I feel dirty ...

[blamebrampton]

I bought my first PC today.

It's a little Toshiba netbook, and was on sale, and is basically the sort of thing that I can travel with and not feel bad if it is stolen or dies (because nothing turns you into a bitter haggis like lugging 3.5kg of non-functional MacBook Pro, let me tell you). And it cost about a third in actual dollar terms of the first Macintosh I ever bought, which is probably about 8% if we adjust for inflation. But still ...

I haven't taken it out of its box yet. It's sitting there, looking at me, exuding an 'I know I'm not your favourite' vibe. I might sew or knit a nice cover for it so that it feels more loved and I feel more warmly towards it.

On a completely unrelated note, the weather here is fairly draining, so I am watching TV rather than doing anything requiring thought. Everest ER is on, which is a show about providing emergency medical care to mountain climbers. The British version is narrated by David Tennant, which is a large part of its appeal. I just Googled it to check something and discovered that the American version is narrated by someone else! WHY?! Tennant's accent is quite comprehensible, and ... well, he's like good vanilla ice cream or double cream, you can add him to many things and just make them that little bit better.

Comments

[leochi.livejournal.com]

Why does this sound sooo familiar? ;DDD

"I haven't taken it out of its box yet. It's sitting there, looking at me, exuding an 'I know I'm not your favourite' vibe. I might sew or knit a nice cover for it so that it feels more loved and I feel more warmly towards it."

I've never had any problems with my Mac, fortunately, but I still bought a cheap PC laptop just to be safe (and for those hundreds of nice programs and dictionaries that don't work on Mac), but it's been almost a year and I haven't yet done more than hate it. *g*

Thanks for a good laugh!

*sends you a bit of snow and cold weather! (It's been snowing all night.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a good point! I do have PC-only discs, though having said that, I think I would need to buy an external disc-drive ...

Yeah, Windows is just not a thing of beauty, alas. I'm in FULL agreement ;-)

*Takes snow gladly, sends you extreme UV sunniness*

[leochi.livejournal.com]

LOL - your little PC sounds like one of those useless small umbrellas that one buys in the hopes of forgetting them anyway and you NEVER ever do! I regularly lose the nice, expensive umbrellas, but never those crappy ones.

I bet you'll have this thing for decades. ;D

Windows XP was OK, I guess, but this weird Windows Vista just seems so overly complicated.

Oh, just keep your sun, lol. My photodermatosis doesn't have to flare up in winter. *g* That's why I probably would die in Australia, I just can't bear hot weather and sun.

[clovis-t.livejournal.com]

Another way to use CDs (or DVDs) with a netbook is to rip the CD to an iso file (or download it), move the iso file to your netbook, then use a virtual drive program (I'm using Magicdisc/MagicISO) to make your netbook think it has a CD drive.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You did notice my Practising Luddite sticker those times we met, yes? ;-)

[shu-shu-sleeps.livejournal.com]

Netbooks are lovely to travel with (especially because they are so little and light) and there is life beyond a Mac (I know - sacrilege - but he took all the Macs so I've reconnected with PCs)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

The fact that it fits in my handbag and weighs less than this year's Booker winner was the decisive factor ;-)

And he WHAT? There are no words ...

[shu-shu-sleeps.livejournal.com]

Yes - two laptops and a desktop - but then he did buy them.... I got to keep my mac email address but I now have two PCs - a Toshiba laptop and an Acer netbook. I'm doing okay,

[faynia.livejournal.com]

♥

I'm jealous of your netbook. If I had one of those I'd probably leave my laptop at school for my shorter breaks. *sighs*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Post-Christmas sales!

I had dithered for ages, but then realised how much easier life would be if I had one and did not need to travel with the giant Mac in future. And I can fit more books in my carry-on backpack now!

[faynia.livejournal.com]

That's another thing I need! A backpack!

If I had the money for one, I'd snap one up in a hurry.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I do recommend a good backpack. I have a Victorinox one with really good padding, and I love it. Very comfy!

If you get a jar and pop a $7-10 dollars in it every week, you will have enough for one next Christmas or other end-of-year sales! You can manage that with just a few less chocolates or coffees a week, easy!

