Disjointed Thoughts

[jianantonic]

Two things I want B to write about in her science blog:

Spontaneous Human Combustion and why there are more accidents/injuries/illnesses/people in hospital ERs during a full moon.

Got that, B?

Don't ask why I get curious about certain things. I just do. But I'm not personally science-minded enough to go figure them out.

Z and I witnessed a car accident today. We were at an intersection, and there was road construction up ahead, so all the cars were moving very slowly. An SUV in front of us was driving straight through the intersection (no stop sign our way) and a truck was stopped and getting ready to turn left across our lane. The truck pulled out, apparently not seeing the SUV, and the SUV swerved to miss it, but the truck still hit it. Both cars were going very slow, and the impact didn't look like much from the 10-20 yards back that we were, but the SUV flipped. It's a miracle I didn't shit myself, because, well, it scared the figurative shit out of me.

Z ran to the SUV to check on the driver. There were no passengers, and he was fine. The truck (pickup truck, not big rig or anything) driver had called 911, but everything appeared to be okay, except for the upturned car in the middle of the road. Satisfied that everyone was okay and that there were enough other witnesses who were sticking around to wait for the police, we went on. I had a mini nervous breakdown after that, but talking on the phone with Emily calmed me down a lot. I'm really glad no one was hurt. If one of those drivers had been badly injured or killed, I'd probably never get that image out of my head. It's taken a long time for me to let go of some of my car-travel anxieties, and witnessing this accident set me back a few years, even without any major injuries or damage.

Z and I went to a few different stores to browse computers today. I decided that I do not want an EEE PC, because I need a keyboard where my wrists don't hang off the edge...that would get really uncomfortable. Also I think the inconveniences would outweigh the conveniences. What I really want is a 12-inch notebook. The problem is that the smaller the screen, the more expensive those fuckers get. My current laptop is just a 15-inch, but it's more bulky than I like. I don't know why I feel like I need one of these smaller screens, but I just WANT one, no reason in particular, and if I settle for a bigger one I know I'm just going to be bummed that I didn't get what I really wanted.

I'm not getting anything just yet, but I really want to. Right now, Z and I have the same brand of laptop, though slightly different models, so we can use the same power cord. We each own one, and in the last week, both of ours have broken. His just plain doesn't work, even though it's not very old, and mine is worn out and the wires are frayed, so unless you hold it just so, it won't work, either. And that's a pain because my battery SUCKS on this computer. I get around 45 minutes of life out of it. I know that getting a new computer because of a frayed power cord is like throwing the baby out with the bath water, and I do know deep in my heart that I don't *need* a new computer yet. Mine is functional enough, and no new computer is going to be perfect and not have all the same problems that every other computer I've ever owned has, but still I want one...dangit.

I haven't actually spent much money on this trip at all, and Z just got a big paycheck for his week at Seaside, including expenses that we'd paid for ages ago (plane tickets, gas, hotel, etc.) and are already paid off on the credit card. Then neither of us have been paid yet for our last month of work (two in his case...and his checks are bigger than mine), so when those deposits hit the bank, we'll actually have a very nice sum of money. So the dilemma is basically:

Do I have to get a new computer?
~~>I know that I don't HAVE to, but I know that I'm going to be wanting one until I get one.

Is it that I want a new computer, or a specific new computer?
~~>I could get a new computer for $450 or so at the store here. No sales tax in Oregon. That's totally doable, bank account wise, and this computer would have all the things that I want out of a computer, except for smallness of size.

Smallness of size looks like it will cost me anywhere from $200-$500 more than I originally wanted to pay for a new computer. Is that worth it?
~~>Well, smallness of size is pretty much the thing I want most (besides functionality) out of a computer. If I wanted a computer that had all the things I need/want except smallness of size, I could just keep the one I have and replace the power cord and perhaps battery. And also do something about the chips on the corners from where it fell off my lap and onto the floor...repeatedly. So basically if I buy a new computer that does not come with the smallness of size feature, I'm just paying a few hundred dollars for a prettier version of what I've already got, which seems unnecessary.

So in conclusion, I do want a new computer, and it is a requirement that it have smallness of size. So I guess I'll be spending more on it. But since it will cost more, I'll probably put off the purchase at least a little while, and do more serious shopping around. Recommendations are welcome. I won't even consider buying a Dell after my awful experience with their products in college, and Macs are just too fucking expensive, so don't even bother trying to sell me on those -- but tell me what 12-13 inch notebooks you think are best. The lighter the better. Bulky=bad.

Peace.

Comments

[capriciousbee.livejournal.com]

Jeez, I'm so sorry to hear about that! All the grad students here took a CPR class after one of us helped a guy who had a heart attack while in his car. They didn't know CPR and couldn't do anything, and it spooked us pretty good.

I can tell you right now that the theory of the lunar effect, that certain things are more likely to happen during the full moon, is what we like to call pseudoscience, or what my friend Orac likes to call woo. The only thing that the moon appears to have a strong effect on would be stuff like the tide and women's menstrual cycles, but only if those women spend a LOT of time outside and away from other women. I would figure on their being fewer accidents during the full moon, because in theory you could see better, but of course in modern days that doesn't make such a difference. I've actually never heard of more accidents occuring around the full moon, but every source I've checked says it's pseudoscience.

