5 Advantages to Buying a Chromebook

While chromebooks are not as powerful as gaming laptops, they’re plenty fast for basic tasks like checking email or browsing the web. If macOS or Windows 10 is not your choice above all others, these web-based laptops are both reliable and inexpensive. If you have a tight budget or looking to get some light work done, Chromebooks may be a good option for you.

1. Durability

Chromebooks are designed for classroom environments, so most of them have spill-resistant keyboards and extra tight hinges. As we all know, kids (as careful as they are) have a tendency to drop things, particularly technology. Though we don’t recommend chucking one off of a cliff, they can survive minor drops and other unplanned disasters.

2. Affordability

As we are all well aware Apple MacBooks tend to be on the higher end of the price point when choosing a laptop. Chromebooks, which cost about €200-€400, are a budget-friendly alternative. For example, the 14 inch Lenovo N42 Chromebook, armed with 4GB of RAM and a Celeron N3060 processor, is €219 for the base configuration. For €120 more, you can choose a brand new Acer Chromebook 314 with 32GB of storage. For a 14” screen, you can’t ask for better value and quality than that.

3. They Look the Part

Some Chromebooks are really bland-looking, meant to be more practical than beautiful, while others have that high quality laptop look to them. For me, Acer have really hit the nail on the head as far as the design goes. Currently at a very affordable €339, the Acer 314-1H has a sleek clean look to it and with a 14” LED Screen, it really stands out from the crowd.

4. Good Battery Life

When it comes to Chromebooks, you can expect to get six hours or more on a single charge, as they use less power than Windows laptops. If you want to get another couple of hours out of it, we’d recommend dimming the screen and disabling Bluetooth. Ideal for bringing out and about when fully charged without the niggling fear that the battery isn’t going to last.

5. Largely Virus-Free Systems

The cool thing about Chromebooks is that you don’t have to download third-party virus software. That’s because they run ChromeOS, which automatically downloads new security patches every six weeks. That means you’re pretty safe from new-found threats, as they have built-in virus protection. With that being said, I wouldn’t say Chromebooks are entirely immune from malware attacks. Oh and since they’re webpage-based, they support something called sandboxing, which isolates threats to specific browser tabs.

For a full range of our Chromebooks on offer, visit https://www.greenit.ie/product-category/chrome/

Blended Learning – Advantages to a New Way of Learning

As students and teachers prepare to return to their studies and work in the coming weeks, learning as we know it may be taking on a new pattern. Blended learning is sure to become the norm for many colleges throughout the country.

Blended learning uses a mix of training strategies to deliver the best results. Combining traditional classroom training with online training, allows the beneficiaries to reap the benefits of hybrid learning listed below:

1. Flexibility

A blended learning approach provides ultimate flexibility in presenting content. Certain topics can be presented in the classroom, while other subjects may be available online. With an online component, you’ll also increase flexibility and convenience over how and when your students participate in learning.

2. Efficiency

With a well-planned blended learning strategy, you can efficiently and quickly deliver training to a broad audience. And with digital assets such as videos and recordings and eBooks, the potential for re-use is huge. You can easily help more people get up-to-speed after the initial rounds of training have passed.

3. Cost-effectiveness

Blended learning is a strategy that can be used to save money.  Including more online options in your training program saves on travel and missed work. When you are hosting live events online, you eliminate student and instructor travel costs.

4. Personalisation

A well-crafted blended solution can provide a seamless transition from classroom to computer or vice-versa. You can design ways of continuing discussion themes and personalising content to a person’s specific job or interests.

5. Extended reach

Creating a blended learning strategy reduces classroom teaching time. By digitizing the expertise of talented instructors or subject-matter experts, you can reach more people with high-quality content at a fraction of the cost. That frees up knowledgeable instructors to offer more classes, or create more training content, or work on other things.

6. Covers all learning styles

It’s always important to take learning styles into account then designing training for adults. Effective blended learning is a “best of all worlds” solution that can help you cater to all learning styles through a variety of media and techniques.

At GreenIT, we have embraced the new normal and can tailor our offers to incorporate blended learning tools to support businesses, schools and colleges whatever their needs may be. Get in touch to discover how we can help you.

Considering Refurbished Tech? Here’s the Benefits

Great deals don’t come along every day. Items, especially electronics, when sold at a lower price often come with a catch. This is what most people assume when they look at the price of a refurbished laptop.

