Choosing the right laptop for you and your business

There are many brands, hundreds of models, so when it comes to selecting the right laptop for your business and employees it can be difficult to know what you need from the machine itself its operating system.

There are three main components to look at in any laptop

• Power
• Performance
• Portability

Laptops available on the high street may appear tempting with special offers or bundled options, however nearly all models in retail stores will be suited and designed for simple home use, i.e. browsing on the web, doing homework etc; or created for gamers, with expensive graphics cards and added RAM for speed and effective visual output when gaming.

The cheaper the laptop the more basic it will be with a lack of ability to join it to a domain, run business software or multi-task with various windows/tabs open at the same time.  Cheaper laptop deals often also feature older generation CPUs (more about this later).

Laptop power & performance

When looking at any laptop consider the size and speed of the hard drive, the RAM, CPU and screen size.

These four components will make up the performance of the machine and generally the bigger the specification, the faster and smoother the computer will be to use.

Let’s break them down and explain the components.

The hard drive stores your information, documents, files etc. The larger the hard drive, the more you can store. The smaller the hard drive the less storage available and as it is used, the laptop may slow down and you may experience ‘freezing’ whilst accessing applications or files.

Anyone in a creative industry, working with larger files types such as videos or high-resolution graphics will require larger hard drives.

Measured in Gigabytes and Terabytes, the minimum specification for an office environment is 1TB however for maximum performance on any machine an SSD (Solid State Drive) may be worth investing in, although it can be costly, it can provide long-term effective performance.

The RAM manages the smooth running of tasks. A good average RAM for any office environment is 8GB – 16GB, however advanced graphics and web design will require a RAM of 32GB and above.

The Central Processing Unit or CPU has three elements to look at, the generation i.e. i5 (5^th Gen), the number of cores (dual-core, quad-core), and the speed of each core.  Dual-core should be the bare minimum used for an office laptop.

The generation is very important, a 1.9GHz CPU from three years ago will not perform as well as a 1.9GHz CPU built today. Newer chips are more efficient and less power-hungry, meaning the laptops are a lighter weight with a much longer battery life.

When looking at which screen size to opt for, consider the battery life and quality of screen required. Size does not equal quality, you will need to look at individual screen resolutions from the laptop specifications.  The finish is also important for some users and comes in matt or gloss which tends to reflect more making the screen harsher on the eyes.

The more creative your business i.e. if you work with images or videos the better quality screen you will require therefore opt for a higher resolution screen.

An average laptop screen may be 1366 x 768p, through to a decent screen of1920 x 1080p, some offer Full HD.

The larger the two numbers on the spec, the clearer the laptop screen image will be.

Laptop portability

Portability will depend on the size, the weight and the battery life.

Laptops can range from 10.1” through to 17”, with ultra-thin laptops weighing from 1kg with larger bulkier models weighing sometimes four times as heavy at 4kg.

If you or your employees are going to travel with a laptop daily or frequently, a lighter laptop is the best option.

Laptops with the biggest screens are great when working however the larger the laptop the more battery power required for it to operate, therefore always check the average battery life before making a purchase and read reviews from other users of the machine to see if the manufacturers claims of battery life are true to their word. Charging points in public places i.e. on trains and at airports are more common these days, however the longer the battery life, the better.

Let us help you find the right laptop

At Myriad, we’ve assisted many businesses and charities finding the right laptop, from an initial chat, discussing what you require we can provide competitive quotes and offer commissioning, data trasnfer and joining to your domian so that it’s ready to go when you receive. If you are in the market for a newmodel then please dont hesitate to contact us and we’ll see what the best current deals are then select something that suits your criteria

Embracing The Cloud

Amazon, Google Drive, Drop Box all offer cloud storage solutions and as the amount of UK businesses now using cloud computing continues to grow, have you considered how moving to the cloud could help your business?

Before the cloud, finding the right software and applications for any business was often difficult and potentially costly without any guaranteed results. Many business programs or software would offer a one-size fits all approach without considering the business type, size or industry that your company was in.

