Sure, ‘IBM PC‘ might evoke people doing dull things in dull offices, rather than the cool things people do with computers today. But this was 1981. IBM‘s debut PC, the 5150, revolutionised the market … despite the fact that it failed to outperform its rivals and was light on features unless you became light of wallet buying a load of upgrades prior to plugging the thing in. But to borrow a later Apple phrase, IBM quickly won out because it could ‘think different’.

Hang on, IBM was a lumbering monolith. How did it think different?

By doubling down on the notion of not being unique. That sounds counter-intuitive, but bear in mind the market at the time was all about proprietary everything. People were tired of that, so IBM upended the industry by basing its system on standard off-the-shelf parts and open architecture. Users were encouraged to poke around. Third parties could plug holes in the ecosystem and then expand on it – all without permission or interference from  IBM. The 5150 was an instant success and IBM quickly dominated.

So why aren’t we all using IBM PCs, IBM phones and IBM smartwatches today?

That ‘open’ thing was a double-edged sword. Inevitably, the industry bellowed: “Send in the clones!’ Within a year, IBM was staring at cheap ‘copies’ of its creation. Before long, no one was referring to ‘IBM PCs’ nor even ‘IBM-compatible PCs’. Compaq, Microsoft and Intel called the shots. And by the mid-2000s, IBM had exited the market it created. That might sound like failure, but as the late Charles Pankenier, IBM’s director of comms for the PC, once said, its legacy is nothing less than legitimising computing at the personal level.

And like his alter ego, Patel has triumphed through broken bones, a pandemic, and depleted financing to bring us a fun action adventure flick that pulls so much from mythology it almost becomes its own. This mythology, combined with inspirations from modern action films culminates in a story that is maximalist in both its aesthetic and its narrative, for both better and worse.

The Lost Kid

The story begins with the unnamed protagonist, Kid, being imparted the story of Hanuman the Monkey King by his now-deceased mother. The Monkey, who had a penchant for mangoes, one day came across a mango so large he had to have it. And so he climbed all the way up a large tree to eat the giant mango, only to find that it was the sun, and was struck down by the gods in punishment.

Years later, Kid takes part in the underground fighting rings of Mumbai in a monkey mask, channelling the hero of his childhood. The only problem is – he’s not very good. Routinely taking a beating, Kid makes his money mainly by making the popular fighters look good for the sleazy showrunner, Tiger, played wonderfully by Sharlto Copley who’s so regularly in his element when embracing these zany, off-beat characters.

He intercepts a stolen wallet and returns it to its owner, one foul-mouthed Queen Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar), manager of a sordid clandestine gentleman’s club where women are ordered off the menu-like game. He begs for a job and eventually gets one, partnering up with the slick-talking Alphonso (Pitobash), who carries the energy of a used car salesman. Working in the club’s VIP, he spots an unmistakable ear scar belonging to Rana (Sikandar Kher), the same man who took his mother’s life many years before. Kid sets his eyes on killing this man, and many of the film’s antics ensue.

Monkey Man misses a trick by not letting Kid’s all-consuming vengeance be established right from the word ‘go’. When we, the audience, and Kid are introduced to the scarred Rana, it feels like the first time meeting him, only to learn that he’s been the object of Kid’s years-long obsession. Had Kid’s thirst for vengeance been established earlier, this might have felt like a culmination. Instead, we get an introduction with the context being filled later.

Vague Villainy

About two-thirds in, Monkey Man decides to throw in yet another villain, Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande), a religious leader and politician who has garnered god-like worship from the Mumbai populace. It’s here that much of the Monkey Man‘s momentum begins to peter out, for the simple reason that the story doesn’t seem to care about what exactly makes this man tick.

Monkey Man frames Shakti as an important figure in Kid’s past, present and future. That’s all well and good, but the story conveniently leaves out why he did what he did. We know he’s powerful and wants to stay that way, letting us in on what drives this desire for power would make him a more dynamic antagonist. In The Dark Knight, Joker doesn’t chase chaos just for the mere fun of it, he’s also making a point about the illusion of order.

