Dave Johnson

Experience

Dave Johnson has been writing about technology since 1990, when he started contributing to Computer Shopper and published his first book, The Desktop Studio, a primer on creating multimedia with the (now defunct) Amiga computer.

In the years since, Dave has made a name for himself as a contributor to a large number of magazines, including Computer Shopper, PC/Computing, Wired, Home Office Computing, Computer Buyers Guide, Laptop Buyers Guide, and others. He was senior editor at Handheld Computing magazine and editor at Mobility Magazine.

More recently, his online contributions have included 12 years as a weekly columnist on digital photography for PCWorld, 5 years writing about tech for CBS MoneyWatch, and regular work for websites like Business Insider, How-to Geek, and IGN.

Dave has also written more than 2 dozen books on technology, many in the "How to Do Everything" series for Osborne. Those books include How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera, How to Do Everything with MP3 and Digital Music, and How to Do Everything with Your Palm. He's the author of a pair of Dummies books on using Microsoft Office for small business users, and several books on robotics for home hobbyists, like Robot Invasion: 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects.

An 8-year detour from freelance writing in the early 2000's took Dave to Microsoft, where he lead a team of writers creating how-to content for Windows Vista and Windows 7. During his tenure there, he would found the first how-to video team for Windows, and led that initiative for several years, creating dozens of the earliest how-to videos on Windows before looking on YouTube for help was a common occurrence.

In 2015, Dave founded Techwalla, a website focused on helping parents understand and navigate tech.

My Gear

My day-to-day system is a custom-built Windows 10 PC, but I have a second system dedicated to an HTC Vive in another room. That second PC also serves as my music server—not really essential anymore, but a holdover from the days when I used it to stream music around the house the old-fashioned way. These days, it holds my 100GB music library for a four-room Sonos system. On the road, I get by with a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which serves as a laptop for writing and other essential tasks. An iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 5 round out my daily-use geek inventory.

Education

Dave earned a BS in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University. He also has an MSA in Administration from Central Michigan University.

His writing has been recognized on a number of occasions, including a Society for Technical Communication (STC) award he received in 2006 for his work on Microsoft's Digital Imaging Suite, and a 2010 Telly award for Microsoft Windows Getting Started videos.

A Message from Dave Johnson

I hope that there will always be a place for me to do some how-to writing—I love explaining tech tasks and Lifewire is a great place for me to do that, because the site and everyone who works here shares a similar passion for solving problems simply, thoroughly, and accurately.

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