Tim Fisher

Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher.

Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability

Fort Collins, CO

Education

Emporia State University

Expertise

Troubleshooting and Support

Smart Home Technology

Android and iOS

Technology Concepts

5G and Wireless Networks

Internet Research

Home and Small Business Networking

Backup Hardware and Software

Microsoft Windows

Software and Apps

Introduction

  • Over 20 years' experience writing in the technology space
  • Author of Windows 8 Basics in 30 Minutes, published by i30 Media
  • Freelance technology consultant, focusing on small and medium-sized business needs
  • General Manager & VP of Lifewire

Experience

In addition to now serving as SVP and General Manager of Lifewire, Tim has written much of the content on the site and has for more than a decade in his various roles with the company.

Tim has been professionally installing and servicing technology for over 30 years and writing about it for over 20. He's done everything from building computers for clients, to running tens of thousands of feet of networking cable, to setting up point-to-point wireless systems, to administering servers that operate one of the biggest consumer goods distribution networks in the country.

Prior to leading and writing for Lifewire, Tim was a Systems Engineer for Target Corporation. Before that he sold, installed, and serviced networking equipment for a small telecommunications company.

Outside of Lifewire, Tim is also a technology consultant, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses. He is the author of Windows 8 Basics in 30 Minutes and is currently writing two additional books. Tim is also an avid member of the open source community, specifically where it applies to smart home technology.

Working for years with technology users taught Tim how to communicate with real people about complicated topics, making his jump into technology journalism and education a natural progression.

Tim has been quoted or referenced in many major online and print publications, including The New York Times, Forbes, Scientific American, Vice, ZDNet, Computerworld, Fox News, Engadget, Digital Trends, Yahoo Finance, Gizmodo, PCMag, Ars Technica, Huffington Post, Android Authority, Lifehacker, and hundreds of other sites.

Tim's work is so highly regarded that it's also often referred to in corporate internal support documentation. Companies like Intel, Adobe, Mozilla, Vimeo, Tumblr, Hubspot, Cisco, Square, HP, Grammarly, Wordpress, CA Technologies, San Diego State University, and even the Library of Congress all reference his work. Tim's content is also used as expert references for well over 100 Wikipedia pages.

Considering the troubleshooting nature of much of his writing, it's no surprise that his content is also used across hundreds of online forums to help people solve problems with their technology. Users of Microsoft, HP, Stack Overflow, McAfee, Dell, Lenovo, Avast, Xfinity, Acer, HP, and many other communities commonly reply to questions for help with links to Tim's work as accurate and easy-to-follow solutions.

My Gear

My daily-use computer is a custom-built NUC (Intel NUC8i7HVK, to be exact) running Windows 11 with a 3.10 GHz Intel i7-8809G CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and 750 GB of SSD storage. I have a Dell 49" U4919DW curved monitor that replaced a NORAD-like 6-screen wall-mounted setup I used to run (it was too much!). I have a Logitech Craft keyboard and a basic Logitech M557 mouse.

I also have a Microsoft Surface Book 2 running Windows 11 that I use when I travel or want to work outside. My phone is a Google Pixel 4 XL running Android 12.

Not included here are the many things someone like me gathers up over time, like a collection of Raspberry Pi devices, over a dozen tablets of various sorts, a small rack of networking equipment (UniFi hardware is amazing), and enough cables to reach to the moon and back at least once!

Education

Tim attended Emporia State University in the US where he completed courses in computer science and business technology. After college, Tim earned a number of general and product-specific certifications and completed additional courses in the computer support, networking and telecommunications fields.

A Message from Tim Fisher

"I very much enjoy helping people find solutions to their problems. It's very rewarding being approached by someone with an issue and then being able to help them solve it. Even better is when I can educate people to solve and prevent technology problems themselves!"

Lifewire and Dotdash Meredith

Lifewire, a Dotdash Meredith brand, is a Top 10 technology information website, as rated by Comscore, a leading internet measurement company. We provide trusted, clear, and actionable answers to your most pressing technology questions vetted by certified experts, as well as trustworthy product recommendations so you can make the most informed purchasing decisions. Learn more about us and our editorial process.

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