Once chosen, the software would require the right IT infrastructure to support the installation and configuration, regular testing and updating to ensure it could be used smoothly by all users.
This was a challenge to small and large companies alike; even those with their own in-house IT often struggled to find and implement the right software successfully.
With the introduction of cloud computing it has eliminated these risks, reducing the costs, making it easier to use on any platform and removing the need for on-going maintenance and updates in house. With online software such as Office 365 you only pay for what you need and use as opposed to offline programs that would require the purchase of the whole package, with many applications going unused.

Up-scaling and downscaling in the cloud is also a lot easier, with upgrade options available the very same day, which means your business continues to operate without any IT restrictions. Apps can be customised to suit your employees, whether they are working from home, the train or even on holiday, everything is available at their fingertips, quickly and securely.
The cloud can be accessed by PCs, laptops, tablet devices as well as smartphones and as more employees are now working with mobile devices, moving to the cloud could provide the flexibility your business requires.

We work with businesses that are permanently online, removing the need for a ‘traditional’ office and the costs that this can incur. The world is on the move and keeping your business just as adaptable can be a strong advantage over competitors.

Moving to the Cloud

Changing any business’s IT infrastructure and systems can seem daunting and without experiencing the cloud for yourself it can be difficult to see the true advantages and reasons to make the switch. This is where we are here to help, we offer advice tailored specifically to your business, from its size through to the industry, we can help find the right Cloud solution for your business.
Moving to the cloud can remove the requirement for daily backups and updates, reduce your operational expenses and make working life a lot easier and simpler, with one-click user logins you can access all of your files on the move wherever you are, making your business mobile and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without the need to have an onsite team based in an office.
Installation is quick and can even be undertaken remotely by one of our technicians to minimise any office disruption.

Our Cloud Package
At Myriad Digital, we understand that internet and data security is paramount to any business, this is why we only use cloud solutions provided by the most respectable providers in the industry.

Please click below to see what we have to offer and call us if you are considering moving to the cloud
G Suite
Office 365
AWS or Amazon Web Services

We also offer a full range of IT services, support and maintenance. This means whether you need a helping hand onsite or some remote assistance to help with any queries, our team are here for you and your business whenever you need us.

How Investing in the Right Technology can make the difference to your business

Technology changes every day, whether it’s a completely new innovation or improving or updating the equipment we use currently.

Technology companies around the world work tirelessly to compete and to improve on what they can offer businesses, both large and small to help drive growth and productivity.

Investing in the right technology now can help with your commercial success in the long and short term. Whatever industry you operate in, businesses can succeed or fail based on their technology strategies and subsequent investment.

A new generation of technology businesses such as Apple, Google and Amazon turned the business world on its head in a very short space of time and now dominate their retrospective markets due to their technological developments and application thereof. They changed how other businesses work and doomed others without the right technology and IT infrastructure to fail overnight.

We understand that planning your IT requirements for the longer term can be difficult and daunting, given the speed with which technology is advancing. However by looking ahead, expecting change and being able to adapt when required helps you to ensure your business is as technologically future-proof as any business can be.

Laying the technology foundations for your business now gives you the ability to develop your plans or pivot when you need to.

Plan your IT Strategically

All planning needs to begin with a review and an audit, to assess and look at where your business IT is now and where it needs to be.

You need to look at what technology you currently use, the advantages/disadvantages and how it can be improved upon.

The next step is looking at where you want your business to be in a year, two years or 10 years, what you are looking to achieve and what the specific targets of the business are.

We can’t guess what technology you’ll need in 10 years, but we can help you attain your business goals by suggesting and supplying the right technology, whether it’s hardware, software or online applications that will facilitate the business growth you are looking for.

Our IT audit covers :

• Data Backup
• Cyber Security
• Anti Virus
• Best Practices
• Network Services
• Server performance
• Computer performance

Your IT strategy is just as important as your business plan

Putting technology at the heart of your business strategy allows you to plan, fosters growth and development and increases productivity in your business.

Remaining with older out-dated and unsupported IT systems, hardware and software puts your business at risk and with the continuous technological development will need to be updated at some point.

The earlier you plan and adapt for technological change, the better the advantage over competitors and stronger your business will be going forward.

Your business plan and IT strategy are intrinsically linked and should be integral to one another. In this technological age no business can afford to be complacent and any improvements to business operations and productivity can save a company thousands of pounds.

To find out more about planning your business’s technological future and a free IT audit contact us on 01626 360011.

