By Bob DeLaurentis Q: My computer slows down the longer I use it. A restart will make it better for an hour, but I fear this problem will get worse. A: Computers slow down for many reasons. When a computer slows down, it generally means a resource is constrained. The most serious constraint is a nearly full disk drive. Every drive needs local storage to grow, and a too-full drive can cause slowing just as you describe. A good rule of thumb for drives is to avoid using the last 20 percent of free space. If the drive is not full, the next sus- pect is random access memory. RAM fills up for different reasons. Perhaps there are too many open programs. These pro- grams generally appear in the Windows Task List (or the Dock on a Mac), and they include items that were opened up auto- matically along with programs you launched yourself. Not everything appears in the Task List. Viruses, for example, are good at hiding them- selves. From here the guessing starts. A bad file on the disk can sometimes cause slowing, as can network traffic - especially things like uploads. Over time, computers collect digital bits and bobs that clog the plumbing, making it necessary to reinstall the operating system from scratch. These troubleshooting steps are best per- formed by an expert. One last suggestion, which will seem a bit like it is coming out of left field. And this applies to owners with older computer hardware facing a repair cost approaching $300 or more: consider switching to an iPad. That can be a better investment for long term happiness. Q: Watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" has been a holiday tra- dition since my childhood, and this year it can only be viewed on AppleTV+. Does this mean I have to buy an AppleTV? A: Not necessarily. The name AppleTV applies to three different things: a hardware device that attach- es to your TV, an app that delivers a variety of streaming channels, and a streaming service that delivers movies and television shows. The subscription streaming service is called AppleTV Plus, usually writ- ten as AppleTV+.
Slow computer, AppleTV explained
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December 2020 Mature Focus
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