evolving. Microsoft has committed to updating Windows 11 every so often with "Moment" updates, which are basically feature drops every few months. The most recent one was the Moment 3 update, with delivered features like seconds on the clock in the Taskbar, as well as tweaks to the widgets experience.
Surface Pro 9 with 5G review: Windows on Arm keeps getting better
Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 with 5G comes with a Qualcomm processor, giving it Windows Studio capabilities and great battery life.
In 2019, Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro X, the first ever Surface Pro not to include an Intel processor. Living side-by-side with the Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro 7+, and finally the Surface Pro 8, the Redmond firm decided this year that Windows on Arm is mature enough to merge the two brands. The Surface Pro 9 with 5G is the first product from the mainstream Surface Pro lineup to include an Arm processor.
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review: It's shockingly good
It's like having a dual-monitor setup, but portable
Whether it’s the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold with its foldable screen, or a Surface Pro tablet that was released in the early 2010s, Windows never seems to work well on a new form factor. In most cases, I’ll walk away from the review saying the product is good for a certain niche, but I’m looking forward to getting back to a real laptop. The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a different story though, because this thing is shockingly good.
iOS 17 will stop your Android friends from ruining your group texts with their green bubbles
Say goodbye to crippled group texts because of that one friend
We've all been there. Whether you're an iPhone user with iMessage or an Android user with RCS, the group chat gets crippled by that one person that doesn't have the same kind of phone as the rest. That means that the messaging protocol falls back to SMS/MMS, which is decades old and can't handle what we'd even call a small file today. But with the announcement of iOS 17 yesterday and the subsequent release of the first developer betas, it seems that Apple has a solution that didn't get talked about in the WWC keynote.
RIP: Microsoft is finally killing Cortana on Windows
Microsoft confirmed it's killing Cortana, despite recent denial
Microsoft is finally killing off its Cortana virtual assistant, at least on Windows, the company wrote today in a support document. The standalone Cortana app that you probably don't even realize is installed on your PC won't be supported beginning later on this year.
Hands on: Motorola's Razr+ is way better than I expected. Samsung should be scared.
Motorola has finally returned with a new Razr lineup for 2023, and it's actually pretty great.
When I walked into the briefing room at this week's Motorola event, I jokingly asked Doug Michau, the company's executive director of North America business development, if he was excited to get a temporary reprieve from constantly being asked when there would be a new Razr. Indeed, the last one that we saw in the U.S. came out in 2020, and its 2022 successor was a China exclusive.
Acer Swift 14 (2023) review: A great laptop with common shortcomings
Acer's latest Swift 14 adds 13th-generation Intel processors, a better webcam, and more.
I always feel like Acer's laptops are underrated. I'm always impressed every time the company sends me a new model, but when the discussion comes up over which are the best laptops, the company is frequently overshadowed by the likes of HP, Lenovo, and Dell. And that continues to be true with the Acer Swift 14, which took things up a notch from its predecessor, the Swift 5.
Hands on: The Google Pixel Tablet is what the Android ecosystem needs
The most exciting part of the Google Pixel Tablet is what it means for Android
Over the last year, Google has been expanding its Pixel lineup in some big ways. After six generations of just making smartphones, it introduced the Pixel Watch and teased the Pixel Tablet last fall. At Google I/O, the Pixel Tablet officially launched, along with the Pixel Fold.
Hands on: The Google Pixel Fold is bad
Google's first foldable isn't what we hoped for.
It's a device that's been rumored for a long time now, and frankly, the Google Pixel Fold is a device that we were all hoping would be good. After all, we've seen four generations of Samsung foldables now, along with plenty of competitors in other markets. With the Pixel Fold launching at I/O and OnePlus poised to launch a foldable in Q3, the US is finally about to get some choice when it comes to foldable smartphones.
5 ways that Bing AI is about to get a whole lot better
Microsoft is announcing a bunch of improvements to Bing Chat.
Microsoft's Bing Chat has been around for three months, although it kind of seems like it's been here for longer, as it's part of a larger AI movement that's taken the internet by storm, for lack of a better term. The larger movement, of course, includes GPT-4 and ChatGPT, and even Google Bard.
ThinkPhone by Motorola review: Finally, a phone for ThinkPad stans
Can it live up to the Think brand?
The Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola, despite being a really strange branding decision, is a really good phone with some really smart features. It's designed for ThinkPad users, and the Lenovo-owned Motorola is finally starting to find ways to make its devices work with each other.
Hands on: Acer's new TravelMate P6 brings OLED to the business space
Looking for a business laptop with a pretty display? Acer has you covered.
Acer held its spring next@acer event today, introducing a wide range of products from Chromebooks to gaming laptops. In the business laptop department, we have the new TravelMate P6, and Acer was kind enough to send us a pre-production unit to check out.
Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) review: The best laptop on the market
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is our favorite laptop, and the 2023 model is even better.
The 2023 Lenovo Yoga 9i is just a plain old spec bump, now including Intel 13th-gen processors. Of course, the good news is that when I reviewed the 2022 model, I called it the best laptop on the market, and it's topped our list of best laptops ever since. If there's one thing you need to take away from this review, it should be that this laptop will take the place of its predecessor topping many of our best guides. It's just that good.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: The new Pixelbook
HP's Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is the best Chromebook there is, showing how a close collaboration with Google can change everything.
Google doesn't make Pixelbooks anymore, so if you want that kind of premium ChromeOS experience, where do you turn? As it turns out, you turn to HP, which partnered closely with Google on the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. I attended an in-person workshop where I talked to people from both HP and Google about it. It makes a lot of sense for Google to make this move since it can work with its partners instead of competing with them.