Dearest Dell,
You have been among my closest confidantes over the last two and a half years, and I have enjoyed the countless hours we’ve spent together. You have been with me on airplanes, in coffeeshops, and during late-night blogging binges. And though, admittedly, I have a history of disfunctional relationships with electronics, I have tried to do my part by dutifully offering you memory upgrades, Norton Anti-virus software, and a secure wireless network. My eyes have seldom strayed to younger, sleeker models (OK, except the MacBook Air, but that was a mere flirtation, I remain loyal to PCs).
However, I think we both know that it’s time for an upgrade.
This is a decision I do not take lightly, but I know it’s best for both of us that we part ways. You just don’t meet my needs anymore. You now take twenty minutes to get fully turned on, and that I cannot abide. I need someone who offers me instant gratification: someone whose battery doesn’t tease me by turning on, then falling asleep after a mere ten minutes of activity, and someone who can keep up with my need for speed and efficiency. Don’t worry… I will still keep you around and caress your well-worn keys on occasion, but I just can’t rely on you the way I used to. Even though I may bring home someone new, rest assured that I still cherish all of the memories we’ve created together!
Yours ’til the hard drive dies,
Susan
As you may have gathered, I am in the market for a new laptop. The boyfriend has offered to take me computer shopping. I’m psyched, because this means that I will have someone who’s not earning commission to help explain processor speeds and wireless cards. He’s psyched, because it means he’ll get the vicarious thrill of shopping for electronics without actually spending his own money. Of course, this also means that I need to figure out what I value in a laptop.
Wireless capabilities, word processing, and reasonable speed/hard drive space are all musts for me. A CD burner would be nice. So, fellow writers, what do you look for in a laptop? How much storage space do you need? What’s your favorite model? How do you balance a readable screen with the desire for something small and portable? Any general thoughts on computer shopping?
Like you, Susan, I find the tech side of writing horrifying! It’s so odd that I’ve been dreaming about the Dell Inspiron 1525 and then I come here and find your good-bye letter to your Dell Inspiron 1200! Do you think you’ll stay with Dell or try something new? I’ve heard good things about acer, too.
Best wishes on your search! Keep us posted.
Smiles,
Michele
I have an older IMB ThinkPad and the battery lasts eons. I think if you’re prone to working in places where you’re not close to an outlet, that would be a priority.
Speed is an absolute must. Also, definitely look for a DVD/CD burner. Never know when that may come in handy. I’ve been told to look for no less than 1 GB of memory. Look for a smoking-fast processor, too!
If it were my money, I’d head to the nearest Apple store and get that new really thin laptop. It’s so stinking pricey, though!
@Michele: I’m not opposed to sticking with Dell. It all depends on whether I can get the features I want at a price I’m willing to pay. The Inspiron 1200 was a pretty low-end computer, but I don’t know much about the 1525.
@Lori: I definitely appreciate the flexibility of not always using my AC adaptor. Back when I could actually rely on the battery, knowing it would last only an hour or two kept me focused and on-task. Now it’s just annoying, because it can turn on without the battery!
I switched to Mac last fall and have never regretted it. The whole no fear of virus thing is priceless. And yes, I like the fact that I now feel like I’m on the cool team when I see the Mac vs. PC commercials
I’m with Lori– my Thinkpad has been more than generous to me in regards to long life. I’m too ashamed to admit just how old my laptop actually is, but let’s just say it would be a fantastic investment.
There’s a new Thinkpad series, the Thinkpad X Series Tablet, on the market right now, which have major drool factors such as a note taking tablet (like the kind doctors use), a 180 degree swivel screen, 7.5 hours of battery life, 3.8 lbs and 4 GB of RAM. I’m saving up for one myself.
well, due to a recent theft, I just bought a new Toshiba Satellite from good ol’ Best Buy. Nice setup. 17″ monitor, dual core processor, 2 gigs RAM, 160 gb HD. And for me, I made sure to get a full-size keyboard w/ a 10 key on it.
Here’s a dirty little secret: They will sell you a laptop with XP instead of Vista. You just have to ask. They’ll bring you to a kiosk and go over everything.
@amanda: I think I’ll have to give some thought to the ThinkPad. Sounds great!
@norcross: what’s so bad about XP? I’m still using that operating system on my current laptop, plus I hear is uses less memory to run.
@Susan,
Norcross said: Here’s a dirty little secret: They will sell you a laptop with XP instead of Vista. You just have to ask. They’ll bring you to a kiosk and go over everything.
I think what’s s/he’s saying is that although new PC’s come stock with Vista now, you CAN get XP as your default system if you ask. And I would echo that suggestion, as I’ve heard that Vista will suck every bit of your newly won RAMs and Gigs dry so that you hardly have anything left to open Firefox.
Full disclosure–I’m a converted Mac user who’s not fond of upgrading–I went directly from Win98 to XP back in my PC days, if that gives you an idea. Good luck with your laptop search.
@Kronda: Norcross and I exchanged a couple of email so he could clarify. I asked the people at Best Buy for XP, but they wouldn’t give it to me.
I eventually bought a Sony Vaio on sale, but unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to set it up yet. Very excited, though!
Congrats on the new system. My first laptop ever was a Sony Vaio and I loved it. I got it for $360 on Ebay and it was so tiny (3 lbs) it didn’t even have a CD drive. But it got me unchained from my desk and I could check email and write, which was all I cared about.
Funny how time intensive it is to ‘move into’ a new computer isn’t it?
Have fun.