Sunday 13 September 2009

WANTWANTWANTWANTWANT

Jolie posted a similar post several days ago, although with a much more practical and less manic-sounding title. It's all about computers.

My HP laptop is coming up to three years old. The part of this that is hardest for me to take in is the fact that it's considered outdated and essentially a very old piece of hard-working machinery. But, as in all things "old(er)," it's started to slow down a bit, think longer and harder about things, hang more than it should and just not allow me to work as efficiently as I know I could. So, I'm realistic in thinking that it's days are coming to an end. For me at least. I plan to donate it once I've got a new one, so it remains to be seen exactly how soon that will be.

I've just discovered (last week, in fact) touch screens.

This is the HP TouchSmart IQ526. It comes with everything: Vista, cable (to hook watch TV - it's already bigger than the one I currently own!), DVD/CD player/burner, 640GB, and and and. There's no tower. Everything is loaded right onto that 22" wide, 2.5" thick box. There's even a light. So you can type at night (it's the little things, right?).


Nosing around on the Internet comes up with quite a variety of prices ranging from HP's own website which prices it at $1799, to Amazon.ca where you can pick it up for $1688. I found it at Staples - already on clearance! - for $1274 (+ 5%= $1337.70).

So. If I asked D to go with me to see this, I know exactly what he'd say: "I'd buy it." This is what I'm trying to avoid, as this is the second time I've gone by to see it and I very nearly slapped down the old, currently paid off, credit card and said "I'll take it!" But I didn't because my card limit isn't high enough to buy it. Ahem. Then there's the famous "buy now, pay later" which rang bells in my head as I remembered what Gail does to people who do that. Last time I saw TDDUP, she had all the items that weren't paid for taken out of the house!

I know that if I buy it now, the price will drop further and I'll be wishing I'd waited. I also know that if I buy it now, I'll be back to square one with my debt payments. I guess I just needed to get it out there. It's a surprisingly good deal (considering what/where it is and that this is Whitehorse), but if it's meant to be, it will be. This is why I have this blog; so I can talk it out without judgement or guilt and get balanced, practical advice.

(And I'm kinda hoping someone will say "Ah, go ahead and get it!")

8 comments:

Jolie said...

I came home tonight to find my laptop cord 'fried' again. This would be the third powercord I'd have to buy at about $80 a shot. Or else it's the receptor in the laptop and that is kaput. Keep saving :-)

Anonymous said...

I hear you. New laptops are oh so tempting. (This is why I avoid electronic stores!)

If I were you, I would do what Canadian Saver did. Knowing that your laptop is on it's way out, start saving now to replace it. And once it does die, then replace it.

I know it's not the "fun" thing to do - but it is the responsible thing to do.

The Asian Pear said...

*starts drooling over computer*
That's SO nice. O_O;; My only qualms are that it runs Vista (EWWY!) and it seems rather low on hard drive space. But the pricing is actually pretty good for $1340... BUT, I'd say keep saving. When your laptop really dies, you would have probably saved enough to get something stronger and more powerful of machine.

Jessie said...

ohhhh fancy!

Northern Living Allowance said...

Thanks everyone for your always valuable input! I hate waiting, but know that I need to. I NEED a new computer, just not right now, and so I will do the right thing and keep saving.

@Pear - the hard drive on the computer is 640 GB (massive!) - currently 8x's bigger than my laptop. I'd seriously never fill it up :) But I hear you on the Vista...hmmm...

T'Pol said...

DON'TDON'TDON'TDON'T

I have a 6 year old machine which was really ssssslllloooowwww. I just upgraded the RAM from 256MB to 1,256GB and it is faster than it ever was! I had two RAM slots on the machine, one empty, one with 256MB, a friend of mine installed a 1GB RAM in the empty slot, did a bit cleaning up and my notebook is like new. The cost? about 50 USD, that's all!

I would do as Frugal Dreamer advises. You have been doing real well with the debt payment, don't blow it and then regret your purchase.

Northern Living Allowance said...

T'Pol: Ha! Thanks for that :) I have a friend who's going to reconfigure my C drive today, so I'm realy hoping that will help. I have an external hard drive which most of my stuff has been transferred to (the things I'm keeping) and I'm thinking I might keep the majority of stuff on there from here on in. I've got 80GB (512 RAM), and it's currently 70 empty, so it's all the background crap that comes with downloads that's most likely clogging the works...

Anonymous said...

I have no clue what this is, so I can't say go get it ;)