Decisions, decisions

I've been considering purchasing a laptop computer--scratch that, a notebook computer--for some time. (I read somewhere that PC manufacturers have switched the terminology because the machines get so hot that they discourage use on laps.) I've made some extra money that I've intended to put toward the notebook, and the final piece arrived when the full security deposit from my old apartment came in the mail.

As luck would have it, one of the Big Box electronic retailers is having a sale on the model I've had my eye on. It couldn't be any easier, could it? Wrong, wrong, wrong. I asked my family members for their opinions and got more feedback than I probably needed. Still, they were helpful to a degree.

I felt relatively sure about the decision, but what I hadn't exactly taken into account was all of the extras that need to factored in. I will need--or want, to be more accurate--a wireless router. Everything I'm reading and being told is that I should upgrade the 1 GB of memory to 2 GB because Vista hogs it. If I have the store install the memory, there's another hefty charge. (I could probably do it, although I would hate to fry a new computer because of my own incompetence.) The price that was looking pretty good suddenly has all these other costs associated with it. And I haven't even mentioned purchasing Office because new computers get loaded with those infernal Works programs. (I could probably get an academic discount but still...)

Of course, one needs a bag for carrying the notebook. It's been suggested that I knit this satchel if/when I get a notebook. That's not a bad idea, and the extra cost would provide some pleasure that buying the other stuff wouldn't.

I went to the store and a Competing Chain to take a look at the notebook and check out prices for routers and memory. Hello aggravation. One place didn't have it, and the other had its functionality locked down so that I couldn't play around with it to see what I thought. I couldn't find the memory sticks, and heaven forbid a retail associate actually ask if you need help on that rare occasion when you do. I'm half tempted at this point to say forget it and not bother getting one at all. (The Big Box store lost a sale of a desktop computer to me three years ago because I couldn't find anyone to get the machine when I was there to make a purchase.)

And I won't even go into the difficulty in understanding my VOIP provider's obviously outsourced Indian call center employee when I contacted them to learn what I would need to do if/when I hooked up a wireless router.

To top it off, that enormo-sock is still on the needles, and I've done precious little knitting because of it. Blah.