The point is, a complex villain forces the hero to make complex choices. For instance, in the late 2^nd act, Kid is taken in by a group of gender-fluid worshippers of the Shiva-Parvati male-female godhead. Their philosophy of contradictory yet compatible concepts also extends to combat. The leader, Alpha (Vipin Sharma), teaches Kid that many ages ago theirs was an order of warriors. Alpha’s teachings help Kid reconcile the paradoxes of mercifulness and vengefulness, violent protest with peaceful intentions, which help Kid transcend as a warrior.

As interesting as this spiritual detour is for Kid, the crux of his becoming an elite warrior in this temple really comes down to him discovering a mysterious substance, and then an odd musical training sequence. After this, he’s ready to renew his revenge quest, except this time he’s stronger, faster, and more fearless, but any emotional development is lost in the mayhem of murder that Kid embarks on. Because Baba Shakti’s thematically a two-dimensional villain, he forces Kid into two-dimensional growth in that final stretch.

The Man in The Chair

Dev Patel has mentioned frequently in interviews that the movie is about vengeance and faith. It’s also a movie about class, societal prejudice, while also trying to blend modern action with mythology. This results in a maximalist narrative that tries to touch on a lot of different points but doesn’t always integrate them seamlessly. Instead, certain parts of the narrative feel designated to certain ideas, many of which are never revisited.

Monkey Man is truly in its element when dealing with vengeance and class. The fight scenes are energetic and visceral, channelling much of that John Wick’s violent physical humour, especially in the latter half. Patel is a good martial artist and moves fluidly from scene to scene, though he could still learn a thing or two from physical masters like Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves.

Patel does show some skill as a director here. He’s able to convey much without the movie telling you point-blank. An easy trait to champion from a competent filmmaker, but one that isn’t practised elsewhere often. From shots of zooming cars disturbing sleeping street children, to Kid sleeping in a room with dozens, listening to a girl relaying her prayers in the middle of the night, Patel uses the camera well to highlight the plight of the poor without pulling on heartstrings. He also shoots and edits Kid’s earlier fight scenes, whereas later scenes feel more controlled, featuring longer takes.

Monkey Man verdict

And so to wrap up, what Dev Patel has served up here is a multi-course meal with many different flavours pulled from many different creative regions. Reading and listening to interviews about the process of getting this Monkey Man made and finished, sounds about as arduous as the shoots of movies like Apocalypse Now and The Revenant. Dealing with an eye infection, broken bones, a crew member’s heart attack, a pandemic obliterating the funding, having to reuse crew members as extras, it’s amazing that the movie looks quite as good as it does.

Patel really flexes his directorial chops on this debut. If anything, this movie has too little explosion, opting instead to tell its story visually, something we never thought we’d say about a modern blockbuster. With amazing cinematography from Sheron Meir, great editing and a surprisingly stellar score from Jed Kurzel, Monkey Man creates a visually bombastic adventure that redefines what a modern action movie can be.

Monkey Man releases in theatres today, 05 April 2024.

You could be a South African app developer who has made and launched – or is about to launch – an app on the South African or international market, either way, the important thing is that Stuff and its panel of judges get a chance to use, test and review your app. You will then qualify and be in the running for Stuff’s 2024 App Awards.

This award isn’t solely about the recognition and enhancing your platform, though there’s certainly that aspect available. It is an opportunity for developers, particularly the smaller outfits who could use a boost, to get a shot at having access to a development incubator and getting a few steps closer to a local launch for their ideas. The first step is that the judges have something functional to test.

Got an app for that? Show us

“I’ve always believed in African problems being solved using innovative methods developed in Africa, says Stuff Editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak. “That’s what we’d like to focus on and elevate with the Stuff App Awards.”

The awards offer several categories for contestants to submit their work, divided into three overarching groups that encompass the entire field.

Judges include Toby Shapshak, Stuff’s editor Brett Venter, digital editor Duncan Pike and media personalities Jeremy Maggs, Bruce Whitfield, and Gareth Cliff.

