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
Intel's entire 13th-gen lineup is here, from laptops to desktops
Intel has unveiled its entire 13th-generation lineup, including the U-series, P-series, H-series, S-series, and even more.
It's CES, and if you keep track of these things, you know that that means it's time for big announcements from PC hardware manufacturers. Intel is unveiling its entire 13th-gen lineup. While its unlocked K-series is already on the market for gamers, now it's time to take a look at the parts that will go inside of ultrabooks, gaming laptops, mainstream desktops, and more.
Acer Swift Edge review: A 16-inch laptop that will blow you away
It's 2.58 pounds with a big old OLED display.
When it comes to 16-inch laptops, you really have to think about your use case. Some are larger and heavier, packing 45W processors and discrete graphics that wouldn't fit in a 13-inch laptop; that's what you buy if you need more power. Some, like the Acer Swift Edge, serve the same purpose as a smaller laptop, just with a larger screen.
Surface Laptop 6: Here's what we'd like to see in Microsoft's next premium laptop
The Surface Laptop 5 felt like a very iterative upgrade, but there's room for the Surface Laptop 6 to be very exciting. Here's how it can be done.
The Surface Laptop 5 may be very recent, but it doesn't necessarily feel like it. Outside of upgrading the internal specs, Microsoft has kept the laptop mostly the same as the previous iteration, and the overall design is still basically the same as the original Surface Laptop all the way back in 2017. It's about time Microsoft made the Surface Laptop family exciting again, and we have some ideas as to how the Surface Laptop 6 can be the device that does it.
XDA's favorite laptops, accessories, and brands of the year
As the year comes to a close, let's celebrate the computers, accessories, and brands that found their way into our hearts in 2022.
2022 is coming to a close, and with the beginning of 2023, we're diving head first into new tech as CES 2023 kicks off in the first week of January. Before all that happens, though, it's a good time to recognize all the devices we loved to use during the past year. Many companies created spectacular products that push the computing industry forward, and they deserve to be celebrated. After all, these products set new standards for what we can and should expect in 2023 and beyond.
Best docks for the Surface Laptop 4 in 2023
Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 only has three ports, so you might need a Surface Connect or USB Type-C dock for more options. Check these out!
Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 is a great PC, but one thing that it doesn't have a lot of is ports. Specifically, it comes with one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, one Type-C port, a Surface Connect port, and a headphone jack. If you want more than that, you're going to need a dock. There are two kinds of docks that you can get: Surface Connect and USB Type-C. It's worth noting that neither the USB Type-C port nor Surface Connect support Thunderbolt, so while Thunderbolt docks will work, they'll be limited in functionality.
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2022) review: A less expensive, better looking Surface Pro 9
The new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2022) is totally redesigned, which means it comes with some pluses and minuses.
Like many of Dell's flagship laptops, the XPS 13 2-in-1 (2022) is a great product and has been for a while. However, this year we got a full redesign, turning it from a 360-degree convertible into a tablet. Now that it's effectively a Gen 1 product, there are some compromises.
Razer Blade 15 (2022) review: Gaming never looked as good as it does on this 240Hz OLED
If you want your games to look great without sacrificing refresh rate, look no further than the Razer Blade 15 OLED.
In the old days of gaming laptops, OEMs would sacrifice everything they could in the interest of a higher refresh rate. That meant you got washed-out colors and low resolutions just for a few extra frames. With the Razer Blade 15 OLED, you don't have to choose anymore.
New parent? Here’s why you should buy a Google Nest Hub this Black Friday
If you've got kids, the Google Nest Hub might be the perfect present for your family. Here's why.
It's Black Friday, and all day at XDA, we've been combing through all of the best deals. There's one deal that I've been investing the most in though, and that's the Google Nest Hub on Best Buy, which is 50% off of its normal price (it's even cheaper if you buy a two-pack). The reason is simple: I had a baby this year.
I'm tired of Intel laptops, but Qualcomm isn't doing enough yet to be a solid alternative
Intel laptops can be frustrating to use in the modern world, but its competitors aren't doing enough to give us alternatives.
After attending MediaTek Executive Summit in Sonoma, Calif., I packed my bags to head to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui. Right before I headed off to the airport, I went to grab something from my bag. Then, I had that dreaded yet familiar feeling.
This is the Razer Edge 5G, a Steam Deck competitor with very different priorities
At Snapdragon Summit, Razer was around to show off its Steam Deck-like Edge 5G, and we got to play around with an early unit.
This week is Qualcomm's Snapdragon Technology Summit, and as usual, the company flew in journalists from around the world to check out its new wares, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform. But there was one thing floating around the show that had to do with last year's announcements. Razer was holding meetings to show off its new Edge 5G handheld gaming console, the first device to include Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3x chipset.
