Disposable devices
I got this laptop in April 2006 - it’s extremely lightweight but not so much that I’d throw it in my handbag just in case I needed it. Also, at this point it’s got a bunch of stuff on it that I don’t feel like archiving properly (yet), but I love the idea of starting from scratch.
So I’m thinking of getting a new machine (probably a Linux-powered Asus Eee PC - please don’t suggest the Acer Aspire to me, as I’ve played with it and it’s way too slow and bulky for my requirements). This is mostly because I want something that sits firmly between my primary web-enabled phones (iPhone, Nokia N95, BlackBerry Pearl and HTC TyTN II) and a full-blown laptop. Hillary, Brian and other friends have - and love - their Eee PCs, and having handled one, I’m thinking that’s the move.
But it got me thinking about the trend of just moving on to a new device when existing ones start to feel a bit full or just lose their brand new shine. I have tons of room left on my laptop’s hard drive, and would have even more if I archived my media files to external sources, but frankly I can’t be bothered. If I’m truthful, I just want a reason to buy a new toy. (Stimulating the economy is my favorite so far.)
Not to mention that there is no more room for stickers on my “legacy” machine…
Filed under: Life
I recently managed to convert my old Dell laptop (five years old, but a high end machine once) into a device to allow me to stream TV and movies from my desktop PC in the other room to my television - sort of what an Apple TV is supposed to do. It is a little unwieldy, as the laptop does not have a remote control. However, it made me feel good - an old friend is still doing something useful.
Hey I got an Asus Eee PC although I got the £50 more expensive Windows version as I was flying same day and didn’t have time to check whether some software I needed (Hamachi and Logmein.com) worked on Linux.
I’m pretty impressed - it’s very quick, the screen is good, it works well with the internet. I don’t and never have liked Open Office, but obviousl you can use what you want - I just used google docs when I needed to check something, I wouldn’t want to do large spreadsheet work anyway. the screen is a bit small but to be expected I suppose, and the keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, particularly as I think the shift key is in the wrong position. But it’s really light, so light I forgot I had it in my bag once when I was telling a friend about it, and it fits in bags that you wouldn’t normally expect to carry a laptop in. So I say get one.