The App Awards categories are:

• Fintech
• Ecommerce
• Gaming
• Sports
• Education
• Social responsibility
• Health
• Travel
• Upcoming developers
• Best use of AI
• Overall App of the Year

If you’re working on something or have released an app in the previous year, Stuff would like to hear from you.

Entries are now open and close on 25 April 2024.

In order to enter, pitch your idea, motivate for why it is the best in the category and meet the judges, you will need to click here: https://forms.gle/kb75doEkrhW1RH4Z8

The winners will be announced in a feature in Stuff’s print and digital magazine, followed by a feature on the Stuff website. Don’t delay, get your app to us today.

Now Read: In This Issue – The Gadget Awards (February-March 2024) Issue

Keep discovering

Don’t be that person who insists music died after an arbitrary year that’s in your head. Your phone provides access to countless songs. Use digital radio and streaming service recommendations to seek out music that’s new to you, and ensure your listening habits don’t become as stale as an Osmonds tribute act.

Test your ears

Are you an audiophile? Are you sure? Do yourself a favour and blind-test whether your ears can actually tell the difference between good-quality streaming and hi-res audio downloads. If you can’t, that might make you glum, but it’ll make things a lot simpler when playing music on mobile.

Buy the right kit

What is it you want to do with music and your phone? Block out the world? Get a pair of noise-cancelling in-ear buds or, for maximum isolation, over-ear cans. Blast your favourite songs into every room in your home? Try Apple HomePods or a Sonos setup. Pretend it’s 1983? Search for ‘cassette player phone case’ on Redbubble.

Pin your picks

There will always be albums that are special to you. Flag their tracks as favourites in streaming services to serve up more of the same. Pin them in Spotify. Also, add them to home screens as shortcuts or widgets. The free iOS app Albums: Music Shortcuts has great widgets for that – and within the app itself there’s also a nostalgic Cover Flow view.

Take it offline

You won’t always have instant internet access. So unless you want to listen to what an airline foists on you at 30,000 feet, or birds arguing when hiking in the wilderness, download favourites and keep them on your device. Maybe even consider buying DRM-free albums to own, rather than being at the whim of streaming services.

STASH TRACKS

Build playlists

If you like a tidy music library, chuck all the things you’ve not listened to yet into a bespoke playlist. Even better, if you’re on an iPhone/iPad, use MusicBox (R60) as a place to audition tracks that you’d like to check out later.

Swipe it up

For a handy combination of discovery and stashing, Recs by Discz (free with IAP on Android and iOS) is excellent. It borrows from Tinder, having you swipe through a stack of song cards to dismiss or like each one. The latter tracks go onto a Spotify playlist.

RETURN TO ALBUMS

Shift your habits

Turning decades of recorded music into a giant jukebox is fine, but delving back into the art of the long player can feel great. Filter your streaming view to albums, pick one, and resist the urge to skip.

Force LPs

If you don’t trust yourself and have an iPhone, Longplay gives you a grid of synced albums that you can re-order via various means. Tap one and it starts to play; further options lurk behind a long tap, but avoid them for best effect.

FINE-TUNE SOUNDS

Go Mono

Apps and operating systems can convert stereo to mono output – which is handy when wearing a single earbud to keep one ear on the world and avoid getting run over, or when your phone’s playing music in portrait, which makes nonsense of stereo.

Use EQ

Even the best phones have weedy bass when you play audio through their speakers. Try boosting it at the system level, or use a player that lets you fiddle with EQ levels.

Sing your heart out

Spotify provides lyrics for personal karaoke sessions, but Apple Music goes much further. If you see a mic button in the lyrics view, tap it to silence the main vocal and croon with your own gorgeous voice instead.

GO RETRO

Bring back the iPod

Because Apple lacks a nostalgia gland and a sense of humour, it smashes iPod tributes to dust (RIP Rewound). Google has no such cruel urges, and so retroPod (free) brings clickwheel glee to Android.

Try virtual vinyl

Should your format choice be more old-school, try the suitably named iOS app Vinyl Fetish (free with IAP), which bases playback around virtual records you can customise. This app gives you a virtual record for entire albums, not individual tracks.

