My brain hurts. I have so many things to think about or worry about at the moment: getting ready to leave Japan, actually leaving, where to work when I get back to NZ, where to live, whether to study and how much. If that wasn’t enough, I’ve also got to make a decision whether to take my heavy and nearly dead Compaq notebook back to NZ or to scrap it here, whether I will replace it with a Mac or start using Vista, and whether to get another notebook or to buy a desktop. So much to think about and only so much brain power to think with.
It would be such a pain to take my Compaq home. It is one of the main things I have been worrying about in regards to the move back to NZ. It weighs 7kg just for the computer itself. It was horrible to carry here in the first place; I killed my shoulder doing it. Also, I do have another (much lighter) computer that I will have in my hand luggage. How awkward would it be to carry two computers with me from Japan to New Zealand? I would probably have to pay so much to send it back, more than the computer is actually worth since the battery died and replacements are no longer available. It’s loud, it runs hot, the access speed of the hard drive is terrible, it doesn’t have a USB 2.0 port only two 1.1 ports, there is only 256MB of RAM, the plastic shell has cracked in one place and scratched in many others. But it’s a computer. It’s served me as best as it has been able to for the last 4 1/2 years. I feel kind of like I am betraying it by thinking of leaving it behind.
I’m pretty sure that I’m ready to defect to Mac. I simply can’t be bothered fighting with yet another Windows system that no doubt has a million bugs in it. I’ve been looking at the online Apple store and I can’t decide whether I should get another notebook computer i.e. Macbook and use it as a desktop replacement (the best option if I were to up and move to another country again) or to actually get a desktop computer (such as iMac) which are the best ergonomically and have more features than notebook computers. I hope to find time to visit an Apple store while I’m in Tokyo this weekend. I want to actually meet a Macbook and an iMac. Then I might know by feeling which model to get.
One thing I am definitely looking to buy is an EyeTV tuner or similar TV Tuner that would let me watch TV on my computer. Theoretically I would never ever have to buy a TV because those things even let you hook up a VCR or game console. The TV quality is not yet quite what one would get on a real TV, but I think I could cope.
About Tokyo: I met with Sumiko on Sunday and we talked about where we want to go in Tokyo. On Saturday we are planning on going to the Edo Museum and the Ghibli Museum, and then apparently Sumiko’s sister will take us to eat Sumo food. Sumo food is a type of stew. I like stews, so I’m looking forward to it. On Sunday morning Sumiko will be busy so I will go to the National Museum by myself. After that, if we have time we want to ride the crazy ‘only in Tokyo’ futuristic ferry Himiko. On Monday we will shop. Apparently Lush now has branches open in Japan and Sumiko wants to visit one. I’m all for shopping at Lush again. I’ve only been in a Lush store once (in Milton Keynes) but it left a big impression on me. I actually gave Sumiko a round of applause when she came up with the idea of going to Lush. We will probably also visit Kinokuniya, a big bookstore chain. I don’t really need any more books at the moment, but unfortunately the biggest Kinokuniya in all of Japan, possibly the biggest bookstore in all of Japan, will be just down the road from our hotel so I don’t think I will be able to keep away. I also want to go to Gap because I want a Product(red) t-shirt. And those are our plans.
Yay! Blogger now supports graphics headers. What do you think of my new layout (photography by me)? I tell you, it was hard letting go of the green.
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3 comments:
I would suggest a laptop with a core 2 duo, which I think the newest macbooks have. Of course I'm not going to be taking my own advice, but the 13" macbooks really are great, and the price is good.
Great blog, btw.
Thank you.
I've been considering that, but I use Photoshop and I'm not sure the screen on a Macbook would be big enough for me.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I bought a 17inch HP Pavilion dv8380 Entertainment Notebook PC last year before coming to South Korea with 2048MB system memory, 240GB hard dual drives and it came with XP Media Center and a TV tuner for less than $2,000 U.S. It weighs a ton, but it is awesome and while now a year old, it is still better than any notebook computer than I can find around town. To say that my co-workers are jealous is an understatement.
I also use a Slingbox (www.slingmedia.com) to watch satellite and cable TV from back home in the U.S. here in S. Korea. As long as you have high speed internet and the box resides with someone who also has high speed service, you can watch what they are watching or have a dedicated satellite or cable dvr set up for yourself. I can't thank my brother enough, but I think the money I send him does an adequate job.
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