Saturday, May 1, 2010

old and new

Absolutely love my new computer! Don't know why I hesitated for so long. Well, ok, I'll admit, I'm cheap... er, frugal.

I live simply, partly due to need and partly due to consideration of how my daily living leaves an imprint of waste. If I were more hip, I'd state that I'm being environmentally friendly. I do try to resist the American urge to consume large quantities of disposable and durable goods. Plus, I've moved way too many times and it's a lot of work to haul around junk, up and down 3 flights of stairs. I'm proud my old computer lasted for 10 years. Now, I just need to find a local e-cycler.

I've been thinking about getting a new computer for, oh, 2 years now. At first, we were waiting to see the reviews for Windows 7, since Vista was a general fail. The momentum to finally purchase was prodded by being denied access to several favorite websites in recent months due to the fact my operating system, and hence browser, were no longer compatible. Can you believe I've been able to create Nature ID on such an old system? It's not that the ol' HP doesn't work; it simply isn't supported anymore by commercial, money-hungry... uh, ok, I need to stop.

I'm still in the process of transferring 10-years' worth of files and photos. The shiny red passport thingie my hubby has isn't recognized by WinME even with a USB booster and several attempts to download drivers. So, I'm improvising and using the camera card. Hey, it works, and it's just as time-consuming as burning CDs. Yeh, we have the capability to network, but neither of us can remember the darn password.

I'm already missing having a 10-key. You'll notice my mouses are on the left thanks to a series of lefties with whom I shared Macs with 20 years ago. I'm right-handed, but I've found it useful and intuitive to be able to use both hands when entering large amounts of data into spreadsheets and databases. I'm totally inept if I'm forced to use a mouse with my right hand, kinda like trying to write your name with the wrong hand.

Sigh... the luxuries of a new computer... even if the getting it set up and adjusting to a new keyboard is a total PITA!

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