Thursday, July 24, 2008

Just Ordered


I always get a little weepy when it comes to making big purchases because it means saying goodbye to an old and loyal friend. In 2005 my husband and I upgraded my cute red Jetta for a spanking new Passat. And while the decision ended up being a good one my husband thought twice about the woman he married when he saw me sobbing the night before we were to trade in my beloved red car.

"It's just a car," he exclaimed, "What the big deal?"

For those of you who understand why I was crying you know it's not about the car or the computer. It's about what that purchase stands for. That red Jetta was the first car I bought all on my own. My own searching. My own test-driving. My own bargaining. My own money. My own signature on that dotted line. Maiden name included. I didn't even need a husband to help me out on that one.

It was the first real proof that I had earned a college degree, successfully obtained a good job and was able to use that compensation toward something other than my basic needs.

Today I clicked the "submit order" button and our new computer should be here toward the end of next week. And don't get me wrong, I'm so excited. We'll have more storage than we'll know what to do with. I'll (hopefully) be able to upload and download at lightning fast speeds. And did you notice from the picture how sleek she is? About half the width of our current tower. But, most importantly, I'll have the piece of mind that I won't be on the brink of losing everything on my hard drive at a moment's notice if it decides to crash one day.

But, like an old pair of holey jeans, my current computer is so comfortable. I know where everything is saved. I know it's personality -- like when it's frozen verses when it's just taking an extra long time to load. I know what all the icons mean and what happens when I click on each one. I have all of my favorite websites bookmarked and just one click away. (By the way if anyone knows how to transfer websites in your favorites to a new computer please clue me in!)

I bought my current computer for under $500 when I was a senior in college. The computer I had first purchased when I was a freshman had crashed over Christmas break just five months before I was to graduate. And with a 30-page research thesis being the ticket to my diploma I knew I had no choice but to cash in all my savings for a new computer.

We've made a few improvements on our own which has helped our friend make it this long and it paid off. This PC has been 100% reliable. But lately she's been showing her age. Slowing down and occasionally freezing up completely. We knew it was time to start the search before we lost something leagues more beloved than any computer. Twenty months worth of William pictures.

So next week will be all about getting to know our new computer friend and all her quirks and all her capabilities. It will be fun, but I'm sure it won't be without frustrations. So goes life in the age of technology.

2 comments:

  1. Jenny,

    I think Justin knows how to transfer all that stuff. We just got our new computer not too long ago and all my favorites came along for the ride too. I'll ask him and have him e-mail or call about it.

    Congratulations on the new computer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a beauty! I keep my bookmarked sites in the yahoo toolbar so that I can access my favorites anywhere, not just on one pc. Just log into your yahoo account and there they are wherever you go!

    ReplyDelete

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