PERFECT PLAYERS

Poweramp | Android

Poweramp is packed full of features. It’ll play almost any audio file you load on your phone, whereupon you can fiddle with everything from skins to EQ… and thereby consider yourself a unique genius until your friends bring you to your senses.

Dopper | iOS

If you’re an iPhone owner who still buys music (albeit digitally), Doppler will happily play whatever format you throw its way from any source. It’ll organise your audio too, searching for missing artwork and combining albums with multiple discs.

Cs Music Pro | iOS

If your main gripe with Apple’s Music app is that it was fine before Apple sidelined your music in favour of its streaming service, Cs will be bliss. It reimagines the classic app focusing on what you love – not what Apple wants you to love.

Others choose to go for a soft reboot, by pairing the iconic franchise hero with a plucky young individual who is a possible successor, testing the waters and putting the franchise in a position where it can pivot in a new direction with a new star if needed (see: Indiana Jones 4 with the addition of Shia LaBeouf, or Thor: Love and Thunder with Natalie Portman, and even Despicable Me 4, coming later this year, features the introduction of one Gru Jr.).

Kung Fu Panda 4 is another such addition to the catalogue of quadrilogies, a very soft reboot that, while continuing Po’s adventures, removes him from the Fast Five and introduces him to a potential successor. While it offers some fun action and humour, it ultimately struggles to escape the trap of clichés that filmmakers are faced with once you’ve squeezed most of the magic out of a franchise in earlier movies.

Kung Fu Panda: 4 the future

In the last instalment, Dragon Warrior Po had to deal with the responsibility of leading the Furious Five, whilst reuniting with his long-lost father Li Shan. Now, Master Shifu arrives to inform him that it is time for Po to ascend to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace, meaning he must choose a successor to replace him as the Dragon Warrior. He stops a tricky and resourceful fox (whom we later know as Zhen) from stealing ancient weapons and has her arrested.

Unfortunately, though, there’s news of Tai Lung’s return, and Zhen informs Po that this is the work of The Chameleon (dun dun dun!), a shapeshifting sorceress who is hell-bent on stealing and absorbing the kung-fu abilities of Po’s vanquished enemies.

In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po is still that bumbling, brave dumpling-loving goofball we remember from previous films. He shows an ability to solve problems without getting away from his unending belief in the goodness of others. It’s this that ultimately gets Zhen out of prison, and into the film as one of its main (and best) characters.

If there’s any problem with Po, it’s that he’s almost too good. He’s so far into his journey as the Dragon Warrior that he can find a solution to almost any problem (even if he winds up creating more on the way). He has little doubt, no existential fears. Everybody loves him, his fathers get along, and his belief in others is almost always rewarded. His only problems are how strong and powerful the villain he is currently facing is, and he always overcomes those, too. It’s a shame the movie doesn’t use this to have Po ponder his mortality as a warrior.

Zhen’s backstory is simple and run-of-the-mill. She’s an orphaned fox who learned to steal and hustle on the busy streets of Juniper City. She creates an interesting dynamic throughout — with her confident and brash personality — countering Po’s frantic and uncertain energy. And it’s here where most of the film’s comedy chops are put to the test.

Mortal Combat

If you were at all stressed about Kung Fu Panda 4 fumbling its villain, don’t be. You can thank Viola Davis’ amazing and electrifying performance for that, dominating any scene she’s given space to run around — creating what turned out to be a rather formidable foe — for both Po and the writers.

Unfortunately, it’s here where the film stumbles a bit. After a life of constant rejection for her size, The Chameleon decides to master kung-fu by way of sorcery. It’s unclear why exactly her goals are beyond becoming the supreme kung-fu practitioner. Is it for pride? To be loved? To be feared? If so, why? Her master plan is a great undertaking of effort, but her motivation for it is a little thin.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is packed with well-choreographed action scenes, but you probably already guessed that. Though they aren’t filled with as much originality as previous films, they’re still fun and kinetic. The film’s final showdown is its crowning achievement, as expected, offering up a visual spectacle befitting the Kung Fu Panda name. Even so, we’d have liked to see The Chameleon take on a few more action sequences throughout the film.