However, there is a huge difference. 

Refurbished laptops are laptops that used to have a technical glitch that has since been restored by the manufacturer or seller. Since they’ve been used before being restored, they are priced much lower than brand-new laptops. 

The advantage of buying a refurbished product is that it’s taken through several quality control steps. Refurbished computers are tried and tested and have already stood the test of time. They then get the same care and consideration when going through the testing process for a second time. So while you feel that you may be compromising on buying a “dated” technology, you certainly won’t be compromising on quality.

While buying a refurbished product such as a laptop from a trusted source, you get many benefits that add to the overall value of a refurbished product.

Quality

Refurbished products are 100% functional. They also undergo rigorous testing before they are released into the market to be sold again. This means that a consumer gets the best quality product at a cheaper price.

In the case of laptops, the hard drive is wiped clean, the software is re-installed and the laptop is cleaned both internally and externally. 

Aside from minor aesthetic differences, it’s difficult to distinguish between a refurbished machine and a brand new one. They undergo a similar quality test as a brand new laptop would have and only after they pass the test, are they released to be sold in the market. 

Warranty 

When buying from GreenIT, all of our products come with a 12 month warranty. You may receive a 90 day guarantee from some resellers.  We provide that extra peace of mind with a yearlong warranty with an option to upgrade to 3 years.

Having a warranty period assigned to a refurbished product takes off the uncertainty that consumers associate buying a refurbished product with. This can only be the case when it has undergone testing and a thorough quality check.  If something does go wrong, which can even happen with a brand new product, once within the warranty period we provide support whereby a product can by replaced or repaired by one of our fully trained technicians.

Price

This is perhaps the most obvious and attractive benefit of buying a refurbished product. Most companies, like Apple, have a no-questions-asked policy when it comes to their returns and returns if done within their set time frame. Apart from damaged products, these also end up being sold as refurbished products.

The fact that it was pre-owned, means it now has to go through testing before it can be sold again and that is done at a significantly lower price. While buying a refurbished product, not only does a consumer pay less, you also get better bang for your buck.

Ultimately, refurbished products are so cheap because of a single primary reason – it all has to do buyer mentality and perception. No one will pay more for a pre-owned refurbished product, and sellers and manufacturers know that.

By selling refurbished technology at a lower rate, sellers cut their losses short. They also provide various benefits to refurbished products, such as the ones listed above to ensure that customers get the best possible service and product. 

To see the benefits of buying refurbished, visit https://www.greenit.ie/product-category/refurbished/ and judge for yourself.

HDD v SSD, What Suits Your Needs?

 

What’s the difference between SSDs and HDDs? Solid state drives and hard disk drives are similar in their physical specifications, but they store data very differently. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of drive, and deciding on which type is right for you comes down to how you use your computer. Our guide shows you how each type of storage drive works and what it means for you.

HDD

An HDD is a data storage device that lives inside the computer. It has spinning disks inside where data is stored magnetically.

HDDs are considered a legacy technology, meaning they’ve been around longer than SSDs. In general, they are lower in cost and are practical for storing years of photos and videos or business files.

They are a proven technology, and are frequently less expensive than a solid state drives for the same amount of storage. Currently, HDDs are also available with more storage space than SSDs.

The drawbacks to HDDs are a result of the mechanical parts used to read and write data, as physically finding and retrieving data takes more time than electronically finding and retrieving data. The mechanical parts can skip or even fail if they are handled roughly or dropped. This is a concern in laptops, but not as much in desktops. HDDs are also heavier and use more energy than comparable SSDs.

 

SSD (Solid State Drive)

SSDs got their name—solid state—because they have no moving parts. In an SSD, all data is stored in integrated circuits. This difference from HDDs has a lot of implications, especially in size and performance. Without the need for a spinning disk, SSDs are smaller in size. SSDs dramatically reduce access time since users don’t have to wait for platter rotation to start up.

SSDs are more expensive than HDDs per amount of storage but the gap is closing as SSD prices begin to drop.

Solid state drives deliver faster load times for games, applications, and movies. Because of the technology they use, SSDs are lighter and better able to withstand movement. In addition, SSD’s use less energy, allowing computers to run cooler.

SSDs are newer technology, and as such, are more expensive than HDDs. Although they are catching up, it can be harder to find large-capacity solid state drives. HDDs can be as much as 2.5 times larger.

 

Which is right for you?

