How to zip a folder in Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows
How to zip a folder in Windows 10

You probably know how to unzip a file in Windows 10. You double-click on it. But Windows 10 can create zip files too, not just extract them. Here’s how to zip a folder in Windows 10 without buying or installing any additional software.

This option isn’t exclusive to Windows 10. Windows 7 included this functionality too, as did some versions of Windows I wish you wouldn’t use anymore. It’s hiding in a menu that doesn’t get a lot of use these days. But back when floppy disks existed, this menu was the fastest way to copy a file to a floppy. Today it’s the fastest way to create a zip file.

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Zero client vs thin client

Dave Farquhar Software
Zero client vs thin client

Zero clients and thin clients are two ways companies deal with the problem of sprawling computer infrastructure its associated costs. Instead of putting an expensive computer on every desk, you put something small and cheap on every desk and share that expensive computer. Let’s look at zero client vs thin client, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

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1980s technology

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
1980s technology

Although 1980s technology is recognizable today, by modern standards, it had shortcomings. Yet I can’t think of another decade that was so obsessed with technology. Growing up in the 80s probably is what made me a technologist, and I know I’m not alone in that. Many of my peers went the same direction I did for the same reasons. So let’s take a look at 80s technology and how it shaped the world to come.

Subsequent decades railed against the 1980s in many ways, but you have to learn how to walk before you learn to run. It’s clear that the 1980s was, if nothing else, that turning point. While 1989 technology is rudimentary compared to 30 years later, elements of modern technology were present in 1989 that weren’t visible at all in 1980. And not all of the 1980s nostalgia is negative. The Netflix series Stranger Things is a tribute to the 80s at heart.

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Video card vs graphics card

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing
Video card vs graphics card

Occasionally someone comes on a hardware forum and asks for help with the terms video card vs graphics card, and apologizes for possibly asking a n00b question. The thing is, it’s not a bad question at all. While there’s technically no difference between them today, in retro computing, there was a difference. And even in modern times, the two words certainly imply different things. So let’s dig in.

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How much RAM do you need?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
How much RAM do you need?

Let’s tackle a controversial computer hardware question. How much RAM do you need? There’s a difference between how much RAM you want and how much you need. You may very likely need less RAM than you think.

I want 128 gigabytes of RAM. But there isn’t a lot of point to it. Almost 20 years ago, I was buying 128 megabytes of RAM when most people had 32 or 64 megabytes. There was a benefit to being beyond the pale then. Not so much today. At least not that far out.

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$100 gaming PC? Not easy but possible

Dave Farquhar Hardware
$100 gaming PC? Not easy but possible

If you want a gaming PC but have a super-tight budget, a $100 gaming PC isn’t ideal and isn’t easy. But it’s possible to put together a PC for gaming on a budget that small. You can even leave some room for improvement for upgrades as your budget permits later on, which I recommend.

The basic formula for a $100 gaming PC is a used computer, ideally an old office PC, that’s old enough to be cheap but still new enough to run some games. Then add in a video card that fits your budget but is fast enough to run some games.

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