My New New Laptop

Quick update to the computer story--as I mentioned previously the left click button wasn't working correctly on my new laptop so I had to take it back to the store. Rather than exchange it for the exact same model, I asked if I could exchange it for something with Windows 7. Windows 8 and I were feuding, especially since I didn't have a touch screen. Well, it seems that every store in the area had Black Friday clearance sales on their laptops with Windows 7 and they flew out the doors.  No one had one anywhere! The guy at Best Buys even suggested I try Frys, and Frys was sold out of the model I wanted. After doing some research I finally found exactly what I wanted through newegg.com.  It has all the same larger memory, upgrades, etc. as the one I turned in, but has Windows 7. Yay-hoo!

Now I have to begrudgingly admit that Windows 8 was a little faster with the downloads.  Compared to the strokes and aggravation I save by not accidentally hitting the sensitive areas of my screen every time I move my cursor around, it's no comparison. Happy camper again!

I Hate Windows 8!

Someone referred to it as "dueling desktops."  Well said. 

Windows 8 has a "start" screen with big bold icons featuring more than enough of your favorite programs and some you would never want (including several commercial ones which I promptly deleted).  Not only is it visually overwhelming, but the icons are so large that you have to scroll from left to right to see them all -- an extra movement I could do without.

Then you still have your normal desktop with the smaller icons that we are all accustomed to from Windows 7 and before.  Ah, all the comforts of home!   You don't have to scroll to the side to see things, you are not blinded by the bright colors.  Much more of a "Table of Contents" approach!

 

Windows 8 probably works okay with touch screens, but as I scroll down the right side scroll bar of pages, I inevitably touch one of the "sensitive" areas on the screen that suddenly make the "charms" pop up, including a large date and tine block that covers 1/8th of my screen.

When I'm working on my desktop, I'm fine.  I have "pinned" my favorite programs to the bottom so I can toggle between my email and my word documents.  But it never fails -- just when I'm hitting my stride with transferring data from emails to documents, I accidentally hit one of the charms and the screen  switches to the big old START screen again. 

Extra steps, extra strokes.  Return to desktop, return to email....  I KNOW I'm using far more strokes with this blasted program than with Windows 7.

As it turns out, my daughter was quick to point out that my left click button is not working properly.  I have had this laptop for under two weeks so guess where I'm going tomorrow?  I will see if they will allow me to trade it in for a laptop with good old Windows 7 while I'm at it.  Now that would be a true lucky charm!

My Laptop's Last Hurrah

Well, I knew it was only a matter of time -- my Acer laptop computer died last night.  We definitely got our money's worth out of it.  It once belonged to Lys during her high school days and I adopted it when she upgraded for her college work.  Keys were beginning to stick, it was slo-o-o-w-w-ing way down in its response time, and then last night, it cranked out its final hurrahs. As much as I hate spending money on it, a laptop is a necessity for me.  I have a nonprofit to run, serve on a couple committees, plus do some private speech therapy -- all of these require computer-generated records.   Yes, I do have my desk top PC upstairs, but I confess to being spoiled by being able to sit on my comfy couch, dog at my side, and favorite TV shows in the background while I play around on the computer.  So I stopped by Staples after work today and am now the proud owner of an HP Envy with Beats audio (not that I'll actually use that much).

It has Windows 8 and this seems to take getting used to.  (I'm never crazy about changes like this.)


The reviews say this new Start screen results in much quicker access to the programs you want.  But honestly I keep hitting the "charms" when I don't mean to -- I'm sure I'll improve with practice.

So while it wasn't planned ~ Merry Christmas to me!

Glued to Ye Ol' Computer

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged. Projects have overwhelmed me in the last few weeks -- doing my taxes, sending out tax receipts for the nonprofit I was involved with, creating a new website for a community group, working on a web-based speech therapy program, making arrangements for Ash to come home from England over spring break.... Hmmm, I see a trend here. It's called Glued to ye ol' computer.

One footnote about the taxes. California State is officially out of money. So even though I have a refund coming on my state return, I probably won't see it for a long time. They are issuing IOU's. Do you think I could get away with writing them an IOU next time I owe them? Highly doubtful.