Kung Fu Panda 4 verdict

It’s hard to inject freshness and novelty with each new entry of an established franchise — especially when you’re nearing a fifth instalment. As the well of great and original ideas runs out, filmmakers and producers play it safe, staying away from bold creative choices that risk alienating fans and thus, shrinking that box office haul. This results in a product that is ‘just fine’, as long as it’s profitable. And that’s what Kung Fu Panda 4 is: just fine. It’s filled with fun action scenes and some good humour, but its fear of daring storytelling choices leaves the story vulnerable to the cliché, betraying a lack of the out-of-the-box storytelling that made previous movies so great.

If you have a hard time with this, you may find the story too predictable. This is not likely to be a problem for the children, though. The movie is packed with enough action and humour to keep them entertained for the relatively short 1:30-hour runtime. Kung Fu Panda 4 promises to be yet another fun and colourful experience for the little ones, especially if they love action heroes. The adventures of Po the Dragon Warrior continue in this film with colourful landscapes and fight scenes, and a cast of side characters with their own funny quirks. The animation is good, and the voice cast does a wonderful job.

Kung Fu Panda 4 releases in theatres this Friday, 22 March 2024.

Most phones come with a notes app baked in but those are generally pretty bland and don’t offer much in the way of features. These apps, on the other hand, are purpose-built for chronicling your life or jotting down your thoughts. They’re (mostly) free or at the very least won’t charge you to download them.

1 Second Everyday Journal
Taking the modern-day fad for brief videos to its logical conclusion, this app asks you to select one second of footage from every day of your life. At the end of a decade, you’ll be able to watch a 1hr memory trip with more slam cuts (and probably more coherence) than a Michael Bay flick. Don’t want that commitment? It’s good for short ad-hoc projects too.
Free (IAP) / Android, iOS

Day One
This giant of digital journalling is the closest in nature to a paper diary, in that it lets you record your life in the way that best works for you. The app excels because of its flexibility, being well suited to folks who just want to make photo grids or map views from recent events, or anyone who strongly believes that every journal entry should be comparable in length to War And Peace.
Free (IAP) / Android, iOS

5 Minute Journal
Some might grumble at this app’s insistence you “surround yourself with what brings you joy” and “be in a state of gratitude”. But it has a point: this methodology can make you more mindful and boost positivity. And a five-minute journal in digital form brings advantages by allowing you to integrate images and video, and dig into meditation sessions and other helpful guides.
Free (IAP) / Android, iOS

Presently
The other apps in this roundup are keen to bolt on features, and then gate them behind payment. Not Presently, which is free and to the point. For each day, it asks what you’ve been grateful for. Tap a lightbulb and you get a new prompt. In the settings, you can adjust a few aspects of how the app looks, and that’s about it; but this all comes across as refined and focused, not brutally basic.
Free / Android

Moodistory
This one has you record how you feel day to day, rating your mood from 1 to 5 and adding context through journal entries. Inputs build to form a colourful calendar that lets you make connections between moods, days and activities. Well, that’s as long as you don’t spend all day laughing at text prompts whose wording makes it sound like you’ve murdered someone: “What did you do?”
Free (IAP) / Android, iOS

MealSnap
For health reasons – or because they inexplicably really like taking photos of food – many people shoot snaps of every meal. This app stores such pics and adds context through snack counts and portion sizes. This can be handy for tracking without the dull minutiae of calorie counting… or for lovingly pawing at pictures of meals without inflicting them on the rest of us via Instagram.
Free (IAP) / iOS

Now read: Mini Meme – Bots you can fit in your pocket

Hit and hope – You’re at the mercy of your device’s maker regarding when/if you’ll actually get Android 14, and which goodies will end up on your smartphone. The tips here are for vanilla Android – your options might differ. If you have a Pixel 4a or newer, head to ‘System update’ in the settings to check if the revamped OS is waiting for you.

Lock it down – Security is a major part of Android 14. It’ll block ancient apps built for Android 5.1 or older – although anything already on your phone will still run. Passkey support is improved, and there are new PIN input options. In ‘Security and privacy’ > ‘Device unlock’ > ‘Screen lock’, you can disable animations to thwart people nosing over your shoulder as you type to unlock.

