Skip to Main Content
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.
Chris Hoffman

Chris Hoffman

Senior Writer, Software

My Experience

I've been writing about technology for more than 15 years and using it in earnest for over twice as long. As a member of PCMag's software team, I focus on Windows coverage, but also write about other key desktop operating systems and system apps. (I used Windows 3.1 upon its release and have followed every subsequent release closely).

Prior to joining PCMag, I wrote for How-To Geek starting in 2011, and my articles amassed over a billion page views. I went on to run the publication as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. I have also contributed to Computerworld, Fast Company, PCWorld, Reader's Digest, The New York Times, and many other outlets about everything from AI to PC hardware to Windows. I founded and ran my own direct-to-reader Windows-focused newsletters, Windows Intelligence and The Windows ReadMe, working in partnership with Thurrott.com.

Areas of Expertise

Windows Operating Systems

The Technology I Use

I have a powerful desktop PC with an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU in a swanky Hyte Y60 case at my desk, complete with a mechanical keyboard. I connect it to a Samsung Odyssey G80SD display, which pairs an OLED panel with a matte anti-reflective coating. I use a Dell UltraSharp 4K webcam, a Blue Yeti microphone, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X headphones. When I'm away from my desk, I use a Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip. My work machine is a Lenovo ThinkPad.

My current phone is a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but I also keep a Google Pixel 8 Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro around. I own a mix of Chromebooks, iPads, MacBooks, and older Windows 10 PCs I use for experiential and software testing. While I enjoy my Kindle Paperwhite, I've been reading more paper books lately.

I'm always experimenting with browsers, and I have Brave, Chrome, and Firefox pinned to my taskbar. I'm a huge fan of Microsoft PowerToys, and I install it on all my PCs. I use Gmail for email, but I like Microsoft productivity applications, such as Excel, OneNote, To Do, and Word. OneDrive is my cloud storage service of choice because it's an integral part of Windows, and I get 1TB of storage with my Microsoft 365 subscription. I use Spotify for music streaming.

I'm a fan of PC gaming, although I have a soft spot for Nintendo's consoles and exclusive games. I own a Steam Deck, complete with a dock to connect it to my TV. I look forward to using Valve's future hardware, like the Steam Frame and Steam Machine. I hook an older desktop PC up to my TV for a PC-powered living room experience, too. I even find myself using the Windows desktop in the living room.

Recent Articles By Chris Hoffman

Filter By: