Those Microsoft Laptops

Jeneane Sessum wrote:

Microsoft Is Asking the Mostly Male Bloggers Who Received Free Laptops (loaded with Vista) from the PR Gurus at Edelmen to GIVE THE LAPTOPS AWAY or send them back when they are done reviewing them.

and to that end, Gentlemen (and Barb), Give-Away Laptops Should Be Sent To:

Jeneane Sessum
…
Kennesaw, Georgia

What she said (except send the laptop(s) to Healdsburg, instead).

Nope, Microsoft didn't send us any laptops to review. Instead, Tom's working on Creating a Presentation in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 for Windows: Visual QuickProject Guide and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 for Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide, while I'm working on some Gadgets. Thank you, Parallels!

Hey, that was nice

My sister called last week to let me know that our holiday gift was on its way, and though it didn't arrive in time for Christmas, we picked it up today. It was just what we wanted, but didn't think to ask for: Wine Enthusiast Silent 16 Bottle Wine Refrigerator. We've been thinking about getting one for a long time, but had never gotten around to it. Sixteen bottles is a bit small, but the thing also doesn't take up that much room, either. Big thanks to my sister and brother-n-law.

Costco musings

I'm getting to the point where I need new reading glasses, so after a Google search for low-priced alternatives to my local optometrist, I found that the right choice seems to be Costco. As part of the search, I got sucked into the best of craigslist, specifically this post: The Zen of Costco, which had this gem that I'm sure Dori appreciates:

As you enter, do not be distracted by the flat screen tv's. These are not the droids you're looking for.

And more specific to my search, this post: Costco counselors standing by. Enjoy.

Spend Money, Save Money

Between this and the last post, I seem to be stuck in a "how to spend money" mood. Given that, here's some good ways to spend a little but feel like you're getting a lot:

• Amazon has Buffy and Angel DVD sets on sale (woohoo!). Buffy Season 1, Buffy Season 2, Buffy Season 3, Buffy Season 4, Buffy Season 5, Buffy Season 6, Buffy Season 7, Angel Season 2, Angel Season 3, Angel Season 4, and Angel Season 5 are only $19.97 each.

  For some reason, Angel Season 1 is $35.99, so don't hurry for that one.

• If you've known me for any length of time, you'd probably chuckle at the idea of me receiving compliments on my clothes. But hey, times change, and it's actually happened at the last few conferences I've attended. When asked, I give the credit to my recent habit of shopping at Coldwater Creek. But my real secret? I get email from them occasionally with a special code giving me great discounts, which means I don't have to spend much (I'm a big fan of that!).

  Why you should care: because they're running a sale right now where everyone gets that good deal. Up through Thursday night, whatever they have in stock is 50% off. Go shopping, put in the code ("WEB50"), and get half off. I don't get anything for this recommendation; no kickbacks, no affiliate deals, no nothin'. It's just a good deal I thought was worth passing on.

MacBooks, Recommended (and otherwise)

I've been asked several times recently about Mac laptops and which ones I do/don't recommend. Here's the rundown so I can just point to it in the future:

Laptops I don't recommend:

• 1.83 GHz MacBook: Yes, it's $200 cheaper than the MacBook above. To save that money, you get half the RAM (512 MB versus 1 GB), a slightly slower processor, a Combo drive instead of a SuperDrive (i.e., you can only read, not write, DVDs), half the L2 cache (2 MB versus 4 MB), and a smaller hard drive (60 MB versus 80 MB). Pay the $200.

• 2.0 GHz 13-inch black MacBook: It's $200 more than the MacBook above, and for that, you get a 120 GB hard drive instead of an 80. You can upgrade the white MacBook to the same size drive for $150 if you buy it build-to-order from Apple, which means you're paying $50 just for the case color. Don't.

• 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro: It's $500 more than the MacBook Pro above. For that, you get a very slightly faster processor, twice the RAM (1 versus 2 GB), and more video RAM (256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM). Instead, buy another GB of RAM for $100, install it yourself, and pocket the other $400.

• 2.33 GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro: It's $800 more than the MacBook Pro above. For that money, buy yourself more RAM and a bigger external display.

And yes, I'd put my money where my mouth is; in fact, you can probably guess from the above exactly which brand-new laptops Sean and I now have.

Of course, all of the above is subject to change after the SteveNote on January 9^th.

The Sex Machine Has Left the Building

RIP, James Brown.

"Uhhm! Good Gawd!"

In loving tribute: James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party!