Software and operating systems: the complete hub

We see it every week. Someone buys a new laptop, gets a Windows they have never used, and a month later asks why the computer is suddenly full of things they never installed. Another person has a ten year old machine that would still do the job, it just needs something lighter on it. And a company that has just moved to Microsoft 365 discovers that email is only the beginning.
Software is the area where you get lost most easily, because none of it is visible. So we put everything important in one place. This is a hub for all our articles on software and operating systems. You do not have to read them in order; pick whatever you are dealing with right now.
The operating system: Windows, macOS or Linux
This is the decision that shapes everything else, both which programs you can run and how comfortably you work. If you are buying a computer or reviving an old one, start here, and if you are still only thinking about Linux, a comparison of the three systems will save you a lot of guesswork.
- How to choose an operating system
- Linux vs. Windows vs. macOS
- Which Linux distribution to choose
- An old computer and Linux
- Basic Linux commands
- What is WSL (Linux on Windows)
Getting the most out of Windows
Most people use Windows for ten years and still do not know half of what it can do. Yet it is exactly the restore points that will save you one day when the system gets stuck after an update, and a local account is a small thing that gives you back a bit of privacy.
- Windows 10 has ended: moving to Windows 11
- A local account in Windows 10/11
- Restore points and Windows system recovery
- Snap Layouts in Windows 11
- Widgets in Windows 11
- Phone Link: linking your phone
- Focus mode
- Quick Assist in Windows
- Keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac
- Command line, terminal and PowerShell
- What is bloatware
- Virtual memory and the page file
- Updates: why not to put them off
Cloud, email and the office
The cloud stopped being just backup a long time ago. For most companies and households it is where documents, photos and email actually live. If you are choosing storage, a comparison of the options shows what you really get for the money, and for a business rollout it pays to understand what Microsoft 365 includes.
- Comparison of cloud storage
- Microsoft 365: Entra, Teams, SharePoint
- Microsoft 365 for business
- IMAP vs. POP3 for email
- Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave
- How to edit a PDF
- Free software and alternatives
- Comparison of software licences
- What are cookies
- What is SSO (single sign-on)
- What is archive.org and the Wayback Machine
For the more advanced: virtualisation, containers, Git, API
Most people never get here, and they do not need to. But if you are curious how servers and modern development work, a virtual server (VPS) is a good way in, and containers with Docker explain why nobody installs applications the old way anymore.
- What is a VPS
- Self-hosting: running your own services
- What is Docker and containers
- What is Kubernetes
- What is a hypervisor
- What is Git
- What is a REST API
- What is an API and a webhook
- What is cron
- Which type of database to choose (SQL)
- Comparison of programming languages
- What is Obsidian
Remote access and software maintenance
When something stops working, it can often be fixed without anyone going to the computer. Remote access is a tool worth knowing, and a comparison of RDP, VNC and TeamViewer shows when to reach for which.
- Remote access: RDP, VNC, TeamViewer
- What is SSH and what it is used for
- Quick Assist in Windows
- Updates: why not to put them off
- Restore points and system recovery
- What are torrents
When to leave it to us
You can handle a lot of this yourself; that is exactly why we wrote these articles. But there are moments when it is not worth losing an evening hunting through guides, for example when a whole company needs to move to Microsoft 365, when backups have to be set up so they actually work, or when an old computer needs to be safely revived under Linux. In those cases it is faster and cheaper to call someone who does it every day.
For households we offer advice and support, and for companies we provide full IT management including software and updates. If you are not sure where to start, write to us through contact and we will advise what makes sense in your situation.
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