Monday, July 30, 2007

The end of an era nears

I just ordered a new laptop. I ordered the Dell Inspiron 1420 (I know! I went with another Dell in the end!), after having read the excellent review in PC Magazine (including the fact that the 1420 got an Editor's Choice award).

Unlike certain people I know, I didn't go with a crazy colour. I just went with black. I almost went with green, and called my friend Andrea to talk me out of it. Three years from now, when I'm taking out my laptop at a conference where I'm trying to blend into a background, do I really want people looking at me and thinking "Ah, so she bought a Dell three years ago!"?

I plan to spend the next week and a half alternating between being sentimental about the good times Lappy and I have had, and looking forward to owning a computer that doesn't weigh a tonne, burn my lap, and that isn't covered in cracks. (Also: built-in webcam! Fairly remarkable battery life, at least for me! Free Microsoft Office! I'm giddy.)

5 comments:

Keri said...

When my dear old first laptop, "Toby" (was a Toshiba), was nearing the end of his life I was filled with grief. I then got my new laptop, "Huey" (you guessed it, an HP) and I was happy about my purchase, but felt so disloyal to Toby. I thought I could never love another the way I loved Toby. Then I fired up Huey, got to know Huey and fell head over heels in love. Sadly, that was a couple of years ago now and poor ol' Huey is in middle age. I'm not quite at the stage of thinking about replacing him, but I know that day won't be too far off and that makes me a little sad.

All this to say that it is perfectly normal to feel like you are in mourning for your old one, but that you might just grow to *adore* your new one at the same time!

Have fun!

Ancarett said...

Dude! I got a Dell, too -- last winter and my Inspiron is still my pride and joy. So wishing you equal amounts of joy in the new computer along with all the fun of playing with it once it arrives.

Anonymous said...

oh babe! no mac? you could've sat at that conference three years from now with a fabulously slick white machine in your lab and people would be thinking 'now there's someone with class - and I bet it never crashes on her...' (just teasing ;) how you doin' ? it's been ages... me and my maccy are quite fine - it's gradually becoming laden with phd thesis...)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Gramsey: actually, my current Dell has never crashed on me. (Unlike certain iBooks belonging to friends of mine that have gotten that Twirling Pizza of Death way too many times to count, and my friend whose logic board died just after his AppleCare wore out.) And we couldn't afford to go Mac right now -- that's a lot of software I'd have to replace, and I'd want to replace my router with an Airport. Chris says we'll do that when the next computer-replacement cycle comes around.

jo(e) said...

Oh, a new laptop! I'm envious.

(Of course, I am whispering because I don't want my laptop to hear ....)