Spontaneous human combustion is also a completely unproved human phenomenon, but it makes for great sci-fi. It appears that all instances of spontaneous combustion have in fact involved sources of ignition from the outside, no human will simply burst into flame. It would have to be VERY hot, hot enough that there would most definitely be fire in other places very close to the victim. Humans are 70% water, so really, were you to be dry enough to spontaneously combust, you'd be dead already, all the water having evaporated from you due to the extreme heat. So there you go.

[skydiamonde.livejournal.com]

Depending on how much you're willing to pay for a Mac, you may want to wait until Oct 14 to buy a laptop. It's highly rumored that their current lowest model (the Macbook) will drop in price by a few to several hundred to compete with other brands that have computers in that price range.

Sorry the EEE PC wasn't for you. As for what's worth it, it depends on how much more you'd use the machine b/c of its smallness. The same thing happened with my old laptop though: the power cord became unusable and the battery charge dropped to nothing. I kept telling myself the computer worked just fine otherwise (and is actually more powerful than the laptop I ended up buying) but honestly, without a reliable source of power, a laptop is nothing no matter how functional it would be otherwise. I found myself less and less willing to deal with it. I gave in and bought my Macbook Air (out of your considering range, I know, but I love it). I thought I'd still maybe want to use my old computer for more powerful things, but I haven't touched it. I transferred all my data over to a portable drive and I no longer touch my 9 lb Dell XPS Gen 2. I use my Macbook Air WAY more than I used my XPS anytime in over a year and I tote it along more often.

If the size isn't really going to affect how often you use your computer by a significant amount, then maybe saving the money would be better for you. But if you think the size will make it so you use your computer more often (and maybe even blog professionally more often), then go for it. But I think either way you should go for a new computer within the next month. You'll realize after you stop having to deal with the power issues how bad they really were.

[kixeldorado.livejournal.com]

You may want to check ebay for a power cord, as a stopgap measure until you decide for sure what you're going to do.

My laptop battery died a year or so ago, and I bought a new battery there. You may have to do a little research on the part number to make sure you're getting the right thing, but it's probably cheaper than you'd get from the manufacturer.

Another option might be to take the frayed one to an electrician to see if they can't solder the wires back together and recoat it or maybe even replace the wires completely or something. I know Kevin had to redo part of a power supply for one of the laptops at work because they kept rolling over the cord with a chair and split it. Gah! but it turned out ok.

If your productivity is dropping because of your computer, then it's worth the expense now. If it's not and you can hang on a while longer, I know that some of the stores have big sales towards christmas when they want everyone to buy laptops and big ticket items so their numbers will be better before the end of the year.
Could you order from that store later, and have it shipped to you if you weren't in oregon?


I will be honest...I have a dell, and I'm happy with it. Actually, most of the computers at work, some servers included are Dells, and we've only had problems with maybe 1 out of 40 of them. Marge (mine) is old enough now that I've replaced the battery, memory and hard drive, so essentially it's like I got a new computer in pieces. Aside from the scare I got when the hard drive started failing, she's never really given me any problems. But you don't want a dell, so I'll shut up. :)

Tim has a Gateway and seems to be happy with it. I liked it when I used it.
My former roommate swore by HP's, but I've never really been impressed with them, though I can't pin down a reason. I have also heard good things about the Toshibas.

[photomonk2.livejournal.com]

I have a 12" mac powerbook (they don't even make them anymore) and I can tell you that I LOVE its size. With all of the traveling you do, especially, the small size will be great. If you can hold out to see if the macbook prices drop, it may be well worth your while. They have a 13.3" model which is still pretty small. And the mac comes with a ton of cool software already built in. I can't help on PC models since I've only ever owned one PC and it's a desktop.

Good luck!

[jianantonic.livejournal.com]

I love it how everyone ignored me when I said I'm not going to consider a Mac ;)

I know they're wonderful, and I'm sure I'd love it if I owned one, but I just can't justify spending that much on a computer -- especially since I replace computers every two years or so, and I definitely can't afford buying a new Mac that often.

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you should look at *why* you replace computers every 2 years. Treated well, a well-made computer will last you 5-7 years before it goes kaput. Math.

[jianantonic.livejournal.com]

1) Because I'm hard on computers. Unless I get a steel reinforced laptop, I'm gonna fuck it up. I've dropped mine a zillion times. To its credit, it's still (mostly) functional.

2) Because I get bored, and like to get new things. Even if a Mac were totally awesome, I'd tire of it and want something different eventually. Might as well keep my extravagant quirks as cheap as I can.

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

Unless I get a steel reinforced laptop

Hmmm....... I bet they sell those.

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

But I get the novelty schtick, even though I don't grok it. If that makes any sense.

[jianantonic.livejournal.com]

Yeah but I want a lightweight one!

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oh! You could get a MITHRIL laptop!

:-D

You're welcome. ;-)

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

I agree that 12" computers are great. :-)