Even a month ago I wouldn't have worried too much about shelling out $1600 for a new laptop, but now that I'm about to be dirt poor (as I'm operating under the assumption that I'm about to be out of a job), I can hardly justify laying out that much cash. However, my laptop is near death. It took a bit of a spill several months ago and has been steadily dying since -- it's a little slower every day, and it's having semi-frequent kernel panics. I've run various disk utilities to try to fix it, but nothing has helped, and the Apple store says repairs could easily cost several hundred dollars. My last step is to reinstall the OS, but I'm betting that won't work either. Meanwhile, I've got an Apple Loan I can dip into that has more than enough bread to cover the cost of a new laptop, and payments would be less than $50 a month. But do I really want another monthly bill? Not really. Yet my laptop is now my livelihood. Everything from my writing to my banking to my job hunting (and soon apartment hunting) happens here, not to mention my blogging(!), and it lets me work while I'm on the go.
So what to do?
Here's your chance to tell me how to spend, or not spend, my money. Tell me what to do and I'll do it. (Unless I think it's a really bad idea.)
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I just saw this at dealmac.com which is a pretty good place to find cheap 'tops:
Amazon.com offers a mail-in rebate good for up to $200 off select iBooks, PowerBooks, PowerMacs, and iMacs. That's up to $50 more than its last rebate. Fourteen systems qualify. A new find: the Apple iBook G4/1.2GHz notebook with 12.1" LCD, 256MB RAM, 30GB hard drive, and CD-RW/DVD combo drive for $899.99 before a $100 mail-in rebate, $799.99 after, with free shipping. That's $100 under our last mention. Rebate ends August 16
Wow. That's definitely a contender. And it looks like I can save another $30 just by applying for an amazon credit card when I order.
Apple's also running a deal where students and faculty can get a free iPod mini with certain purchases. I think I can hook that up via one of my sisters, both of whom are students. Not sure if this computer would qualify, but that would be a sweet sweet deal.
Thanks!
On the one hand it might be best if you unplug from the matrix and write on a very old laptop, or... paper. Most laptop applications/uses are a distraction for a writer. And, for god's sake, don't go for the free IPod Mini, which would be yet another distraction...
On the other hand, a laptop would make writing much more convenient and certainly help make the process faster. I have a laptop. It's a curse and a blessing.
Oh, I can't help you with this.
Yeah, the Internet is a curse. Since I'm at my folks' place for the time being, I like to take my laptop out to the gazebo and work there. It's lovely. However, I recently discovered that I get a very weak wireless signal out there. It's like having dial-up again, so it's not a total distraction, but I still feel the compulsion to check my email every 5 minutes.
Buy my clamshell. I will sell it to you for one "Ditmars Hero" at the sandwich shop by my house.
The sandwich is turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mozarella, and thousand island dressing on a hero roll.
The laptop is an asskicking clamshell, with a handle that still works, and no problems. Slow, but reliable, and if you don't use any other computer (which you won't have to) you won't even know it's slow!
And if you throw in a grape juice drink sand high fructose corn syrup I won't delete the porn.
Jar
I'll take that clamshell off your hands just for giggles.
Does this mean you have a new laptop? Or are you going computerless?
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