The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement has helped business save money on technological spending by allowing employees to use their own mobile devices, tablets or other electronics to conduct company operations.

The convenience of letting users rely upon devices they are familiar with (and for which they have their own support) has also made workers more efficient and reduced their dependency on the IT department for trouble-shooting, repairing, or replacing devices.

Of course, this flexibility comes with another sort of price: The need to establish proper guidelines for usage and control of these devices as well as what they can access and what steps should be followed in the event of loss, theft, or employment termination. Since employees use their devices for personal and/or recreational activities, this can pose more risk for the organization than the exclusive use of business-owned devices.

This policy from TechRepublic Premium describes the steps that the company and its employees will follow when connecting personal computers and devices to organization systems and networks.

Google Docs turns 15 years old this October 2021, since the app officially launched in October 2006, built on concepts initially implemented by the team behind Writely, which Google acquired. At the time, the real innovation of the app was multi-person document editing in a browser that worked. Years later, collaboration remains a core strength of Google Docs.

Over the years, the branding around Google Docs has changed. It’s been part of Google Apps for your Domain, Google Apps for Work and later, Google Apps (minus the modifiers). For a while it was part of G Suite. As of late 2021, Google Docs serves alongside other collaborative editors, such as Google Sheets and Google Slides, as a core component of Google Workspace.

To recognize the 15-year longevity of Google Docs, TechRepublic is highlighting 15 key aspects of the app. Many of these you may know, but I hope you find a few new-to-you features, as well. Find out more in this free PDF download.

This comprehensive guide covers must-know Windows 10 details including features, system requirements, upgrade options, and Microsoft’s Windows-as-a-service strategy.

Like a Swiss Army Knife, Windows 10 was designed to do just about everything for everyone...or at least that’s Microsoft’s hope. It’s built to provide a unified operating system that can run across multiple platforms, such as PCs, tablets, and smartphones. It’s also designed to provide PC users with a more traditional Windows experience compared to Windows 8’s touch-centric UI, something Microsoft hopes will win over long-time Windows users and many IT departments that skipped Windows 8. Lastly, Windows 10 marks the beginning of Microsoft’s new Windows-as-a-service strategy, which could signal the end of numbered Windows releases.

To help IT leaders quickly get up to speed on Windows 10, we compiled the most important details and related resources on Microsoft’s latest operating system into this free PDF guide, which we’ll periodically update as new information becomes available.

From the download:

What is Windows 10?

Officially unveiled on September 30, 2014, Windows 10 is the current major release of Microsoft’s Windows operating system and is the successor to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. The latest version--1903, or the May 2019 Update--was made available on MSDN on April 18, 2019.

Apple surprised everyone with the announcement of a second fall event at which it released several new products, but it was the 2021 MacBook Pro that stole the show.

The new MacBook Pro has all the usual upgrades you’d expect from a new generation of laptop: better screen, improved memory, faster hard drives and the like. It’s not those things that make the new MacBook Pro exciting, though.

It’s the new chips, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, where the new MacBook Pro really shines. The massive performance boosts that both new chips offer is sure to be of interest to professionals, and some may reasonably question interrupting their upgrade cycle with the release of this beast of a machine.

Find out more about the MacBook Pro features and availability in this free PDF download from TechRepublic Premium.

Google’s Chrome web browser currently holds a 64.92% command on the global browser market share. That means more users are working with Chrome in significantly more use cases: Mobile, desktop, and even business. Because of that, users of all types must employ Chrome with a measure of caution and intelligence. After all, most average users spend most of their PC and mobile time (for both work and entertainment) within a browser. And given that a majority of users are doing so in Chrome, it’s important to understand how to best use the browser.

This PDF download from TechRepublic Premium will provide you with some of the most important tips (broken into two categories: Security and UI) for using Google’s Chrome web browser.

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Every time you move your fingers from keyboard to mouse or trackpad, it’s time wasted. But there is a way to gain back time: Keyboard shortcuts. These simple combinations of various keys are one of the easiest ways to work more efficiently and accomplish tasks without ever lifting a hand.

Even better, many keyboard shortcuts can be used on almost any computer program, web browser and software. Learn about some of the best keyboard shortcuts, gestures and tips in this free PDF ebook from TechRepublic.

In the ebook:

• 31 Mac keyboard shortcuts business users need to know
• 20 useful ALT commands and keyboard shortcuts for Office 365 apps
• iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard gestures, tips, and customizations
• Windows logo keyboard shortcuts: The complete list
• How to effectively use keyboard shortcuts in Slack
• Top Adobe Photoshop keyboard shortcuts
• Top keyboard shortcuts for Premiere Pro
• How to enable custom keyboard shortcuts in Gmail
• How to fix Vivaldi keyboard shortcut conflicts
• And more!

Apple announced the first set of Macs to be powered by the company’s new ARM-based M1 system-on-chip (SoC) at its ‘One More Thing’ event in 2020. The initial lineup of M1 machines were the M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. At the company’s 2021 Spring Loaded event, it unveiled a completely redesigned M1 iMac ...available in seven different colors no less.

At TechRepublic, we’ve been evaluating the new M1 Macs since release to see how they compare to their Intel-based Mac counterparts and similar Windows PCs. But, should you buy one...for yourself or your business? And, which one should you choose? Find out in this free PDF download.

In the download:

• Apple Silicon M1 Mac buying guide: 2021 iMac vs. 2020 MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro vs. Mac mini
• Apple iMac (M1 2021)
• Apple MacBook Air (M1 2020)
• Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch M1 2020)
• Apple Mac mini (M1 2020)
• Apple M1 SoC and software compatibly...TL;DR
• And more!

Apple’s new M1 chips make MacBook Pros and iPad Pros faster than ever. But is there a big difference between the two? Find out in this free PDF download from TechRepublic.

From the download:

Advertising doesn’t always match true street performance. To achieve a published acceleration rate for a specific car, for example, you might require just a quarter tank of gas, no passengers, the A/C off and the car to be pointed downhill to even get close. Is the same true with computers? Do new M1-powered Macs and iPad Pros really perform quickly, and how do they compare? I’ve gone on record stating the M1 iPad Pros can replace a Mac. Does that hold up?

Create a free account and access 40+ always-free products with no time limit. Plus, get a $200 account credit to use on any product in the IBM Cloud catalog.

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With your free IBM Cloud account, you can try 40+ always-free products, receive a $200 account credit, and extend experimentation with trials and discounts. Explore our free tier and create your account today.

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