HDDs are cheaper and you can get more storage space. SSDs, however, are faster, lighter, more durable, and use less energy. Your needs will dictate which storage drive will work best for you.

For instance, when it comes to Gaming, speed and capacity are paramount. Therefore they need a computer drive that accesses data quickly, which makes SSDs optimal for the best gaming experience.

When choosing between both, it is best to weigh up the pros and cons and determine what your usage will be.

Choosing the Right Desktop for You

 

When advising customers on what the right PC is for them, we always consider the following:

1. What is the main purpose of the computer?

A simple question, but something that gives a better understanding of what the customers’ needs are.  By finding out what the computer is to be used for, it gives a better understanding of what specifications are needed on the machine.

2. Is a fast processor necessary?

Is the customer is happy to spend time over their work or do they need the computer to react instantly to the demands of a busy person?

3. How much storage do you need?

Files and programs take up relatively little space yet if you have thousands of pictures, songs of videos these will eat up your storage quickly

4. How important is support?

Is warranty and support an important factor when choosing a new machine? Downtime can affect any individual’s performance, so having the right support from suppliers can be a big factor.

 

How do the specifications listed match your needs?

Processor

In terms of general office work, internet processing and Microsoft Office, anything from Core i3 2^nd generation onwards are good processors. The higher-end AMD processors are also good but Intel would be the benchmark

What tasks require a demanding processors – any type of rendering, encoding or decoding music or video files, creating large simulations, apply filters to large graphics or videos. Any of these tasks can take anywhere from minutes to hours to complete and the performance of your processor is directly related to the speed.

RAM 

For general use, 4GB of RAM is more than enough; you will however see a benefit from the speed of the RAM. Look for DDR3 RAM, not DDR2.  Higher RAM is necessary for very large files or playing higher end games. High-end graphics, gaming, or architecture work will benefit from 8GB or more RAM.

Hard Drive

There are 2 parts to the hard.

1. The GB which is how much information it can store.
2. The speed of the hard drive; the fastest desktop hard drive is 7200 RPM and has a 6Gb/s connection speed. This speed directly affects how fast you can access the information on your hard drive which in turn will affect how fast your computer starts, open programs, opens files, anything which isn’t already open.

Sold State Drives (SSD) is a new technology which is over 3 times faster than hard drives and can have a huge difference in terms of how fast your computer operates.

Graphics Card

This is a very specific area for gaming, graphics design, architecture, and engineering. For general use, the standard onboard graphics especially on the i3 and i5 processor PCs are good enough for any basic design work, internet use, and watching videos.

 

Support

GreenIT offers support to our customers. We have up to 3 years warranty on our products and a support platform that customers can rely on to resolve any issues they may encounter. Having a non-working machine for days or weeks on end can affect productivity greatly. At GreenIT we strive to provide our customers with the support they may require which brings with it confidence and peace of mind.

Managing the Return to Work for Businesses

 

Getting back to the office is something that has been on the horizon for many in the past few weeks. Starting from today it is a reality for most. Having gotten used to the working from home routine, employees now have to up-sticks and head back to their office set up, which may be a very different set up than they were once accustomed to. For businesses, it is important to get back to as normal a way of working as possible, while protecting staff’s health in the process. That may be easier said than done. Here are some tips to make the transition smoother

 

Returning Staff

Firstly, don’t bring back all of your staff in one go. Businesses need to establish which roles they absolutely need to have in the office, and plan accordingly, so as to reduce the health risk to employees.

Good hygiene practice would be to make sure that every device gets a proper clean before coming in.

To establish a gradual returning process, firms could bring workers back in the reverse order in which they sent them home to work, for example. Scheduling rotating shifts for employees who are back in the office will also be key to maintaining social-distancing policies, and to avoiding full office occupancy.

 

Office Protocol

It will be necessary to increase the distance between workspaces, and to strengthen hygiene procedures. Remind staff about regular hand-washing, providing hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment is also advised when returning employees to work. Temperature checks could also be implemented for visitors entering the building.

Social events will probably get a little bit less social, the number of staff attending team meetings should be limited, and in-person visits to the office will be restricted. After all, the past few months have demonstrated, if anything, that Zoom or Skype make for viable alternatives to real-life conversations.

 

Digital Hygiene

Cleaning up the digital mess that weeks of remote work might have caused will be a top priority for IT teams when workers start coming back into the office.

