Me & My MacBook, Part II - an Ode to My Dell

So earlier I wrote about my new MacBook. It was fun and all, playing with this cute little laptop with its shiny aluminum case, but it wasn't the same. I love my desktop. Or should I say loved? It crashed yesterday, leaving this hallow, empty sadness somewhere deep inside my soul.

We had a good run. Almost 4 years of constant, collegiate use. I would leave it on for weeks at a time, never letting it cool down. I would run iTunes on mute 24/7. I was awful at updating my virus protection, always letting it get out of date. I would get impatient and hit ctrl + alt + del 47 times in quick succession. I loaded up my hard drive with illegally downloaded movies and songs.

But I was also nice to my computer. I would open it up once a semester and blow out the inside dust with canned air. I would sings songs to it (mostly while just singing along to iTunes). I would wipe down it's large monitor screen with those expensive screen wipes from Office Depot. When it did something particularly trying, like converting 400 pages worth of search results from LexisNexis, I would pat it gently and say, "Well done, computer, well done."

All of this maudlin rambling might be a bit overdone. My computer engineering friend says it just needs some internal parts replaced, specifically the RAM. No big deal, according to him

Luckily for me, when my computer went kaputt, I had this little MacBook on hold (what I'm typing this on now). Not everyone has the money or the need for two computers, so it's furtuitous I had a second one. It has, however, brought the reality to light that I need to become better acquainted with my MacBook. I've had it for 4 months, and we're still getting to know each other. I've barely explored all the amazing things I can do with a Mac, mostly settling for portable email checking with my shiny laptop.

This episode has made me realize how dependent I am on my computer, whether in PC or Mac form. While this is a crutch, it also makes my life a lot easier being instantly connected to everything. This summer, since I'll be wandering around Europe, I'm going to see if I can start breaking myself free of my computer. Maybe only checking email 5 times a day, as opposed to every minute, with Gmail's automatic inbox refresher. I'm sure once I get back stateside, I will again be chained to my computer. But I think I'm okay with that.

Me & My MacBook

To be perfectly honest, I love my Dell desktop. It's this big, honking massive computer, but it can do anything I throw its way. I also like the stability of always being able to complete my work in one place. It makes me more productive. And part of me still looks at laptops like toys; I can't do serious work on a laptop. I can play a mean game of Text Twist, but I just can't do real work on a laptop.

When I studied abroad in France two years ago, I was forced to buy a laptop to take with me. Luckily, the French university system didn't require I do that much work, so I was able to get things done. At the same time, I kept my laptop in exactly the same place everyday, so I could have that stability I love so.

I'm heading abroad again after graduation, so the laptop was again necessary. This time, however, my mom had commandeered my former Dell laptop to use for her more and more extensive travels. This gave me the opportunity to join the cool crowd and buy a MacBook. I also got the Adobe Creative Suite, since I wanted to expand my web design and Photoshop skills.

Never having used a MacBook before, it is a transition that takes getting used to. I keep trying to right click and nothing happens! It is no where close to becoming my primary computer, since my desktop is still around and still awesome. I think over spring break I'm just going to have to force myself to use nothing but my MacBook for a week, so I can get totally comfortable with it.

Come June 1, when I'm in Salzburg, Austria, it's going to be my only computer.