Share the love – Android has a default share sheet, but some apps override it to add custom components. Android 14 seeks to stop this by giving app creators ‘ChooserAction’ slots that surface key commands within the standard share sheet. The redesign also makes it clearer what your action will do, such as sharing a link or an image.

Check your battery – Android 14 is optimised for battery life, and tracking options are improved. In Settings > Battery > ‘Battery usage’, there’s a welcome return for ‘Screen time since last full charge’, which helps you understand phone use. For background drainage, dig into ‘View by systems’ to see what’s eating your battery.

Adjust alerts

Splash the flash – In Settings, go to Notifications > ‘Flash notifications’. Toggle and preview options to flash your camera and/or screen when a notification arrives. This feature is designed for the hard of hearing but can benefit anyone surrounded by noise.

Fine-tune volumes – In the ‘Sound and vibration’ section of Settings, you now have the means to define separate volume levels for your ringtone and notifications. So you can make alerts more subtle but still be sure to never miss a call.

Read more easily

Go (really) large – You could already scale fonts in Android (Settings > Display > ‘Display size and text’). But now you can go all the way up to a whopping 200%. Smartly, the scaling is non-linear, which stops headings from becoming too gigantic.

Access quick settings – When you only want to change your system font size temporarily, digging into Settings is annoying. Handily, then, you can use the ‘Font size’ tile in Quick Settings, which gives you the same font-resizing slider as found in Settings.

Make it your own

Rock the lock screen – In Settings, head to ‘Wallpaper and style’. Swipe between the clock options to choose a style; tap the button below to access a screen where you can define the clock’s colour and size.

Take a shortcut – Scroll down and tap Shortcuts, then select which two action buttons you’d like on your lock screen – including Home, Camera, Do Not Disturb, Mute, Torch, Video Camera, Wallet, and a QR code scanner.

Create wallpapers – Under ‘More wallpapers’, you can choose from a built-in selection – or make your own. For example, tap ‘Emoji workshop’, choose a bunch of different emojis, and then decide how they’re displayed in terms of pattern and colour scheme.

Master gestures

Drop it – Although it’s best suited to larger screens, drag-and-drop exists on Android 14 phones. For example, select and then tap-hold a block of text. With another finger, use the app switcher to change apps, and let go to drop the text in place.

Get back – Bit of a punt, this one, since it’s not fully baked at the time of writing, but with Android 14 you should get a preview of what a back gesture (slide from left) will do. This could be useful, stopping you from unexpectedly ending up on your home screen.

Well, arguments still rage about what impact the iPhone had on Android. We know it began as a camera OS, before pivoting to phones and being swallowed up by Google. There’s evidence to suggest early iterations were BlackBerry-flavoured… but Android fans claim it was always designed for multiple input types, and Google long had versions running on keyboard phones as well as touchscreen devices. Which might be why the first Android phone tried to give us both.

The HTC Dream! What a masterpiece. It even had a real keyboard.

It really did. Look up the term ‘hedging your bets’ in a dictionary and there’s a photo of the HTC Dream. Instead of the iPhone’s sleek, opinionated form, HTC gave us a phone with an angled chin and a trackball. Android 1.0 provided a glimpse of what was to come… but having to turn the Dream and slide up the screen to type was maddening. Still, because Google didn’t care about ownership of everything, the Open Handset Alliance meant the Dream was soon joined by a host of rivals, each offering their own spin on what an Android phone could be.

A smart move by Google, making Android the Windows of smartphones.

Doubly so, given that Microsoft itself didn’t fully respond until the Windows Phone 7 in 2010 – which is a bit like turning up to a sprint race in your fanciest running shoes, only to realise your two rivals have long since headed to a bar to have piles of cash thrown at them. And it all worked out rather well for Google, with Android blazing past iOS in mobile market share in 2012, and never looking back since. Well, apart from when it wants to pilfer a few more choice features from Apple’s OS. The more things change…

As we guide you through this setup, just a few things. Firstly, Windows is an operating system developed by Microsoft for laptops and PCs. Not all laptops will come out of the box with Windows – If it’s labelled ‘Apple’, you’ll find something called MacOS and this guide will be of little help.