Here’s a list of the most important things you need to reduce the risk of being hit by ransomware – of course if you feel you need more advice or a system audit then please call us and we’ll pop round !

Simple steps to prevent ransomware attacks:

1 BACKUP REGULARLY – Please note that many conventional backup methods may be compromised.

2 PATCH YOUR SYSTEMS – Keep your software up to date

3 EDUCATE YOUR STAFF – This goes a long way to avoiding the problems

4 PROTECT YOUR NETWORK – Get the right anti virus solutions in place

5 SEGMENT YOUR NETWORK – keep your critical apps and data isolated

6 SECURE YOUR ENDPOINTS – including all smart phones !

7 – PROTECT ANDROID DEVICES – including tablets

8 – QUARANTINE ROGUE FILES – Consider sandboxing to filter the good from the bad

At myriad digital we have extensive experience of implementing system security that works, so if you want help with any of the above aspects or you would like us to test your infrastructure then please call us to arrange a visit

Our managed Wi-Fi solutions allow you to offer secure internal and guest Wi-Fi access with full control of accessibility across all devices.

We implement Wi-Fi policies that allow you to provide the right level of access to both in-house and public Wi-Fi users providing appropriate connection protocols for staff, contractors and public hotspots.

The Wi-Fi hardware that we deploy provides a number of key advantages over other Wi-Fi solutions including:

• Rapid Deployment
• Scalability for Thousands
• Long Range Performance (up to 600ft)
• Simultaneous Dual-Band Wi-Fi
• Advanced Software Features

Have you used the British Airways website recently?

Debit and credit card details may have been stolen from over 185,000 customers after the British Airways website was hacked yet again.

It is estimated 77,000 had their name, address, email address and detailed payment information taken and 108,000 people lost personal details.

This comes after a previous breach of its website earlier this year affecting 380,000 transactions, where passenger names and home addresses were compromised, as well as financial information, including debit and credit card numbers, expiry dates and CVV codes. In this instance, malicious code designed to ‘skim’ financial data was injected into the British Airways website without being detected.

All websites are based on code, it determines the functionality along with the overall design, but malicious code can be injected instead. It is common for websites to embed multiple pieces of code from other sources or third-party suppliers and hackers can exploit this vulnerability.

Both attacks were carried out by the same perpetrators.

British Airways will be contacting the customers affected by this to inform them if their details have been stolen.

Unfortunately British Airways are not the only company to experience this type of cyber attack and they are on the rise.

Once cyber criminals have personal data it can be used to access bank and credit card accounts to make fraudulent purchases. Stolen data may also be sold using the Dark Web.

Some security experts suggest that it’s likely the data stolen by the British Airways hackers is already available for sale on the dark web.

There will be an investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

You can check if your personal data has been compromised by data breaches by using https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Designed and hand built by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple in 1976, the Apple 1 was a bare circuit board provided without power supply, monitor or keyboard. It could be used for playing games, running the BASIC operating system or developing programs.

As a Hewlett-Packard employee, Wozniak originally offered HP the rights to the Apple -1. It declined.

To fund the project Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator for $500 (£318), while Jobs sold his VW Microbus. 200 units were created in total and 175 sold.

It went on sale in 1976 for $666.66 (around £545) and it was the world’s first low-cost, assembled computer.

With the release of the Apple 2, Jobs and Wozniak wanted to reclaim some of the original boards used in the Apple 1, so they offered trade-in discounts against the new model. The boards which were reclaimed were then destroyed explaining why this product is so rare.

There are approximately 60 Apple 1 computers remaining, with only eight working examples. The Apple Registry has a list of them all.

The auction took place in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday and  the final bid was won by an anonymous businessman who placed his bid online.

The highest price ever paid for an Apple -1 was $905,000 (£575,900) by the Henry Ford museum complex in October 2014.

In May 2015 a box of electronic goods was dropped off at a tech recycling business in Silicon Valley. This box contained a 1976 Apple 1 which was subsequently sold at auction for $200,000. Before chucking out or recycling computers, laptops, mobile phones, software or hardware it’s worth doing a quick Google check to see if they are an older, rarer technology which may fetch you a pound or two.

