Secure, Fast & Customizable: Why I Ditched My Windows PC for a Hot Rod Chromebook

Overview

In this article I explain why, after over 40 years using personal computers (mostly Windows-based), I  switched to a powerhouse Chromebook. And I'm loving it! If you're in a hurry (and you're willing to skip my carefully-crafted prose😞) you can skim through the stuff in bold to find the big ideas. Or you can just scroll down to one of these main sections:

• After 30 years, enough with Windows, already!
• Chromebooks dominate in education because they're powerful & easy to use.
• Chromebooks are REALLY secure.
• Chromebooks are fast! (Thanks to the ChromeOS.)
• Chromebooks are customizable.
• Buyer beware! It may be cheap, but when does that low-cost Chromebook expire?
• My Chromebook: Part of a Powerful Ecosystem of Google Tools
• Final Thoughts: How 40 Years of Personal Computing Has Led Me to a Chromebook
• Bonus Tip: Don't throw away that old Windows PC or Mac. You might be able to make it a Chromebook!

[FYI: This article contains over 60 links to references for further research. Enjoy!]

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Screwed up projects? Here's a PM Minimalist quick fix strategy!

The PM Minimalist Quick Start Checklist: Helping You Solve Your PM Puzzle!

Budget overruns, schedule delays, unsatisfied customers, low quality deliverables... Whether it's a DIY project at home or a complex new initiative for your organization these symptoms of poor project management (PM) are the same. But you don't need PMP certification or extensive training in project management to address these problems and make sure your projects run smoothly.  In fact, you can make substantial improvements with a quick and easy-to-use one page checklist! 

When I first introduced the PM Minimalist approach I developed this checklist so that PM newbies could ease themselves into taking charge of their projects. Check out the article below, from my PM Resources Archives website, for details. It will help you unscramble your project puzzles and make the pieces fit!

NOTE Regarding Updated Links

You might find a few "dead links" to the free PM Minimalist tools referenced in the archived article linked below. Some of the stuff has moved since this was first published. Not to worry! Below is an updated list of links where you can download all the documents from my PM Minimalist collection at Internet Archive as free PDFs, including the entire PM Minimalist book. 

• The PM Minimalist Quick Start Guide: The Absolute Least You Can Do -- Includes 1-page Quick Start Checklist, Quick Start Post Mortem Worksheet and other quick-references and tools.
• The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM to Rock Your Projects! [2nd Edition] -- The entire book in PDF form, absolutely free! It contains 122 succinct pages of PM guidance, including 35 PM tools with PM "Minimalist Squeeze" strategies for tightening up your PM, and more! 
• ALL PM Minimalist References, Media & Tools, free at my Internet Archives "Favorites" Collection -- All the PM Minimalist stuff, including videos, audios, coaching guidelines and even a do-it-yourself PM workshop outline. 

Click the image below to go to the archived article & video overview. 

Interested in more PM tools, videos and lots of other free stuff? 

• Check out the complete inventory of resources at my PM Resources Archives website. 
• Check out this list of all my archived publications, stashed forever and downloadable, at Internet Archives.

Enjoy!

Taking Care of Yourself: Some Tools & Tips from the Archives

 

This article is for the work-weary professional, manager or anyone else who feels swamped, is always getting interrupted and who feels like screaming in frustration! The selections below are from my collection Inspirations: Optimize Your Attitude, Maximize Your Results. These three are hand-picked to inspire you to take care of yourself, reclaim your humanity, enhance your job satisfaction and find some peace of mind.

Set and respect "office hours."

This excerpt from The Project Management Minimalist is a short pep talk and set of practical guidelines that will help you set aside uninterruptible office hours so you can be more productive and get into that "flow" state in which we all do our best work. 

 

Check out the book excerpt.

Leverage your signature strengths.

There is much happiness, emotional satisfaction and, arguably, higher-quality output to be had when you are doing what you are purpose-built to do.  Are you leveraging your "signature strengths?"  Learn more in this excerpt from The Project Management Minimalist.

Check out the book excerpt.

Is it time to go "off the grid?"

Ever feel like running away and simply disappearing for a while? Getting lost, going completely off the grid, can be one of the most energy-renewing, creativity-enhancing and simply joyful things you can do!  This article from the archives makes the case for doing so.  

Check out the article.

Get The Project Management Minimalist from Amazon or as a free PDF.

If you find the preceding samples to be valuable, why not go a little deeper. Specifically:

• Learn all about Project Management Minimalism here.  
• Get The Project Management Minimalist book in hard copy, paperback or kindle format here at Amazon.
• Get the entire book for FREE: Download the full book, at no cost (and no strings attached) in PDF format here. 
• Get all things related to PM Minimalism (including a do-it-yourself PM course outline, videos, audios and team-building/class materials) FREE at my Internet Archives Favorites collection.

Enjoy!