Spiffy New Laptop

Over the past few years, the whole family has converted to laptops or notebook computers, whichever moniker you prefer. It all began a few years ago when I retreated from the daily grind of elucidating the youths of the nation to the glories of the geographical world. You'd think that kids would find the world an interesting place, but I recall one grade nine lass saying to me: "I'm not interested in any place but where I'm living now." I recall thinking to myself that I'd like to visit with her in a few years to get an update, but such was not to be.

Regardless of the digression, my beloved (and, of course, you understand that this is a typical picture) unexpectedly bought me a laptop as a retirement gift. Quite a gift, I'd say. I immediately took to it. To me, there's something more intimate, more fun, more fulfilling about working on a laptop, even though I park it in stationary mode at my desk ninety percent of the time.

Since then, everybody (except The Boy) has converted. Butterfly and Lady Bug each received one as an inheritance gift from grandma's vast estate (just kidding folks — about the vastness part, I mean) after she passed on. Meanwhile, I outgrew my first laptop. Basically it was a piece of junk made by a large company whose name I'll not reveal except to say that its initials are not BMI, or at least not in that order.

That computer got passed on to Cuppa who passed her desktop computer onto a student who didn't have the courtesy to even thank us (and it was a good machine too). The laptop was just what Cuppa needed. With her broken back (sounds dramatic), it was much, much easier for her to sit in a chair with the laptop on her lap than to lift her hands up to a desk. She, too, became mighty attached to it.

However, as I have said, her computer was not well made and is falling apart — literally. We were becoming fearful that it would, quite suddenly, give up the ghost one day without notice and leave her stranded. Even though I was very happy with my computer, there was more than a little pressure put on me to upgrade and pass mine on to her.

It is always done this way. I always get the new computer: not because I'm the alpha male (although that helps), but because my computing needs are greater. I don't just email and blog but work with Photoshop and design web pages (as an amateur, mostly for a hobby).

Here's the thing. You see the two computers side by side in the photo. The one on the left is only a year and a half old, but it cost $500 more than the new one on the right, which has a bigger, brighter screen, a DVD burner, and a faster processor. That's quite a price drop in eighteen months.

Perhaps the old prediction will come true. By that I mean that after I bought my last desktop computer — maybe seven years ago — I read a prediction that almost everyone would switch to laptops within about five years. I didn't really believe it at the time, but now I do. I have a 17" screen on this one and lots or power, at a fairly competitive price. Put it this way: it's the cheapest PC that I have ever bought. Although desktop computers are still cheaper, even more powerful, and certainly more upgrade-able, I think that more and more people will opt for laptops — especially now that the wireless age has dawned, and you can access the Internet from lots of places.

Regardless, I hope we're done with buying computers for a few years. My dwindling bank account needs a rest.

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PostScript

I mentioned that we had all converted except for The Boy. What's his problem you ask? Well, he's a gamer and as such he needs a station from which to do his thing. As such, upgrading video cards and such is of importance to him, and that is still something which requires a desktop computer. Aside from that, he's normal — sort of. Well ...