The Equipment’s Good

It's been a while since I experienced the receipt of the subject of this post, but I'm writing on it now and I feel compelled to share.

I have a new computer. I will consider it new for at least a year, because it is that beautiful and worthy of such a distinction. Now I'm not saying it's perfect. I think I might have even yelled at it already. But that's got nothing to do with this.

One night during the month of October on a particularly special night, I sat down to burn a CD. I hadn't performed this operation in a long time, but didn't have any qualms about doing so. In fact, I was rather optimistic, which is a feeling I rarely have. In went the CD and, just as quickly, back out it came. The dialogue box may as well have said "Fuck you, bitch. I'm too old for this shit."

Now I had a plan. I was going to make my iBook last until late spring when Apple's new operating system was to come out. Also an aspect of this plan was that I'd have a handy little item to write off for next year's taxes. Can't plan that stuff too early. I lack patience for new things. It's not so much the patience I lack, actually, it's the money. So, for instance, that black video iPod. I don't have one yet. Patience. Money. These same virtues, because money is a virtue, played a significant role in the impending purchase of a new laptop. I was content with waiting. I looked forward to waiting, in fact, because it was something that I enjoyed doing. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I really had no choice. So wait it would be.

Back in October, then, as I sat before my almost five-year-old laptop, which had finally seemed to run out of any semblance of respect for me, I stopped. I slowly dropped my head and rubbed my forehead with the tips of my fingers. I counted the months, I considered my bank balance, I considered my pathetic credit card balances (yes, balances plural) and I made my decision.

I looked back up at my dying piece of plastic or whatever the iBook is made of, and immediately went to Apple's Web site. A couple of clicks here and there, input address and annual salary, one final click of the "Submit" button and it was done. Apple credit.  I needed it. I had to have it or I was going to die. Twice.

In about a minute's time, I received my golden "Approved" message and was led to the "Continue Shopping" button. And continue shopping I did.

The story is more than a month overdue, but the equipment's good. Wanna see it?

First, the box:

The file transfer from old to new:

The file transfer was quite an operation and one I would be nervous about for more than an hour. But it was without incident.  A little Apple file-transfer, jumper-cable action. Ye olde one is on the floor

And perhaps the best part:

That little white thing is the remote for Front Row. With this remote, I can be sitting in my pea-green armchair, two feet away from the keyboard, and change the song I'm listening to. Or watch an iPhoto slideshow. Or watch movies that I haven't recorded. And with every click of a remote button, it makes little noises. It's the little things.

So this is my new computer. I don't already want a new one. But I'm not thinking this will last nearly as long as my other one. Next toy: the iPod.