When you first bought your PC or laptop it was the best model on the market, with the most up-to-date specification; It was super speedy, navigated around the web quickly and had no issues opening multiple tabs at once, now everything seems to have grounded to a halt, searching the web has becoming painstakingly irritating and you’re left wondering – do I need a new PC or an upgrade to the RAM? Try these simple tips first.

Malware and viruses

Do you have a virus or malware on your machine?

When you purchased your PC/laptop did you remember to install anti-virus software? Many laptops or PCs from high street providers come with McAfee, Kaspersky, Norton or other antivirus software packages which offer virus and malware protection. There are also many free lite versions online which can offer basic protection.

Being infected by malware or a virus can happen easily for example by clicking on a link in an email, downloading ‘free’ software from the internet, from file sharing services and even USB sticks. These can go undetected for weeks and can render a PC or laptop unusable or very slow.

Check for malware or viruses using your existing anti-virus software, they have inbuilt scanning programs to detect any threats. If you have no antivirus software installed use Google, Bing or any search engine to find and download  MalwareBytes and/or SuperAntiSpyware from the genuine approved site. Beware of downloading them from other possibly bogus sites. Both of these apps are recommended and effective to highlight any issues or threats and potentially quarantine/remove any viruses or malware which may be lingering.

We offer our clients an award-winning antivirus software solution suitable for organisations of all sizes, applicable to all platforms, with end-to-end encryption solutions also available. Talk to us on 01626 360011 for more information.

Is your PC or laptop up to the job?

What you do on your laptop or PC will determine how fast it performs. Every computer has a specification that makes it suitable for specific activities and some apps are more demanding than others.

For example, installing elaborate games can use a lot of system resource. The more graphic driven the game, the more demand it will have on your computer’s resources.

Image manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop can demand a lot from your computer, making it harder to open more apps at the same time and making switching between windows slow & clunky.

Media storage, such as music, videos and photos will all slow your laptop or PC experience depending on its memory capability. Uploading some of your media to a secure cloud based storage may make things faster and you’ll have access to the media on any device.

Did you know the web browser you use can also affect your overall PC/laptop experience? Some are considered faster to work with than others, with quicker loading times. Google offers ‘lite pages’ a feature that lets Chrome reduce data use by up to 90 percent and load pages two times faster. Little tweaks like this can make all the difference.

Regular Maintenance

Getting in to a routine of regular PC maintenance is a good way of preventing your PC or laptop from slowing down in the longer term.

Windows operating systems have tools to enhance your system experience. Search for ‘Defragment and Optimise Drives’ in your start bar search bar (Windows 10) and click on the program, here you can choose which drives you wish to optimise. In older versions of Windows this can also be accessed by clicking on all programs on your start menu and clicking through to accessories or window accessories and system tools.

When was your last Windows update? Have you checked your plugins and basic applications have been updated recently? Many PCs and laptops do this automatically however you can check for updates in PC settings in the Updates and Security tab.

Did you know web browsers such as Google and Bing use a browser cache to improve performance of frequently accessed web pages. When you visit a web page, the requested files are stored in your computing storage in the browser’s cache. These can build up and prevent your laptop or PC using it’s RAM effectively. You can clear your Cache by opening up the web browser you use i.e. Google, going in to settings in the top right hand corner (three dots) clicking on Settings, Advanced and scroll down to Clear browsing data, here you can clear your cookies, cache and browsing history.

In 2019 we are demanding more from our technology, gone are the days of slow dial-up internet and waiting for pages to load, we want our PC or laptop experience to be instantaneous and fluid, especially when we use it for business.

Talk to us to discuss how we can improve your business IT, with super-slick hardware and quick IT support.

Get ready for GDPR

With major advances in IT occurring rapidly and consistently for many years there have been changes also to the ways in which individuals and organizations communicate and share information.

It is for this reason that the EU have deemed it necessary to review all of the legal codes in EU states and yes that means us irrespective of Brexit.

Many core concepts existing under the current EU data protection regime (Data Protection Directiveor DPD introduced in 1995) will remain broadly similar, however many will change and these have to be in place by May 2018 and these changes present new compliance challenges for businesses.

This is where we can help. View the GDPR_white_paper here or call us to book a review of your policies so you can be compliant come the big day in May.

View our Privacy Notice here