Last week we talked about buying tech the smart way. Start with why, not what. Buy to solve a problem, not to satisfy a spec sheet or a salesperson. Boxing Day is where that thinking really pays off.

Buying tech for Christmas looks fun on the surface. Bright sales banners, big promises on the box, model numbers that sound impressive, and sales staff trained to upsell you into something you did not plan to buy.

Last time, we talked about why changing your email address is overdue for anyone still relying on Bigpond, Optusnet, iiNet or other ISP-issued inboxes. In this follow-up, we’re looking at the part that worries people most: keeping your existing messages, folders, and years of history.

If you’ve been dragging around an ancient Bigpond, Optusnet, iiNet, or other ISP-issued email address, consider this your intervention. Those accounts were fine back when dial-up tones were socially acceptable, but in 2025 your email should not depend on the health of your internet provider.

Microsoft has spent the last few years loudly insisting you need Windows 11 on a “modern AI PC”. Meanwhile, half the world is still running Windows 10 on perfectly good machines and wondering why they should upgrade to Windows 11, an OS that spent most of its life acting like it wants your personal data more than it wants stability.

You’ve probably heard the buzz: “Now is the perfect time to upgrade to an AI PC.” Major manufacturers are pushing their new Copilot+ models hard. Microsoft wants you on Windows 11. Retailers are dangling “Black Friday deals” like bait. But before you hand over your cash (and your data) – let’s talk honestly about what’s really changing in modern laptops… and whether an “AI PC” is something you actually want.

Whether you like it or not, you probably already had to switch to Windows 11. It doesn’t just bring new features – it also brings a new level of surveillance, locked-down hardware requirements, and, let’s be honest, a disturbing shift in who really controls your machine.

With Microsoft winding down support for Windows 10 and pushing everyone to upgrade to Windows 11, a lot of people are stuck wondering what to do with their older machines. A PC from just a few years ago suddenly feels “obsolete” even though it still works fine.