ontology | the state of the laptop address

As the more astute among you have likely noticed, I have not been especially present lately. (Which is probably an understatement.) I've been scanning the f-list and ranting a lot on Twitter, and trying to keep up with comments... sort of... mostly... but the current state of computer affairs is rather a mess. The laptop screen not only must be propped up at all times, but it's gone terrifically dark and won't be brightened unless the screen is shut to about an inch above the keyboard. And the wireless stopped working, so it's tethered to an ethernet cord in the living room, and since the computer has no battery power to speak of and is fragile as all get out (it's sort of like one of those elderly ladies who takes great joy in telling you about all of her arcane medical woes in great detail, except the computer's stories go more like, "one time I had a stroke, which led to amnesia, and a coma, so this guy who used to actually pay attention to me took me back and replaced my old brain with Ubuntu and then I was sort of better in a wheelchair-bound sort of way") -- anyway, it's not very safe or comfortable to move it to, say, the dining room table. So it's been on top of a short bookshelf for nearly a month now. I pull up a folding chair, and it's... well, it's really uncomfortable and the shelves dig into my legs and the keyboard is just slightly too high, and... It's doing the best it can. Poor thing. But you can see why this might completely unravel my ability to concentrate on things, or do anything remotely approaching a project. (Such as posts I mean to post, and pictures I mean to post especially, only I can't see them properly....)

So that's that. Just so as you don't feel abandoned or shutnted off to the side or some such -- there's the State of the Laptop Address. I guess I could probably say that I'm on a half-hiatus until Monday.

Why Monday? Why, Monday is the day that UPS tells me that my shiny new laptop of my very very own will be arriving at my doorstep! (It's a Dell and very pretty with plenty of RAM and hard drive space and a 15.4" screen and a DVD burner, hurrah!) Yes indeed! My debit card finally showed up in the post, and I went off to activate it at the nearest ATM straightaway, and a few hours later I bought a computer, and this afternoon I recieved a shipping notification and a scheduled arrival date. I am possibly daydreaming about this constantly. Um. Yes. It will have to be named, of course, when it -- she, rather -- arrives. It's a she, I know it is, because it looks like a she, and all of my inanimate objects have been male thus far. I have a name in mind, but will have to see if it suits when I see her. (I didn't think of the name, either; it thought of itself. Harrumph. I said no fandom references!)

And when the computer and I are united, I shall become re-acquainted with the internet (and Roller Coaster Tycoon) with a vengeance!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You got a Dell? I'm so sorry. Dells really suck... :(

Not that much. My family's always used Dells, and although they've never been perfect, I've liked them just fine. Their only major problems weren't Dell-related (i.e., our Windows Me sucked because Windows Me does that, and my laptop came malfunctioning because for some reason the processor had failed--but they paid to have it shipped back to them and fixed).

It does depend on the model, though. And ME just sucks generally. ;)

But I have the Inspiron E1505 and I've had to replace the hard drive once or twice (I forget now), the keyboard once, and the cd/dvd drive at least twice. And now my screen is coming apart. I really haven't done that much to it. That doesn't address issues I've had that I don't know what they were because I'm not tech-oriented, but my tech-oriented friend at college in Texas was able to fix them and went on at great length about how this computer sucked in general. :P I've just hated every bit of it. Also, the power cord has been replaced no less than 6 times in 3 years. :P

Sorry. I hate my computer. She doesn't deserve the name Elentari. ;) *grin*

Don't say that! You'll hurt her feelings! If my internet blacks out every time we try to IM (...no really, IMing could theoretically happen on a new computer! ;)) and you get a message stating "YOU HAVE ANGERED THE GODS. PLEASE PERFORM A BLOOD SACRIFICE BEFORE I INCINERATE YOUR HARD DRIVE.", don't blame meeee... ^-^

When I had my Dell, I had to replace my hard drive once, battery once, and it had a tendency to overheat. I had that computer for 4 years, and it got handed down to my siblings and is still working, though the wireless had to be disabled for various reasons.

I've had my current HP laptop for 2 1/2 years now, and the DVD drive is broken (I finally got a replacement external drive a month ago), and the battery needed to be replaced as well.

