Update

I am exhausted, and giddy. Thanks to my generous readers, a bit of birthday money from family, and matching funds from poet friend Cindy, I will soon have a new laptop. I've spent the past few days up and down stairs to the desktop, printing out reviews, asking questions in forums, exploiting the expertise on The Well.

This research would be so much easier on a nice speedy laptop . . .

So, after wrangling with various factors (weight, size, memory, speed, battery life, support, ease) I have decided to switch. You folks are buying me a 12" iBook -- with a three-year support contract.

Adobe will send me a Mac version of Photoshop Elements 3 for shipping and a promise to not use or sell the Windows version (unfortunate, as I'd like the option to use it a bit on this desktop) -- and I've already done the paperwork for that. According to the lists on the Apple site, my printer will work. And, of course, my camera.

It's odd, to abandon twenty years of PC experience -- but a great deal of that experience was trouble- shooting, for myself, my office, my friends. I'm hoping that the rumors are true, that with a Macintosh there is less problem- solving and more computing.

So, this little bitty magic machine is beautiful, and movable -- at five pounds, I should be easily able to use it in the living room, sunroom, and even in the garden. Who knows, I may even carry it up and downstairs -- we'll see.

Finally, I just have to say that something is happening in my life, something unsettling. This, and then --  you've heard about my little mossy car. For a couple of years now, the battery has been, umm, temperamental. Probably due to neglect.

So once a month or so a friend brings by a battery charger she got at a yard sale and I charge up my car to go grocery shopping. But yesterday, it didn't work. The battery would no longer take a charge.

Briefly, I considered canceling the iBook, since all my own spare cash is going to that, too. A darkness in the belly at that idea. Told myself to let go, just deal with one thing at a time.

I called to ask a friend if she would pick up milk and cat food for me -- the two immediate necessities -- while I pondered what to do.

My friend brought me milk, cat food, and a new car battery.

Comments

[Erin]

Oh, Sharon! I'm so pleased about the laptop. It's one of those thngs that restores my sometimes wavering faith that this whole lily-considering life is not as foolish as sometimes it feels. (Sussu had a similar story on WELL - Writers today.)

Lookign forward to having your blog back, too. Love to you.

[Cathy]

YIPPIE!!!!!!!!!! Best news I heard all day!!! Hope you get soon

[Ken]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Mac!

Yes, there are oddities -- but, great fun to be had!

And, good to hear that you will be back in vibrant color!

If fits you so well !!

[Karen]

Great news - and congratulations on the battery!

[Ivy]

Hi Sharon, I sent the link in to your mossy car to BoingBoing. Hope you don't mind! ;-)

[Jessica]

Thats a really good friend you have there.

[Kate]

I've just recently begun reading your blog. I wanted to say that I used to have a Mac and did find it much more user-friendly than a PC. I only switched to a PC because some of the software my husband wanted was not available for a Mac. The next time I buy a computer it's definitely going to be a laptop. :-)

[qB]

Your friend is a goddess. To bring a battery. How wonderful. (My van grows moss around the window edgings, but not to the extent your car does!)

I'm an apple maconista of long standing. There's nothing like them (and I know because I have used pcs at work for even longer).

I hope it arrives soon!