The Break Up

Today while booting up my laptop Windows XP launched a message from our friends at Microsoft. After April 8, 2014 XP operating systems will no longer receive support updates.  Microsoft offered a free diagnostic to see if my computer would benefit from an upgrade to Windows 8.1, but the diagnostic came with a caveat: if my machine wasn’t upgradeable I would need to buy a new one or, wait until a virus ate my current operating system alive.  If it was, I’d need to purchase a CD with the Windows upgrade to the 8.1 operating system and, I would lose everything I put into my laptop. 

 

Yeah.

 

I received my Dell E1405, or Audrey, as I once called her before she got old and obstinate.  Now I like to call her Piece of Crap PC.  Anyway, Audrey was a university graduation present in 2006.  After a near nine year courtship, I knew the inevitable moment of replacing my machine would come.  I just hoped it would come when I had more money to spend.

 

I have a confession—I am an unemployed blogger hoping to turn my writing into a fruitful career.  I got canned from my job as a hearing recorder which paid very well because my employers were unhappy with my perfume.  To top that off are the budget constraints my husband implemented as the sole bread winner to prevent expenditure and, our apartment for cheap rent including heat and hot water that also comes with sex noises that break the sound barrier and cause the loon who lives below us to bang against his ceiling, or our floor because he thinks it’s us.  The latter oozes the need for expenditure and a move to a quieter building.  But first things first, my new computer.

 

Luckily, we put away a big chunk of the unemployment benefit I’ve received that can be used to purchase a new laptop.

“Great,” you say.  “Go get that new laptop and keep writing.”

What about saving?  Why is it as soon as we get a bit of money to put away, there swiftly comes something that needs to be bought?

 

I now face the stinging reality of buying a new laptop.  Ideally, I would leave the world of Windows and get myself an Apple.  Unfortunately, five hundred spending dollars stands haughtily in the way of that pipe dream.  In the “broke” world, five hundred dollars will need to buy me an operating system with strength and speed to support writing, listening to music, streaming video and, internet usage. 

 

Readers if you are out there…Help!