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hsapiens
hsapiens
18 June 2007 @ 10:50 am
I'm getting a laptop!  
I should have have my (new to me) laptop later this week! It's a Titanium G4 Mac that I'm taking off of [livejournal.com profile] la_directora's hands and it's coming with all of its separately sold accessories. I can barely contain my glee. I hate hate hate going on vacation and being disconnected from the internet. Last year, I lost a bunch of photos because the portable photo hard drive/card reader I have failed to copy the contents of a 2 GB card. If I'd had a laptop, I would have been able to SEE that the photos weren't in the file. I've wanted a laptop for years but I couldn't convince myself to spend $2.5K for what is, essentially, a vacation toy.

I thought my laptop purchase would have to wait until about the time I get my new home computer but I forgot that we get bonuses here at work in June. (In my defense, the bonuses are not guaranteed and they're not so huge as to leave a lasting impression.) This year I'm being frivolous and getting myself a toy with part of the bonus.

Best part is that I'll also have a way to burn DVDs of photos immediately for those who want photos during my vacations. (There's more of a demand than one might think since one of my yearly trips is to a con.) I can hardly wait to get it and to start playing with it. I'm given to understand that Photoshop is even better on a Mac and I am looking forward to finding out. What better way to trial run my planned purchase of an iMac before I replace my home computer which, sadly, is 7 years old. It has been an amazing computer but it's starting to show its age in that newer apps demand more resources than it has.
 
 
Current Mood: ecstatic
 
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Mish: Brian -- Where's the Sex???[identity profile] hsapiens.livejournal.com on June 19th, 2007 10:55 am (UTC)
Thank you! :) I am excited, to be sure. I've never owned one before, either. I've typed a couple of comments on one when I stayed with [livejournal.com profile] immlass and [livejournal.com profile] mcroft after the Stargate con. They had an extra laptop and let me borrow it while at their place. I'd never bought a laptop because all of the parts are slower and smaller and way, way more expensive -- but that taste was so very addictive. Laptops seem to go out of date a lot faster, too, if you're the sort addicted to cutting edge, "best of the best" electronics. A used one, though, brings the price down considerably so I'm splurging.

Last year's bonus covered part of my expenses from many last minute trips to Ft. Lauderdale to see my dying father. This year, I wanted to do something entirely frivolous and irresponsible. :)
[identity profile] riverfox.livejournal.com on June 19th, 2007 02:03 pm (UTC)
Heh. Well you go, girlfriend. I did a few things like that after I'd spent a long time caring for my parents. It was *such* a relief. And laptops. Hey. What I'd give to have one with a decent battery supply so I could take it to a park and type up some fiction. :) And then... another cool thing. Having it whenever the power goes out. *blinks* While UPS' are good for that on reg PCs, the longer running ones cost more than some used laptops. Yeesh. *g*
Mish: Brian -- Where's the Sex???[identity profile] hsapiens.livejournal.com on June 20th, 2007 02:01 pm (UTC)
Those are tough times, aren't they? *hugs*

UPSes are good for saving work and shutting down and that's about it. You have a good point about using a laptop in emergencies. After seeing the government response to Katrina, I find myself thinking in more apocalyptic terms of near-term disaster survival. Houston had a less deadly but devastating flood in June 2001 with tropical storm Allison. It's a very real threat here that we might be on our own in the event of a repeat.
[identity profile] riverfox.livejournal.com on June 21st, 2007 01:15 am (UTC)
That's a really good point. :) And pardon my ignorance, but do laptops have the ability to link up with sat feeds or other wireless sources far away? That way, people with laptops can communicate without having to worry about finding a land line away from the storm zone. Providing they can even get out.
Mish: Brian -- Where's the Sex???[identity profile] hsapiens.livejournal.com on June 21st, 2007 04:27 pm (UTC)
I'm fairly ignorant myself. I know that with a wireless card you can access open wireless networks. With a data plan on your cell phone, you can send and receive data. So, yes it is possible, but those systems have to be working, whether it's a powered wireless network or an ability to access satellites. That latter is probably not possible during a hurricane but afterwards it should be.
[identity profile] riverfox.livejournal.com on June 21st, 2007 11:35 pm (UTC)
*cringes* They really have to devise a comm system that is not land-based(cell towers). *sighs*