I need a new computer.  I got my very first computer when I had just graduated high school, the summer before college, in 2002.  That PC has since been sitting on my desk in my room, struck ill with the Blue Screen of Death.  Its been pretty much unusable for 3 years or so.  Luckily, my sister bought a new laptop (after her’s broke), and took the new one with her to England.  My dad was able to fix her old laptop, and I had been using that as my computer to write papers with.  I always used the computer while sitting on the couch with my legs up, because I liked being in the living room with my family, rather than sitting alone in my room.  I had rested my computer on the couch (like I always did), and one unfortunate day, my brother knocked it onto the floor.  The battery became unlodged from the computer, and the electric pronges inside the machine became damaged, and the battery no longer fits correctly.  The computer works fine if it is plugged in, but the minute that the cord moves the wrong way, the computer loses all power, and just shuts down.  That is not very handy when I’m in the middle of writing a paper.
My father brought home a replacement laptop, one that he had hanging around work that no one used.  That worked for about a month, but all of a sudden, some keys on the keyboard stopped working.  There is no longer a T,Y, left shift, TAB, or backspace button.  That also makes it pretty impossible to write a paper.  And so, I was left using the main family computer in the family room.  I know that I need a new computer, but my dad said “Do you really NEED a computer?”  And I thought about it, and figured that, no, it wasn’t absolutely necessary.  I can use the family computer whenever I need, and it will be fine.  But then, yesterday, I was using the computer when my dad came home early from work, and he said he came home to “get some stuff done on the computer.” 

Problem.  I was using the computer.

And so, I think we’ve decided that I DO need a new computer.  My dad basically said “Well, people usually need a new computer every four years.   So you can either buy it now, or buy it later.  But you are going to have to buy one.  You might as well go out and get that good deal.”  Circuit City has a GREAT deal on a 17″ widescreen laptop, with 250 gig hard drive, and everything else I could possibly need to write papers, hold my music and photos, and surf the Internet.  It’s only $700.  Which, sure, is a lot, but for what this computer has, it’s a great deal, and I haven’t seen anything much cheaper. 

My dad also said “When you’re weighing the cost of the laptop, don’t forget to weigh the cost of NOT having your own computer.”  It will definitely make things a lot easier with our iPhones.  I have my iPhone set up with my GMail contacts, and recently, my dad synched his phone with his outlook express contacts.  But somehow (even though we did research on how to avoid this), all of my contacts went into his phone, and all of his contacts went into my phone.  Having my own computer will separate all of our music, and our info, and will definitely make my dad happy, because he hates when my crappy music gets onto his phone.

And so, I’m bummed that I have to get a new computer, but realistically, I haven’t had to purchase a new one in six years, and that’s pretty good.  My family usually gets a new PC every two years or so (my father and brother work with computers with their work/school), so six years is GREAT compared to them.

And since October is “buy nothing month,”  I need to go out and buy it before then!