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Seems like the hours I spent filling in my tax return a couple of months ago were not in vain - a few weeks ago the nice people at inland revenue put about £360 in my bank account. Which, if I were sensible, I'd have sent straight to an ISA in an attempt to rebuild my savings.
What I've actually done is to buy a laptop, in a final admission that I'll probably not get my trusty twelve-year old friend up and running again (though I'm hoping, one day, to recover some of the data). I had hoped she'd last for ten years, and it was in fact about eight before the internet outgrew her and I got a second-hand desktop, so I guess we didn't do too badly.
Comparing the stats amused me:
So most of the last two days I've spent downloading and installing free software and getting to grips with both Vista (which I like, so far, though I can't see the point of the feature that lines up all open transparent windows in a line to choose between them when Alt-Tab is so much faster) and the touchpad, an innovation that I'd always dreaded but am now getting used to - perhaps I won't be wanting to use my trackball after all.
All I have to do now is gather up my files from my Dad's desktop and my desktop so I can freecycle the latter and have one less thing to lug from house to house. And then I hope to get caught up with Sectus and Invictus and LJ.
It's a real relief to be able to write with my back to a wall or a chair, knowing that I'm tucked out of the way and no-one is going to come and stand behind me while I'm pouring out my heart on here or glancing at a friend's porn. I really, really hope that this is going to make it easier for me to write, much as it bothers me to realise that my creative flow seems to depend on a luxury tool.
And of course, the first thing I see after being away last weekend and offline since, is that not only have I missed a new Lucius portrait (did they time that deliberately to come out after Jason finished his theatrical run?) but that the cover art is out.
But I have to go to work for 8:20 tomorrow so I'll be good and get me to bed, and save commenting for later...
What I've actually done is to buy a laptop, in a final admission that I'll probably not get my trusty twelve-year old friend up and running again (though I'm hoping, one day, to recover some of the data). I had hoped she'd last for ten years, and it was in fact about eight before the internet outgrew her and I got a second-hand desktop, so I guess we didn't do too badly.
Comparing the stats amused me:
| Then (1995) | Now (2007) | |
| Manufacturer | Viglen (anyone else remember them?) | Dell |
| Made in | England | China (sign of the times...) |
| Processor | Intel 486SD | Intel Core 2 Duo |
| Clock speed | 66 Mhz | 1660 Mhz |
| Memory | 8 Mb (and that 4Mb upgrade wasn't cheap!) | 1024 Mb |
| Hard disk size | 340 Mb | 160 Gb |
| Operating System | Windows 3.1 | Windows Vista |
| Screen size | 9" (LCD) | 14.1" (TFT) |
| Battery life | 20 minutes | 7 hours+ |
| Useful life | 8-12 years | Remains to be seen |
| Cost | about £2000 | £530 |
So most of the last two days I've spent downloading and installing free software and getting to grips with both Vista (which I like, so far, though I can't see the point of the feature that lines up all open transparent windows in a line to choose between them when Alt-Tab is so much faster) and the touchpad, an innovation that I'd always dreaded but am now getting used to - perhaps I won't be wanting to use my trackball after all.
All I have to do now is gather up my files from my Dad's desktop and my desktop so I can freecycle the latter and have one less thing to lug from house to house. And then I hope to get caught up with Sectus and Invictus and LJ.
It's a real relief to be able to write with my back to a wall or a chair, knowing that I'm tucked out of the way and no-one is going to come and stand behind me while I'm pouring out my heart on here or glancing at a friend's porn. I really, really hope that this is going to make it easier for me to write, much as it bothers me to realise that my creative flow seems to depend on a luxury tool.
And of course, the first thing I see after being away last weekend and offline since, is that not only have I missed a new Lucius portrait (did they time that deliberately to come out after Jason finished his theatrical run?) but that the cover art is out.
But I have to go to work for 8:20 tomorrow so I'll be good and get me to bed, and save commenting for later...