[faynia.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd survive the upcoming semester without coffee. Especially coffee. >.<

I'll find a way. It'll happen.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

My trick when I need to save is cutting out meat. Vegetarianism comes with added health and environment points, too, and the savings add up quickly. Plus, when I actually do have a spot of chicken or steak, I make sure I have something really good and organic and remember that the reason I am not a Vego or vegan anymore is that meat is delicious.

[vaysh11.livejournal.com]

I feel your misery. *saving money for MacBookAir*

You could knit an apple into the cover, then it doesn't look so strange anymore. ;)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I really like the idea of the Air, but in actuality, I think it would just annoy me. Not quite small or light enough, and not exciting enough to justify the cost and heft. This could be me justifying ... I am thinking about appliqueing shagging bunnies, or maybe hedgehogs.

[phoenixacid.livejournal.com]

*quietly channels Vay money to my bank*

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

It has just taken me an hour to get home, 50 minutes after it taking me an hour and ten to get to work. Once the snow started lashing it down I packed me bag and cancelled all my meetings. No one else bothered to try going in. I'm such a trooper ....

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You know, if I had come to Christmas at yours, I might still be there ;-)

You are a COMPLETE legend, and I believe you deserve a raise. Also, WTF, weather? Heatwave rolling in for us for the next few days, I have cancelled the weekend.

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

I'm missing you terribly, and reading this morning's email exchange with envy. All this travel excitement reminds me of the consequences of opening my legs and saying 'okay then'.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have decided that I will just have to get back to London this year, since all my plans were thrown into disarray, and you are quite close, really!

[feralcheryl.livejournal.com]

Seriously dude, top temp of 23 today. You are a big girls blouse!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am. And I walked a long way and it was very humid! Also, I am practicing being flattened for the ghastly weather predicted.

[deensey.livejournal.com]

Can you knit a cover that has an apple on the back?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I want to break out my applique skills!

[deensey.livejournal.com]

Oooh you could make the apple out of gold painted bottle caps!

[coffeejunkii.livejournal.com]

oh, a toshiba netbook! *sighs dreamily* that's the netbook i really want, but it is out of my budget (i'll settle for an hp). sadness. i'd snuggle it if i had it!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I bought it on a very good special. Probably not quite cheap enough for you to justify a trip to Australia and then the power conversion plugs, but if several other members of your family had wanted one, then yes ;-)

[phoenixacid.livejournal.com]

Hee, you bought yourself a miniature Huey laptop! :D

Yes, definitely knit a nice apple!cover for it. Or a pretty H/D one.

[anexiana.livejournal.com]

My brain refuses to function around macs...it's completely baffled by them. Probably because I've been conditioned to hate them. =P PC love! Knit it a pretty cover!

[sassy-cissa.livejournal.com]

I have a Toshiba laptop and I adore it. Give it a chance...I'm sure you'll soon love it. :P

[jadzialove.livejournal.com]

It's so incredibly and unusually cold here this week that I cannot feel sorry for you and your heat.

As for the Tennant thing -- that always irks me. There was that series a few years ago called "Planet Earth" (I think) and it was quite rightly (and certainly capably) narrated by David Attenborough, except the US version was narrated by Sigourney Weaver! Why? Just... why?

[suonguyen.livejournal.com]

LOL!

I have a Toshi and I love it! Used to have a HP and I think I used to look at it like the way you do your Toshi! :D

[daybreaq.livejournal.com]

You should have waited for the iSlate or whatever Apple decides to call their shiny new tablet.

I used PCs for FIFTEEN YEARS until I finally broke down and started buying Apple products. I'm a total convert: there's nothing Microsoft can do to lure me back. It's bad enough I'm forced to use PCs at work; I'll never buy one for my personal use again. Heck, I received a netbook as a gift this season and I couldn't return it fast enough. I'm now a proud owner of a Radio Shack gift certificate that I have to decide what to do with. (Yet another iPod is on the short list even though I really don't need one and was originally going to wait until at least one more upgrade until getting a new one.)

I realize I'm probably a bit like a reformed smoker when it comes tp PCs. Don't touch those! They're a nasty habit! LOL!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Nh, the Apple tablet will both cost more than the little Netbook and be much nicer. The whole idea of this PC is that if someone steals it or if I break it while I am travelling, I won't be too upset!

[shadowclub.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! Poor Toshiba! They have interesting/ strange shows nowadays! Example: Conveyor Belt of Love and the one show about Ice Truckers. What will they come up with next?