Charging Up the Technology Hill: Adapting to a New Toshiba Laptop

I'm deep in the learning curve with my new Toshiba Satellite laptop and Windows effing 8. So far they've got me on the ropes.


Actually, I'm doing OK with both. Transitioning from Windows XP to 8 is like moving from Davenport to Chicago, but I'm getting the hang of it. My eight-year-old Dell PC will only power up every third day or so. Even for a guy willing to grab onto any excuse not to work, that wasn't acceptable.


I talked to Dell a couple of months ago to see what it would cost to replace my current PC with a new one and still have it operate dual monitors: $800 was the quote. Ouch. I'm fed up with my little Acer netbook. It's great size wise, but is slower than Mike Tyson taking a multiple-choice quiz. It's absolutely frustrating. So, I had been contemplating replacing it with a new laptop. When my PC starting going South, I decided a good laptop would be a solid compromise to get me through until I've got the bucks to invest in a new Dell PC.


I've also been thinking about shooting some video for Clanging Bell and wanted a platform with enough juice to support an editing program, and light enough to travel with me.

A Taste of the South: One of Euphoria's Friday evening events.

 The major issue has been my schedule. I just haven't had time to really play with it. (I'll pause while you think of a joke or two.) There have been a couple of assignments I needed to crank out and this past weekend was filled to the brim with Euphoria events that I had a media pass for. For the uninitiated, Euphoria is a three-day food-and-booze-and-music festival. It's an annual event, but this is the first year I've been around to attend it.


Attempting to print out boarding passes for flights today, I discovered yesterday that my scanner/printer wasn't communicating with the new laptop. I arose two hours early this morning to try to get the problem solved. I did, eventually.


Because my PC sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, I was able to backup everything I needed on one of the days it chose to function. At least I don't have to contend with trying to find someone competent to try to pull stuff off my PC's hard drive.


I'm writing all of this as an explanation as to why I haven't been as attentive to Clanging Bell as I should be.


I'm three or four topics behind blogging about things I've done, places I've been or cars I've driven on manufacturer events. The Kia adventure that begins today will bring the count to five.


I'm under excruciating pressure!