All that to say I think you'll have various issues with any machine you get. My only advice: backup your files often. Having lost everything once, I have no desire to do it again. :P

So glad you're getting a new laptop... I've missed seeing you around! ♥♥♥

hey, what does anything matter - you're listening to 'northern sky' ...

Indeed, you speak truth! When the computer comes, I'd like to get better acquainted with Nick Drake. :D

So where did you get it? Dell Outlet? Just remember that if you ever have problems with it, calling tech support first is a bad idea. Get on the Dell support forums and ask for help there; people who respond will actually, you know, have a clue.

And if you do need help, chat is better because it's easier to understand. ;)

Actually, I got it off Best Buy, where things weren't really any more expensive. I looked for a similar model on Dell Outlet, but they were all slightly more expensive. I was kind of tempted by the idea of getting a red or a plum-coloured computer, but there weren't very many of them returned, I suppose, and they were all a lot more expensive than the similar models in less interesting shades. Anyway, my computer is a lovely dark blue by default! This makes me very happy. (Heeeeee! I just realised: Ravenclaw coloured! My laptop is a Ravenclaw!)

So I did have to replace my harddrive about once a year, and about 70% of the people you get on tech support are total morons, and I had to replace a lot of other things too, but overall, I did love my Dell, and as long as you have a good warranty, you should be golden. And (-whispers, so as not to offend- (old ladies can be MEAN)) pretty much anything is better than what you have now, yes?

YAY COMPUTERS. -spins you-

Nelle sweetie, most of the people on tech support for everything are total morons. Or are very intelligent, but unfortunately do not happen to speak the same language as you. :p

BUT YES. I AM VERY EXCITED. And it's dark blue, which... didn't exactly sell me on the model (the reviews did, and the price for hard drive space and RAM, and the DVD burner), but it's quite a lot of a bonus. I like pretty things! :D (Also it is HIGH TIME I had a female something. Even this computer is male. Probably mostly because it's technically Jonathan's, but it feels male, just as my bicycle inexplicably does.)

Awww, the techies in the Apple stores are lovely! But I've not called Apple tech support, so I suppose you speak from more experience than I do... :\ I did once have a nice hour-or-so-long chat with a bloke from Wyoming whilst reinstalling a harddrive on my Dell. So there are pluses. :P

YOU SHOULD BE. And what; that sounds AMAZING. Also, yes, pretty things! Tosh is entirely silver and it's pretty! Also, if by some fortunate twist of fate our computers ever meet each other, they can be utterly Ravenclaw, yes? (Also, I can't wait until she arrives; I want to know her name!)

Oh, techies at stores are often splendid, especially because they most often want to be there. ;p (Alas! I have no nearby Apple store. It would have been nice, the two times Moony crashed, to take him to some nice emergency techienicians instead of packaging him up and paying too much money the second time.)

I KNOW I KNOW. I find that I work better if things are aesthetically pleasing -- environment, objects, what have you. I think it calms my ADHD a little. I have to use Songbird since iTunes and Linux are non-compatible (and the computer had to shed Windows to recover from its coma), and it's... it's got some nice features, like automatically searching out lyrics and things, but it's so very raw-feeling, and visually it feels awkward, and sort of... cheap? Like a Wal-Mart brand of something compared to a, um, nicer store. (And it SCRAMBLED ALL OF MY ALBUM ART and organises playlists by CREATION DATE and alphabetises things beginning with 'A' and 'The' under A and T and I am going SPARE I tell you!)

I want to know her name too! I want to know if the name that suggested itself is the right and proper one, and I want to know what sort of personality she's got! And of course she and Tosh can hang out and be Ravenclaws together, but I think that would mean that one of us would have to get on a plane... wink wink nudge nudge know what I mean. ^-^

!!!
I CAN BARELY CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT FOR YOU, HOW CAN YOU CONTAIN YOUR EXCITEMENT FOR YOU?!?!
:)

(RITAAAAAA! *glomps*)

WHAT, YOU THINK I AM CONTAINING MY EXCITEMENT FOR ME? THIS WAS MY CALM POST! YOU SHOULD SEE ME PHYSICALLY AT HOME PACING AROUND AND MAPQUESTING THE PATH MY LAPTOP IS TAKING TO ME SO THAT I CAN SEE IT, AND KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY MILES ARE INVOLVED.

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