Qualcomm has a name for its custom Windows on Arm silicon: Oryon
Qualcomm has announced that its upcoming custom Windows on Arm silicon cores will be called Oryon. There were no other details.
At Snapdragon Technology Summit 2022 in Maui today, Qualcomm announced a name for its custom Arm cores: Oryon. These are going to be included in the chips that are designed to take on Apple's M-series custom Arm processors. The company didn't offer any further details.
Adobe is bringing Acrobat and Fresco to Windows on Arm, probably
Adobe has announced that it's bringing Acrobat and Fresco to Arm64 Windows PCs. Hopefully it follows through.
At Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Technology Summit, Adobe took the stage to talk about its commitment to Windows on Arm, which it first made back in 2019 at Microsoft's Surface Pro X launch event. Today, Adobe Acrobat and Fresco are being promised to run natively on Windows on Snapdragon hardware.
This year's Windows Ugly Sweater is all about Clippy
Microsoft has announced its fifth annual Windows Ugly Sweater, and the 2022 garment focuses on Clippy.
For the fifth year in a row, Microsoft is releasing a Windows Ugly Sweater, and for the 2022 model, it's all about Clippy. The Windows Ugly Sweater debuted in 2018 with a Windows 95 inspired designed, followed by a Windows XP look the next year. Both produced in very limited runs and not publicly sold at the time, it was 2020's Microsoft Paint design that people could actually buy, with Microsoft also doing limited runs of older sweaters for fans to purchase. Finally, last year's was based on Minesweeper.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 30th Anniversary Edition review: For when you need Lenovo nostalgia
There were only 5,000 Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 30th Anniversary Edition made, and we got our hands on one.
Five years ago, I reviewed the ThinkPad 25, a 25th-anniversary laptop that was based on the design of the ThinkPad T470. It featured a chassis that was based on the ThinkPad T470 with a new keyboard, but few other changes. This year's anniversary model — the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 30th Anniversary Edition (it's a mouthful to say) — is actually based on the flagship ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and the changes are somehow even more subtle.
New Windows 11 preview puts Windows Studio Effects in Quick Settings
Microsoft released a new Windows 11 preview build that has some notable new features.
It seems like Windows 11 previews arrive more and more frequently, but Microsoft isn't slowing down. It's releasing Windows 11 build 22623.885 to the Beta channel today, or you can get build 22621.885 if you opted into the Beta channel but opted out of new features, for some reason. What's particularly notable is that instead of just including fixes, this build actually comes with some new features.
Surface Pro 10 wish list: What we'd like to see in Microsoft's next tablet
Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 is a great device, but it could be better.
It was only recently that Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 9, and sure enough, it's the best Windows tablet you can buy right now, on top of being one of the best Surface PCs on the market. Still, it's far from a perfect device. But as is typical in the tech world, we're always looking forward to the next thing. We've already got our sights on the Surface Pro 10, even if it's likely a whole year away.
The Surface RT was actually good - Windows RT was what went wrong
Looking back at the decade-old Surface RT, it was actually pretty good. The Windows RT OS, on the other hand, was awful.
October 26, 2012 marked a monumental date for Microsoft. When it came to Windows, everything changed in a way that we're still feeling the ramifications of today. That was the day that the company released its first PC, the Surface RT, and it was also the release date for Windows RT and Windows 8. A few months later, the Surface Pro arrived.
Surface Pro 9: Release date, price, and everything you need to know
The Surface Pro 9 is coming soon, and we're starting to know more details about it, including what's new, the release date, and more.
After months of anticipation, Microsoft has finally officially announced the Surface Pro 9. The latest iteration of the company's flagship Windows tablet comes with quite a lot that's new, from upgraded processors to merging the Surface Pro X line into a unified brand, and even some new colors for the first time in a very long time. Indeed, this is a pretty exciting iteration of the Surface Pro family, so let's take a closer look.
AMD Ryzen 7000 Series: Release date, price, and everything you need to know
AMD has officially announced that itits Ryzen 7000 processors. Here's everything you need to know about AMD Ryzen 7000 and the AM5 platform.
AMD's 2022 Product Premier included an assortment of new CPUs, desktop and mobile graphics cards, and some laptops APUs. In addition to the new Ryzen 6000 series APUs and its Ryzen 7 5800X3D V-Cache processor, AMD also announced the Ryzen 7000 series of CPUs. While there are still some details to be unveiled, most of the information is now official. Here's everything you need to know about the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs:
Microsoft Surface is 10 years old - Here's a look back
Microsoft's Surface lineup has officially been on sale for a decade, so we put together a timeline to show how the product line has evolved.
On October 26, 2012, Microsoft released the Surface RT, the first computer that the company every produced. That was 10 years ago today, and a lot has changed. I hadn't even written a blog post yet, but the things Microsoft was doing in the hardware space was exciting me.