The same devices are going to be connecting directly into the company’s corporate network, and making sure that laptops are clean and free of malware will be critical. Implement a process for digital sanitation that will ensure a degree of hardware security, preserve multi-factor authentication and, if necessary, keep VPNs up and running.

Security was one of the most important challenges for CIOs as employees switched to remote working, and will still be an on-going issue as staff return to work.

 

Prepare for a number of staff to stay at home

Be it due to personal health reasons or personal preference, a proportion of the workforce won’t be returning to the office anytime soon. It is recommended to keep staff working from home where possible. Business leaders need to make sure that the technology infrastructure remains in place to support remote work.

That switch might be necessary again in the near future should a second wave hit, but could also be required in the more distant future, if other disasters hit. From an employee benefit, remote working has effectively switched to constituting a core part of business continuity.

Businesses should further accelerate the adoption of remote-collaboration apps, high-performance networks, and flexible cloud solutions.

 

Keep communicating

It has come as a challenge to many businesses to stay connected during the recent pandemic. With the majority of companies adopting work from home practices, communicating has been key. Over the weeks we have learned to adapt to online meetings to keep staff in the loop. Maintaining this communication is vital going forward.

With many returning staff now used to their at-home work routine, managers should also give employees plenty of time to familiarize themselves with working in an office again. Traveling to work, sharing a space with colleagues, or even re-connecting to corporate networks and setting up the office workspace, will require re-adjustment. It might be worth developing re-orientation processes and setting up plenty of one-to-one meetings to regularly check-in on employees.

 

Empathise

Requiring people to show up to work would be a company’s biggest mistake. Staff may require staying at home for a number of different reasons. Business leaders need to empathise with staff and prioritise their wellbeing to make sure that the staff keeps trusting their managers.

Employees will be cautious about returning to work due to the risk of exposure. Physical and mental health therefore becomes a top priority for all organisations.

Better Video Calls – 4 Handy Tips

Thew new norm for most businesses these days is a lot of online video interaction on a daily basis. Whether it is staff working from home joining online meetings, client meetings, webinars or online presentations, the quality of the video calls is key to getting messages across.
Here is a few simple tips to ensure you get the most out of your online video interactions:

1. Invest in  Webcam
Built in web cams can leave you with a grainy, low-light look. It is better to invest in a webcam that you can set up and move depending on your needs. (there may be one lying around the house). An advantage of having a separate webcam, means that you can place it at an angle, this gives a more natural look than sitting square on staring down the lens of the laptop’s built in camera. If doing a presentation, the webcam can also be easily  moved and directed at whatever you want your audience to see.

2. Raise Your Camera
Raising your webcam, so that it is at eye level is a simple tip that allows better comfort and a more welcoming look to whoever is on the other end. As mentioned, with a separate webcam you can move and place the webcam to suit your needs. Obviously, built in webcams don’t have the same flexibility. By placing something under the laptop, you can achieve optimal height so that the camera is at eye level. Remember to use something stable, be sensible and safe.

3. Background
Ideally you should have a neutral background. Avoid sitting in front of objects that may be distracting to your audience. Turn off any back lights that may cause glare. Instead, a handy tip is to have a light in front. Even natural light from a window can have a positive effect. It will give a more healthy look to your viewership.

4. Sound
Good sound quality is important for any online calls. Make sure you are set up with a good quality microphone and speakers. An external webcam will have it’s own built in mic usually and is better than one built into a laptop. Headsets which come with a microphone are a good tool for online video chats. Most nowadays will have noise cancelling headphones which allows you to cancel out any unwanted  noise interference. Another good tip is to place the microphone on the headset away from the camera as to not mask your mouth when speaking on camera. And where possible, mute your mic when not speaking. Bluetooth Speakers are also a useful means to get the most out of video chats

As we move forward to a new way of communicating, make sure you have the right set up that is most comfortable and complimentary to you.

Planning for the ”New Normal”

 

The past few months have been tough on us all, some more than others. For businesses, it has been a testing time. A lot of companies have been forced to temporarily close as we fight the pandemic together. Many have adapted to the restrictions and this has seen many employees working from home. As the phased reopening of businesses takes place, it is time for businesses to start the fightback.

