What this site is
Page Format breaks down tech in ways that feel like problem-solving, not instruction manuals. Whether it’s fixing a stubborn driver error, choosing the right Linux distro for your workflow, or mastering PowerPoint’s hidden shortcuts, we focus on the tools and techniques that actually work in real life—not just theory.
This is for people who don’t need another ‘best of’ list or a sales pitch for the latest gadget.
It’s for the rest of us: the ones who Google ‘why is my Wi-Fi dropping out?’ at 2 a.m., or who’ve spent an hour trying to resize a spreadsheet without losing their mind. No jargon, no fluff. Just answers that stick.
| What you will find here | What you will not |
|---|---|
| Troubleshooting guides for everyday tech problems | Clickbait ‘10 Signs Your PC Is Haunted’ lists |
| Detailed reviews of software and hardware (no shills) | Affiliate links disguised as recommendations |
| Step-by-step tutorials for productivity tools (Office, Outlook, etc.) | Vague ‘just do this’ instructions |
| Honest comparisons of operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS) | Overhyped ‘revolutionary’ tech |
Meet the cook
Fiona Dubois is the one who still unplugs routers to reset them, even after 15 years of doing it.
A day in the life of a tech writer
- 15:40 a.m.
I’m in the kitchen (yes, the kitchen) trying to replicate a Windows 11 update error someone reported last night. The toaster is making toast, the laptop is making noise, and the coffee maker is doing its usual slow burn. The error message still doesn’t appear—turns out, the user forgot to disable their firewall first.
- 29:15 a.m.
Now I’m in the basement, kneeling on a yoga mat next to a router that’s been unplugged for 20 minutes because ‘it just needs to breathe.’ The Wi-Fi light isn’t blinking, but the ISP’s app says my internet is ‘optimizing.’ I’ve given up and am writing a note to myself: *‘Next time, just reboot the modem. You’re not fixing satellites.’*
- 3Just after the school run
Back at the desk, I’m editing a Linux Mint review. The screen flickers every time I open the terminal—turns out, it’s a known issue with the latest NVIDIA drivers. I spend 45 minutes Googling workarounds instead of writing the conclusion. The kids get home to find me muttering about ‘proprietary blobs’ and offering them goldfish crackers.
- 4The hour before dinner
I’m stuck on a PowerPoint macro that’s supposed to auto-format slides but keeps crashing. The error log is a wall of text, and the Microsoft forums suggest ‘clearing the cache.’ I do. Nothing changes. I save the file as a PDF instead and call it a win. Dinner is slightly burnt because I forgot about it while debugging.
- 510:30 p.m.
Finally, I’m back at the laptop, testing a script to automate Outlook email sorting. It works—except for one folder, which now has 500 duplicate emails. I delete them manually, then write a note to myself: *‘Never trust a script you didn’t write yourself.’* The router is still plugged in. Some things don’t need fixing.
I keep a Post-it on my monitor that says ‘Assume the reader is smarter than you.’ It’s the only rule I follow without questioning.
The rules we hold ourselves to
These are the lines we draw—not because they’re easy, but because they keep the work sharp.
Our reviews run on last year’s laptop, not a review unit. Our tutorials assume you’ve got at least one tab open to ‘how to open Task Manager.’ If it doesn’t work on a $400 Chromebook, we’ll say so—and suggest a better tool.
This means no ‘AI is changing everything’ thinkpieces, no ‘this app will revolutionize your life’ puff pieces, and yes, sometimes it means fewer posts. A half-baked trend is worse than no trend at all.
What we still get wrong
We over-explain. Some readers want bullet points; we give them essays. We’re fixing this by adding a ‘TL;DR’ section to every guide—but it’s slow going, because the ‘short version’ often hides the nuance that matters.
We under-prioritize mobile users. Most of our tutorials assume a keyboard and mouse. We’re testing more touchscreen workflows, but half our screenshots still look like they’re from a desktop from 2012.
How to reach us
We like hearing about the tech problems you’ve solved (or given up on), the tools you’ve discovered, or the tutorials that finally made sense. The contact page is the best place to tell us about it—no email address needed.
The guides are grouped by category: App, Coding, Hardware, Operating System, Outlook and Review.