New toys!

First off, the DVR situation I posted about last week is all better now... they sent a brand new DVR without any hassle. They DID charge $20 for shipping and handling, but that's just the way it goes. I really don't like how these types of services (Satellite, Cell Phone, etc) operate... seems to me the service fees should cover that (i.e. they should set their fees so it covers that), and I think they should give away the hardware if you're paying monthly to rent it and for the service. It just makes sense.

But that's neither here nor there... I can now watch TV at my leisure again, so that's good.

The even better news is that I got a new toy! For years I've been whining that I don't have a laptop. Every time I go to the store to shop for one I think "I'll never use that!" I have also had trouble deciding just what I really wanted - MacBook, MacBook Pro, PC, and what stats and specs to get. Finally I decided to quit whining and just buy a freaking laptop already. I went to Dell's website and started shopping.

I upgraded all of the options I think are important - monitor, memory, battery. I probably paid more than I needed to, but my philosophy with this kind of purchase is that if you want it to last any significant amount of time you really have to get something near the top of the line - even the very best is obsolete moments after you get it home. Besides, I figured that if I retroactively allocate say $50 a month for every month I wished I had a laptop, that would be enough to pay for this one. Also, my computer is getting pretty darn old and slow, and for a while I've been thinking it's time for a new one.

My new toy came last Saturday, and I'm really enjoying it! I'm finally able to use the computer while watching tv, enjoy the speed of a new machine, and make use of the built in camera for video chat, and this weekend I get to enjoy the portability of a laptop and the convenience of WiFi when I take my computer on vacation with me.