Companies need to begin putting in place measures to ensure they get back on their feet, as the slow recovery begins:

 

1. Introduce Covid-19 Health & Safety Measures

We have all being doing our part in hand sanitising and keeping our distance. Whether it is out for a walk or doing the shopping, we have learned to adapt to the government’s-imposed restrictions, and it is working. As businesses start to reopen, similar measures need to be introduced to ensure the safety of all at work.

• Employee Sign In/Out procedures to ensure contact tracing
• Hand sanitiser Stations
• Temperature checks
• Social distancing put in place
• PPE provided where necessary

 

2. Working From Home

Many companies may have employees working from for the foreseeable future. In terms of productivity, it is advisable that staff are equipped with an ideal office set up at home. This will allow employees to carry out their daily roles to the best possible standard. Whether it is an additional monitor or an ergonomic chair, companies should try to accommodate staff members with the equipment they need to carry out their work. We should all prepare for a new normal of employees possibly having to work from home, particularly in the near distant future.

3. Suppliers

As we are all in this together, it is important to be open with suppliers. You may need more stock to cope with the surge in demand when the country, as a whole, ‘re-opens’. Maintaining strong relationships with suppliers brings with it, trust and support. Remember, they have been affected by the current situation as much as you, it is important to work together.

4. Understand New buying Behaviours

It is no secret that buying habits have changed dramatically over the past number of months. The demand in online sales has surged like nothing witnessed before. It is important that businesses understand new supply channels based on consumer buying habits. Review your online presence and improve on it where possible. Take advantage of the ‘New Normal’ and build your online activity to meet changing consumer behaviours.

5. Government Support

Businesses are being supported by Government initiatives. Make sure, as a business affected by Covid-19, that you avail of the supports available to you. The smallest things can help. From the Trading Online Voucher, the Online Retail Scheme to Grant Supports for business, there is something there that your business can avail of to get you back up and running. For a info on Government support see below:

https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/

6. Mental Health

We have all been through tough times. This pandemic has taken its toll both emotionally and mentally on a high number of people. Businesses have been hit hard in just a short few weeks. It is a phase of our lives nobody will forget. It is new to us all and it affects people differently. On the back of Mental Health Awareness Week, it is important to look after your mental health. Talk to someone, vent your frustrations, stay active, whatever works for you. Remember we are all in this together. We will come through it. Stay safe, stay connected, stay sane and stay active.

https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/together/

Choosing the correct hardware and software for you and your business is important. Buying the correct equipment enables you to get the work done right. Computers consist of two main elements, namely hardware and software. Hardware is the physical elements such as the computer hard drives, screens, printers, etc, whereas Software is the interface that you use to perform certain actions on your computer.

Here are some basic tips on choosing what suits your needs.

 

Always Buy Legally

It is always important to buy legal hardware and software and to register the products that you purchase. Choose reputable IT sellers and avoid the fly-by-night resellers. By registering your software, you are often able to receive additional upgrades, service and support at no additional cost. If you are using Windows then you will need to register your Windows software in order to be able to download important service packs and updates.

What is the Computer for?

What function you want your computer to perform and who will be using it? Each computer should complement the user and the software that is being used. A solicitor, for example, will require different hardware components and software packages than say a Graphic Designer.

Take the time to consider what your needs are and purchase accordingly. Remember, only buy what you need and try to avoid additional gimmicks or add-ons.

Video and Displays

Your choice of monitor and display size must be tailored to your needs. If it is for basic office functions, a laptop would be ideal. However Graphic Design professionals and those in the gaming industry will need to have a dedicated video card, essential for video and graphics performance.

If you use a laptop as your main working computer, adding an external monitor can be a huge benefit than working from a smaller sized laptop screen. The extra desktop real estate can make an enormous difference in productivity.

Warranty and Support

Most general consumers can do with a standard 1 year manufacturer’s warranty. As businesses expect to use their equipment for a lengthier period and at longer sessions, they should look for a warranty of 3 years or more. Ensure that there is tech support that can help with any difficulties you may have with your new IT. Downtime can affect business and if you don’t have back up, a professional support service can save you time and money.

Cost Saving

The right set of IT tools can set your business up for growth and increased productivity. To help you select the best technology at the lowest possible cost for your business, consider the following:

Are you getting positive results from your current hardware and software?

Do you need to replace any of your existing hardware with a more efficient model?

Is your new purchase a long-term investment?

Can you reuse any of your older equipment elsewhere?

Before making an investment in new hardware, GreenIT encourages everyone to consider the last point. Can you reuse any of your older equipment elsewhere?