I've been using the same computer since 1996. My parents bought a family computer waaaay back in high school, and as I grew the computer grew with me. Like a favorite pair of jeans, there have been times over the past few years where things just stopped fitting. As the Internet grew, buttock like, so did the computer fail to stretch to accomodate the extra girth. There was a brief period back in 2001 where we installed Windows ME onto it, thinking that perhaps Windows ME was a good idea.

You know how sometimes you do something that seems brilliant at the time of conception, such as trying to make candles using old crayon stubs and a microwave? And you know how those ideas usually turn out to be really destructive? That was Windows ME. If we hadn't wiped everything and started over I'm sure my little IBM would have caused some sort of nuclear holocost. That thing would radiate so much heat that it became the epicenter of my apartment. We'd huddle around it for warmth, at least, until the thing would start whirring and beeping and flashing on and off again.

Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the OS, maybe we had a Poltergeist or something. Enh.

Anyway, the computer is now 10 years old, and it has been experiencing a rapid progression into the frozen-rock state of electronics, so I put Skipper on the case. I know nothing about computers, and everyone has their own damn opinion. Screw that. I told Skip what I wanted to do with the computer, told him that I wanted something that would last me another ten years if need be since I think it's sort of dumb to have to keep upgrading something just to keep it "top of the line."

Skip evaluated my needs and my lifestyle, and arrived today with a new-to-meIBM Thinkpad. I guess these things are sort of like tanks, which is good because I'm planning on using this until it's held together with duct tape and cat hair. It's working pretty well so far, and it's a lot faster than the original IBM. Plus it doesn't sound like it's going to blow up everytime it's "thinking," which is a plus.

Bryan wants to do "something" with my old computer, and I know that means installing Linux. He's wanted to do it for awhile, but I hate Linux and I resented that someone who manages to blow through a computer a year would insinuate that I would fix MY problems (my problem, apparently, is that I don't destroy computers) by installing a pretentious system I hate onto the only system in the house I can use without going blind, since apparently he can only read letters that are the size of individual electrons. Whatever. He can do what he wants now. I'm just happy that I can watch streaming video now, and open a picture without it taking five minutes.

Thanks for the birthday present, Skipper! Keep my husband away from it.