This is what he bought: an X60 TV04 Samsung core duo 15.4" widescreen...shiny high resolution screen....cost £1,000. Why the tears? We spent Thursday evening side by side at my dining room table loading all the software. The main problem for me was the high resolution meant the text was crystal clear - but tiny. I just couldn't see it very well, but didn't like to make a fuss. I already had a Bed Feeling.
After DC went home, at 1.30am, very excited about his purchases, I went to bed and continued to try and make sense of it. I chose extra large fonts, I expanded icons, I chose large control bars, everything I could, but still documents were coming up a fraction of the screen size and I couldn't read the text. I even tried going into Accessibility and ticked the 'I am blind' box (they have one, really, I felt embarrassed to tick it, just another feature of getting old - didn't want to admit it to DC cos of course he could see perfectly.
I went to sleep at 2am..waking at 7.30am and trying again. Couldn;t read the ntl home page, or blogs: what was the point of the large screen? Tears started to flow. I felt stupid. Here I was with a laptop I didn't choose (or ask for, but let's not be ungrateful....) which was going to cost me £1,000 and I couldn't f****king see anything, I cried more.
I went to work and wondered what to do. I decided the only thing was to bite the bullet. I took my mobile phone outside, suspecting I would get tearful, and didn't want my team to see. I rang DC who was at home happily chatting to H and transferring files. I explained I couldn't see the text, got very weepy, and he said, 'I thought as much, I was going to ring you later and explain about how to decrease the resolution, that will increase the size of things. I thought you weren't happy.' Now he tells me. But I ask him to investigate returning it just in case.
The situation now is: I reduced the resolution, and yes, documents are larger and so is the text. I can see stuff. But I am not bonding with the machine, I am not sure. I need advice. There is a 7 day returns policy. I have a super duper machine with loads of memory and all sorts. Mec made a face when I said Samsung. When I said widescreen. Shiny. Yuk apparently. I told him the amazing spec, and he said yes, but you don't need that for what you do on a pc. What if I got a good Acer, like the Travelmate I have for work which I like? He says I could get a good one for what I need for about £700.
Should I send it back, save some money? Should I accept I have it now, and get used to it? How do I get into these situations? Why don't I know what I want? Clive just said, keep it, David's paying for it. No, I said, I am. Oh, he said, I thought David was buying it for you. Oh, I wish. So, what should I do? What are the advantages and disadvantages, boys and girls? If you know, or care, and have an opinion either way, please let me know. Of course Mec just thinks I should get a good Mac, no other choice in the world, and buy an Ipod with what I save. Not sure about that, cos I am used to PCs..but I am prepared to keep my options open....
9 comments:
Oh heck - haven't got a clue - and thats no help at all.... sorry....
we're at the pc /mac debate here - am hoping you have pc literate friends who will advise - hugs are all I can offer from a distance,
Katie x
send it back. chose one that does what you need, how you want it to do it.
but don't get a mac.
(sorry, never was any good at non-directive counselling.
oh. and trust in j*sus.
whats wrong with macs caroline? just need to know... x
sorry sally for hijacking post
I say go with the least stress option.
Option 1 - spend more than you need and have a laptop that does more than you need and requires a bit of getting used to.
Option 2 - send it back, save some money, but have to find something that suits you better (incl drive to delivery depot in Aberdeen to pick it up, only to be told that a driving licence, passport, utility bill and birth certificate are insufficient proof of identity) and will no doubt have to get used to as well.
Now personally I'm torn, Option 1 sounds like the least stress to me, but Option 2 sounds like it will result in better stories for us and the chance of an iPod (always a good idea).
Hmmm...
I'd say unless the Samsung really doesn't suit you, it's probably less stressful to keep it.
And just remember not to let DC talk you into things in future.
(unless he's persuading you to forgive me the next time I make you cry - then you should listen to him)
PS the word verification for this comment is "yabsy" - that's a nice word isn't it?
No advice, but tons of sympathy, as I'm trying to get to know the whizzy new cost twice as much as I could afford digital camera that L brought back for me from HongKong, bless her. Yes, I'm paying. Yes, it's amazing. Yes, I'm scared witless by it! But it DOES do what I want it to, and doesn't, like its predecessor, demand a constant computer to charge it up, - and anyway, I can't send her back to exchange it, so it's not really comparable at all. So why am I wittering about it? Cos that's what I do. Witter, witter, witter!
Giles (who suddenly knows an alarming amount about these things) also says Dont get a Mac,- but put Linux on your new machine, whatever it ends up being. But that's what he says to everyone, all the time!
Can you actually afford it? that might be relevant...
Phew, just catching up with the posts...although that did give me the added benefit of being able to read most of the laptop saga in one go, and avoid the suspense!! :)
I feel that the pro-mac voice is lacking! I'm no computer whiz, and installing Linux, just makes me think of Linus from Charlie Brown and wonder what on earth the connection is. But I love macs (I just typed lvoe...it's catching on this blog!!) and really enjoy the flexibility to do more creative stuff. I use a new PC at work though and that's fine too.
I would be inclined to go with the easier, less stressful otpion...unless of course you really hate the laptop ('cos it is your money, so you should have something you like! :)
Well that's more than my tupence worth!
Rach xx
the word verification on this post is kpeeit. which is a typo away from keepit. so keep it. the pc has spoken. although macs are nice and friendly.
ah but EVERY word verification is accompanied by a wheelchair user symbol. so you have to do what I say every time. ;)
Lol! Love it - let's live our lives according to the words of knowledge provided by Word Verification!!
This one by the way is urfct
Which suggests that I'm errrr...in trouble...
Post a Comment