At Home With MrsC

Raising a family, making a home.

WAHM Tools

Laptop-less or Laptop-free?

by 8 Comments

For the second time this year, I am without a laptop. I am now calm and collected again after spewing out a series of four-letter words and questions like, Why is this happening to me?, What kind of cruel joke is this?, Why can’t I get a break?, and Why is the universe messing with me?

We dropped my two-month Lenny off at the authorized service station earlier, and thankfully the service and part replacement is all covered by warranty. Afterwards, MrC treated me to lunch at Starbucks, a chocolate chip and macadamia cookie, and a red velvet cupcake from My Little Buttercup. I’m lucky to have a husband who knows what to do. Chances are, the sugar is responsible for my sudden mood shift.

The bottom line is that I will be computer free for 1-2 weeks. I flipped out a little bit when I found out, but I am now choosing to see things from a different perspective, that is that I am not laptop-less, but rather, laptop free. Yes, there is a difference. Essentially, one is pessimistic and the other optimistic. Allow me to explain.

If I were laptop-less, I would be panicky and possibly crying right now. I would be freaking out over the work that I need to complete over the next few days. I would be thinking about all of my unanswered emails, the photos to edit and blog posts to write. I would be panicking over the online posts that I have yet to schedule. I would be worried, cranky, feeling hopeless and defeated. I refuse to think that way.

Instead, I choose to see this as me being laptop-free. That means one less distraction and an opportunity to manage my time better. I will be working on a shared computer and that means that I need to work more efficiently and say no to procrastination. I hope that means that I will get things done faster. It also means that I will be forced to take more breaks from work. Having no laptop will mean more time to spend with the family doing things that don’t involve gadgets. It means that I will have extra time for crafting, too. See, doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun already?

Honestly, I’m not sure how difficult the next few weeks will be, and I’m a bit worried about how I will cope. But instead of wallowing on my worries, I’m choosing to see the bright side instead. And suddenly the situation isn’t so bad. 🙂

Wish me luck?

xo Patricia C. via WordPress for Blackberry

(Online) Life On Hold Due to Technical Difficulties

by 6 Comments

My computer is broken, and this is a disaster. While I can temporarily use MrC’s laptop, I know that I need to find a more permanent solution to this problem soon. After all, a computer is my one big work-at-home investment. Yes, I’m choosing to see it as an investment rather than an outright expense. Think positive, as they say!

So now I need help. What machine do I buy? Truth be told I’ve been dreaming about getting a Macbook since the first pearly white one came out years ago. I’ve just never been able to convince myself that it’s worth the price. That’s because there are lots of other great laptops with similar specs, but at half the cost.

Basically I need a computer that is/has…
* Lightweight (ideally), with a great batter life. That entire computer will pretty much make up my mobile office I need my mobile office to be mobile-friendly.
* Great for multitasking. I tend to have a browser, word processor, Excel, sometimes Powerpoint, Photoshop and/or Lightroom, Skype, chat clients, oDesk team, sometimes uTorrent, my web browser with a flash game, Facebook, Twitter, my blog dashboard and other tabs, plus a bunch of other programs running all at once. My computer must be as good at multitasking as I am.
* Fast. Because slow computers kill my momentum.
* Lots of storage space. After all, what good is a mobile office if it can’t allow me to bring everything (meaning all of my files, photos and videos) with me all at once? And yes, a lot of these files, photos and videos are work stuff.
* Reliable. I’ve used 3 different HP computers over a span of 6 years. On average, after 2years they’ve gone all comatose on me. Is it me? I’d like to think that I’ve just been getting devices that aren’t up to par with my usage. Like with mobile phones, for instance. When I was on Nokia, I’d have to change units after a year and a half, two years max. Now that I’m on BlackBerry, I’m nearing the 2-year mark and my phone is running super well. So yes, I’m hoping it might just be an incompatibility issue.
* A real workhorse. I’m on my computer a lot. I keep it on almost all day.

Can you suggest a laptop that can do all of these things, that won’t die on me after a couple of years? I seriously need to get a replacement asap. What computers are you guys on? Are you happy with your device? I’d love to hear from you!

xo Patricia C. via WordPress for Blackberry