Back to the grind.

[dalesql]

So, I'm back from maine and the folk festival. The festival was lovely. Hard work as usual, slinging out a couple tons of electrical cable and lighting, but we have figured out a good system for the various bits that I can show someone and they can replicate for the indicated tents without much additional training. We had the crews of trustees from the state prison again, and they did their usual tremendous job. I went to the Friar's Bakery shop and got three dozen assorted muffins and whoopie pies, which were a big hit with them. Baked with prayers and love. Also, the best tasting baked goods I have ever found in a store.

But now I'm back home. My laptop crapped out just before I left for maine. So I left it at home and bought a cheap tablet computer to use on the drive up to maine. The tablet was lacking in functionality, and the lack of a real keyboard was very annoying. So today I took my broken laptop around to a couple places in hopes of getting a repair. The third place I went gave me the least discouraging news. He would look at it, but said that finding parts for a five year old laptop was gonna be right up there with finding hens teeth. So I decided to start shopping for a new one.

But I have rather limited funds now. I still owe my auto mechanic about 1500 bucks on the bearings and brakes on my car. SO I'm looking online for a cheap laptop. I don't want much. I pretty much only use it for e-mail and websurfing. I fun turbotax on it annually, and write the occaisional document. I'm hoping I can find a deal of the day on a refurbed laptop for 150 bucks, and buy a pair of them so I will have a parts monster to keep it going. Otherwise I go for the 300 dollar discontinued newinbox at best buy or office store.

To all my friends in Texas for the Worldcon, hope you are having fun.

Comments

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Costco. I got G a brand new netbook at Costco for less than $200.

We got my new laptop a couple weeks ago, direct from Dell for around $600.

[shana.livejournal.com]

Check the Toshiba direct website. They are always running specials - sometimes for less than $300. I'm on crappy hotel wifi or I'd check their website to see what the current specials are.

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

What is the brand / model of your old laptop? I *might* be able to help. Also, any idea what is wrong with it?

[dalesql.livejournal.com]

HP brand. Don't know the model off the top of my head, it is still out in my car. Video stopped working. It is still starting up that I am seeing some of the LEDs lighting up and the fan and HD are spinning. I think I will get an external USB enclosure for the hard disk SSO I can retrieve files onto the new machine. Found a couple of decent possibilitiys that are on sale this weekend at best buy and bjs for about 300 bucks. Looking at them more closely tomorrow. I think that for a laptop, staying away from the used/recondtioned deals would be wise, unless they are so cheap I can get two identical ones so I will have a spare to raid for parts.