Saturday I lucked into a sale on the HP laptop I wanted at Best Buy [see link] and purchased it for $499.99; the next day the sale was over. Luckily, I could defray about half of my overall cost of the system and software by my recent bonus. Good timing!
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9167947&type=product&id=1218041998788
I loooovvvvee my new laptop! The wide screen will help with all the multitasking I do every day. Streamed video and movies from Netflix are stunning in HD. The Altec Lansing speakers are a huge quality and volume improvement over the Dell. The dual-core processor is fast. There is more HD space.
On the downside, the computer keys are stainless steel and the letter imprints are not very prominent; I wonder if I'll lose my lettering with repeated use. Also, I thought I'd like having the connections on the side of the laptop, but find they are just slightly bothersome in these positions, particularly the A/C cord. These are minor things.
Vista seems quite intuitive and I look forward to learning it's features.
I spent most of the remainder of the long weekend 'moving in the furniture':
Windows OneCare Security - needed Microsoft tech support because my disk was for XP; they added the new laptop from their end and the issue was resolved quickly.
Wireless Connectivity - I could not find my security key for my encrypted router. Needed to call the manufacturer and spend $74 for them to retrieve it for me. I'm usually extremely careful to record this type of info. I'll probably find it next week. Despite the expense, the problem was resolved quickly.
Loaded the household furniture:
Mozilla Firefox - my browser of preference. Of course I had to totally set up my bookmarks again.
AIM - Aim software for Chat & IM-ing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 - essential for the BB photochops, banners, and other creations
Jing - free software to quickly do screen captures. www.jingproject.com. All you BB fans will love it.
Adobe Reader - to view .pdf files, free download.
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 Edition - on sale. Should be compatible with my work system which will allow me to update my files transferring back and forth using a USB stick.
iTunes - free. Need my podcasts! Set up podcast subscriptions.
RealPlayer - free (until BB). Music player of choice when I'm not using iTunes.
Sound Editor - (forgot the name); googled free sound editor, did a trial and then paid for their basic version $30; I use it to edit Glenn Beck and other podcasts to save content clips of interest.
iRiver Manager - allows me to load and manage the audio files on my mp3 player. This was a challenging set-up. I had to go to the manufacturer's site and get instructions and upgraded software, but it is now good to go.
Games - I didn't need to download any of these; my favorites were included in the package: Freecell Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, and Mah Jhonng.
Not loaded, not sure if I'll need yet:
CD and Data disk creator, such as Roxio
ScantoPDF - great utility to scan files into PDF format. Since I don't have my scanner attached to the laptop I don't need it, yet.
Snag-It - it's an excellent program for capturing web pages, content, photos, and streaming video. I've used it in the past for BB video and screen captures. However I'll probably get the BB Reloader software and with Jing I can manage for my BB needs. Therefore, it isn't essential at this time.
I did have to purchase the tech support and some of the software; due to the security alerts placed on all my credit cards due to the recent fraud, the card I was using for all the software triggered an alarm condition. Unfortunately, this came at a time Netflix was trying to bill me for the monthly fee and since my card was suspended until I verified the purchase, Netflix suspended my service. I was on the phone with them and the credit card company at 3 AM early Monday morning getting everything resolved.
So, I've taken care of the problems and equipped my new lappy. Now I'm ready to PLAY! I think it is about time to make a new blog banner ...