Blackview MP200: Complete (and cheap) miniature PC

The mini PC category is less represented in our country compared to laptops, but occasionally we get a piece from MSI or Gigabyte. When I received an email from Blackview and with it an opportunity to broaden my horizons, I didn’t hesitate and agreed to test their MP200 solution. The compact computer with an 11th generation Core i5 processor got both RAM and an SSD in the package, which is remarkable at a 400-euro price. Read more “Blackview MP200: Complete (and cheap) miniature PC” »

Can you run Windows 11? App tells you what’s blocking upgrade

The “popular” topic of HW requirements of Windows 11 is back. Microsoft’s initial draconian position has softened a bit, but uncertainty remains (for example, there are rumours that officially unsupported hardware might not get updates). If you’re planning to upgrade, you may find Microsoft’s new diagnostic app helpful: it clearly tells you which requirements are met by your hardware and which not, requiring upgrades or changes. Read more “Can you run Windows 11? App tells you what’s blocking upgrade” »

MS allows Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, with caveats

Since June, hardware requirements of Windows 11 have been a hot topic—the necessity of having TPM 2.0 and the supported CPU list that leaves out some PCs mere three years old. Fortunately, it looks like the hopes that Microsoft will get more pragmatic about this have come true and the company will allow the new OS to be run on older PCs that do not make the cut officially. But it is going to take an extra bit of work. Read more “MS allows Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, with caveats” »

MSI Cubi 5 10M-035EU: Small, power-efficient, but kinda expensive

There is an increasing trend to shrink hardware that does not need to be unnecessarily large. A good example of this is the Cubi 5 computer in a case with a volume of only three quarters of a liter. You don’t have to worry about storing it. It will not take much space on the table and I can imagine it hanging on one of the monitors. It performs very well functionally, but the question remains whether it is worthy of its purchase price. Read more “MSI Cubi 5 10M-035EU: Small, power-efficient, but kinda expensive” »