But if your new laptop bears any other brand, like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, or Lenovo to name a few, you’re in the right place.

Step 1: Preparing for setup

Before diving into the setup process, take some time to prepare. Here are a few crucial tasks to complete even before you hit that power button.

Back-up your data: Ensure that all your important files, documents, and settings are backed up from your old laptop or PC. You can use external hard drives, or cloud storage services like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Just be sure to save all your important data before porting to a new machine.

Gather necessary accessories: Gather any bits and bobs you may need, like a mouse, keyboard, or external monitor. You may also have to charge up the battery on your new laptop straight out of the box, so go ahead and grab a multiplug and get it charged up.

Step 2: Initial setup and config

Once you’re ready, it’s time to set up your new Windows laptop. The next few steps are fairly straightforward, and the laptop will likely do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Power on and initial setup: Power on your laptop and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the Out of Box Experience. This includes selecting your language, region, and keyboard layout, and setting up user accounts.

Connect to Wi-Fi: You’ll have to ensure your laptop is connected to a Wi-Fi network to access online services and complete some of the setup tasks.

Pro tip: When you reach the account-setup stage, you might notice you’re forced to sign in with a Microsoft account. If you’d rather create a local account and sign in later, enter “no@thankyou.com” (without the quotes) as your email address and then literally any text as the password. This will throw up a message saying the account is locked and allow you to create a local account.

Windows update: After initial setup, check for Windows updates to ensure that your laptop has the latest security patches and feature improvements. Head over to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update to check for updates.

Read More: Exploring the walled garden: First-time iPhone setup tips

Step 3: Customisation and optimisation

Now that your laptop is set up, it’s time to customise and optimise it to suit your preferences and needs.

Personalisation settings: Explore the personalisation settings to customise your desktop background, theme and colour scheme. You can also adjust display settings, such as screen resolution and brightness, to optimise your viewing experience.

Install essential software: Install essential software and applications based on your needs, such as productivity tools, web browsers, and multimedia players. Be selective to avoid cluttering your system with unnecessary programs.

Pro tip: We’d recommend checking out ninite.com. It’s a free package management system that allows you to select a number of free programs and intalls their latest version for you in one go.

Organise your files and folders: Logically organise your data to streamline your workflow and make it easier to find what you need. Create separate folders for documents, photos, videos, and other types of files.

Step 4: Security and maintenance

Okay, now you’ll have to ensure that your laptop is secure and well-maintained to protect your data and prolong its lifespan.

Activate Windows security features: Enable Windows security features, such as Windows Defender Antivirus and Firewall, to protect your laptop from malware, viruses and other online threats. If you have a subscription to a different antivirus, go ahead and install that one.

Pro tip: Some laptops will come preloaded with antivirus bloatware like McAfee, which will annoy even the most patient among us with ads and pop-ups. Be sure to uninstall it properly with Revo Uninstaller (available through Ninite) or by navigating to Settings > Apps > Installed apps then clicking on the ellipses menu and selecting Uninstall.

Read More: How to set up iCloud on your Windows PC

Set up backup and recovery options: Set up your backup and recovery options to safeguard data against accidental loss or corruption. You can use built-in Windows features or third-party backup options.

Regular maintenance tasks: Perform regular maintenance tasks, like disk cleanup, defragmentation (if you’ve still got a hard drive with a spinning platter, this isn’t recommended for SSDs) and software updates. This will help keep your laptop running smoothly and efficiently over time.

