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New computer!
Jun. 17th, 2014 08:09 pmMy beloved old General Nano is 6-1/2 years old, and is starting to get creaky. It's always complaining about "not enough virtual memory," and various drivers have subtly gotten corrupted over the years. So, for instance, I can still print from Word, but only if I bypass the spooler by using the little print icon on the toolbar instead of the menu option. It probably needs a complete reinstall, but let's face it, reinstalling XP at this point seems a little silly. I couldn't decide what to do, so I kept putting it off.
When I realized that all the new computers were coming with Windows 8, I got depressed. Then I started thinking about finally getting a real laptop for traveling, and it all fell into place. If I got a BUSINESS laptop I could still get one with Windows7. And it would be powerful enough that I could plug it into my home monitor and use it as my primary computer. But I hate laptops. Hate the tiny flat keyboards and the trackpad. The only time I ever had a laptop I liked it had a weird little eraser-head in the middle of the keyboard that let you move the cursor around without moving your fingers from the keyboard! I wondered if they still make that thing? Well, it turns out they do. It's still called the Thinkpad, but IBM has sold that division to Lenovo.
Anyway, I decided the Lenovo T440s was just what I wanted. 14" screen, full-sized keyboard, eraser-head AND trackpad, 8G RAM and 6 hours of battery life. Not only that, I could order it on Amazon using gift cards I bought at Office Max with my Chase Ink card that gives me 5x Ultimate Reward Points (I've become a travel hacker, y'see). So I ordered it, and it's here! I'm now trying to figure it out. It has a very peculiar approach to the mouse buttons, but it seems to be pretty customizable.
It has things I didnt even think about, but they're cool. A built-in camera and microphone (maybe I can finally learn how to use Skype!). A FINGERPRINT READER! It's astoundingly light - under 4 pounds. The keyboard feels great (although still flat).
First thing I'm going to do now is download Firefox and Chrome so I can stop using Internet Explorer. Then I'm going to figure out the mouse buttons.
When I realized that all the new computers were coming with Windows 8, I got depressed. Then I started thinking about finally getting a real laptop for traveling, and it all fell into place. If I got a BUSINESS laptop I could still get one with Windows7. And it would be powerful enough that I could plug it into my home monitor and use it as my primary computer. But I hate laptops. Hate the tiny flat keyboards and the trackpad. The only time I ever had a laptop I liked it had a weird little eraser-head in the middle of the keyboard that let you move the cursor around without moving your fingers from the keyboard! I wondered if they still make that thing? Well, it turns out they do. It's still called the Thinkpad, but IBM has sold that division to Lenovo.
Anyway, I decided the Lenovo T440s was just what I wanted. 14" screen, full-sized keyboard, eraser-head AND trackpad, 8G RAM and 6 hours of battery life. Not only that, I could order it on Amazon using gift cards I bought at Office Max with my Chase Ink card that gives me 5x Ultimate Reward Points (I've become a travel hacker, y'see). So I ordered it, and it's here! I'm now trying to figure it out. It has a very peculiar approach to the mouse buttons, but it seems to be pretty customizable.
It has things I didnt even think about, but they're cool. A built-in camera and microphone (maybe I can finally learn how to use Skype!). A FINGERPRINT READER! It's astoundingly light - under 4 pounds. The keyboard feels great (although still flat).
First thing I'm going to do now is download Firefox and Chrome so I can stop using Internet Explorer. Then I'm going to figure out the mouse buttons.
