Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Do not adjust your set...

I'm having some bizarre and seemingly unrelated computer glitches on my desktop unit. This is a great thing because I have been wanting to upgrade to Microsoft Vista anyway, and most advice is to do a clean install.

Well, no way am I wiping my hard drive and trusting to a reload. No, I think the safest possible path is to get a whole new computer which is faster and shinier. Following a long pattern, this new machine is way more computer for way less money.

Plus I can give you a farmer-user report of the new operating system.

Posts could be erratic, although my faithful laptop will be with me throughout a trip to Spokane, WA. to speak. (Why is the airport code for Spokane "GEG"?) And I have plenty of dead travel time.

So as I explained to Jan, I'm buying this computer for you guys, not myself...

2 comments:

cyfarm said...

John,
Can you tell us the make, model, specs, etc of your new laptop?

Thanks!

John Phipps said...

Well, since you asked. (I'm getting a desktop, and keeping my laptop)

Dell XPS 210 (It is much smaller than most towers - an issue for my office space)
Intel E6400 Processor (2MB L2 Cache, 2.13 Ghz, 1066 FSB)
2 GB memory (always buy more than you think)
20" Ulrasharp Widescreen Digital Flat Panel (my eyes are not getting better)
256 ATI Radeon X3100 Pro video (even though I don't game, I like good video cards)
250 GB HD (way too big for me, but the smallest choice)
13 in 1 media reader
24X CD-RW/DVD drive (actually slower than what I have now but not very important other than burning choir cd's)
30 watt 2.1 speakers w/subwoofer (I don't need surround sound)
Vista Home Premium (the minimum you should get)

I'll let you know what I think.