Step 5: Dive even deeper

Once you’ve completed the basic setup and configuration, take some time to explore advanced features and tips to enhance your laptop experience:

Keyboard shortcuts and gestures: Learn useful keyboard shortcuts and touchpad gestures to navigate your laptop more efficiently and easily perform common tasks. Here are a few to start with (where you see ‘Win’ we’re referring to the Windows key usually located between the Control and Alt keys):

• Win + I = Settings
• Win + L = Lock your account
• Win + P = Projection/second screen options
• Win + Shift + S = Screen capture tool
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Task manager (quicker than Ctrl + Alt + Del)
• Win + X = Admin tools/troubleshooting options
• Win + number row = Opens the pinned app on your taskbar
• Win + Space bar = Switch language

Accessibility features: Explore accessibility features, such as magnifier, narrator, and high contrast mode, to customise your laptop for specific needs or preferences.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for something specific, just drop the word into the ‘Search’ in the Windows Task Bar.

Power management settings: Optimise power management settings to extend battery life or maximise performance. Adjust sleep, hibernate, and power-saving options to suit your usage patterns.

Read More: Navigating the badlands: First-time Android setup tips

Firstly, make sure the phone you’re setting up is either brand new or a properly formatted hand-me-down or secondhand phone. Either way, there are a few steps to follow that’ll streamline the setup process.

Step 1: Preparing for setup

Before diving into the setup process, it’s vital you go out and gather everything you need.

Back up your old phone: Start by backing up your old phone to ensure a smooth transition to your new one. Luckily, this part is pretty straightforward. Use Google’s backup feature to save your contacts, calendars, text messages and other essential data. Navigate to Settings > System > Backup (or Settings > Accounts and backup > Backup and restore for Samsung Galaxy phones) to initiate the backup.

Gather necessary items: Have your SIM card (or eSIM activation details), Wi-Fi network information, and Google account credentials ready. Additionally, if you plan to transfer data from your old phone, a USB-C to USB-C cable will come in handy.

Step 2: Okay, it’s time

Now that you’re prepared, let’s get started with setting up your new Android phone.

Insert SIM card and power on: Insert your SIM card into the new phone and power it on. Follow the on-screen instructions to select your region and language, connect to Wi-Fi, and sign in with your Google account details. That last step isn’t strictly required straight away but it could save you a few headaches later on.

Set up security features: It’s always a good idea to enhance the security of your device by setting up a screen lock method, such as a PIN, pattern or biometric authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition). While you’re at it, consider enabling your preferred electronic payment method, like Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or any of the other locally supported systems.

Restore backup: If you didn’t do it earlier, sign in with your Google account to restore data from your backup. This includes contacts, calendars, app settings and more. During this process, you’ll have the option to choose which data to restore.

Step 3: Post-setup details

After completing the initial setup, don’t forget these important post-setup tasks.

Update system and apps: Ensure your device is up to date by checking for system updates in Settings > System > System update. Additionally, head to the Play Store to update your apps, ensuring you have access to the latest features and security patches.

Add other accounts: Integrate additional accounts, such as social media, email, and cloud storage accounts, to your device for easy access. Navigate to Settings > Accounts (or Passwords & accounts) > Add account to add new accounts.

Step 4: Personalisation and Customisation

Configure Google Assistant: Maximise the capabilities of Google Assistant by customising its settings. Access Assistant settings by saying “Hey Google, open Assistant settings” or navigating to Settings > Google > Search, Assistant and Voice > Google Assistant.

Explore additional customisation options: Delve into the settings menu to explore customisation options such as home screen layout, display settings, and notification preferences. Android offers a wide range of customisation possibilities, so feel free to go mad here and really make the phone your own.

Read More: Exploring the walled garden: First-time iPhone setup tips

Step 5: Explore advanced Android features

Now that your phone is set up, take some time to explore advanced features and tips to enhance your Android experience.

Utilise gestures and shortcuts: Familiarise yourself with gesture controls and shortcuts to navigate your phone more efficiently. From swipe gestures to app shortcuts, mastering these features can significantly improve your productivity — even if that’s just reordering your apps so you don’t have to swipe and scroll to look for it.

Explore built-in apps and services: Take advantage of the built-in apps and services offered by Android, such as Google Photos, Google Drive and Google Maps. These apps seamlessly integrate with your device, offering powerful features for managing photos, files, and navigation.

Discover accessibility features: Explore accessibility features designed to make your phone more accessible to users with disabilities. From screen readers to magnification gestures, Android provides a range of accessibility options to accommodate diverse needs.