New iMac

I spent my Sunday buying and then setting up this bad boy!

A new iMac!

I can already tell you that it was worth every second of time and every penny spent because I am already in love with my new computer!

It’s so much faster than my 4+ year old pin-wheeling-from-hell old Mac.  <—I discussed that already and anyone who has a Mac loathes the pinwheel.  And I was getting it 85% of the time!

I couldn’t wait any longer for a new computer.  This went from an “I’d like to have” to an “I must have” purchase, immediately, upon our return from Aruba.

I think my old computer must have read my blog post and gotten wind I was thinking about trading it in for a new model and decided to really act up for me and force my hand into a brand spakin’ new machine.  Some things are “meant to be” I guess.  Like my new computer!

What I purchased from the Apple Store in San Diego is this computer (not yet on the Apple website yet because it’s only a month old).  It’s a 3.4 Ghz i7 Quad-Core Dual with 8GB RAM.  If you don’t know a thing about computers, all you need to know is the is the Lamborghini of computers.  Screamin’ fast and powerful.

And I am in heaven with it!

Blogging, internet surfing, sitting at my desk is already more fun!

I have already noticed it takes me:

less to to wait for WordPress to load things when I’m blogging (such as finding links to old blog posts, creating new links, adding photos)

less time for me to do anything on the internet from surfing to posting comments on other people’s blogs

to no pinwheeling while I am using Lighroom 3 for photo editing

less time to upload pictures

the screen is huge and fabulous and I can have so many things open at once

I am digging the wireless keyboard I had a Magic Mouse with my last computer that I purchased separately but this computer came with a Mighty Mouse

The only random thing I am hating is that for some reason, getting a new computer must have made half the WordPress blogs I comment on think I am a spammer because my comments are going into moderation on many WP blogs.  Not all WP blog, but many, and I don’t know if people realize they have comments in moderation via email alerts from WP letting them know (I sometimes get them from WP, but not always).  I hope that gets sorted out soon.  Something to do with my IP address, I’m sure.  But it wouldn’t have changed?  Technology is weird.

I also purchased Apple Care so basically if anything happens to my new lover in the next 3 years, it will be covered under warranty and it should be free should anything happen to go wrong.  Somehow with technology, things always do. Plus there’s free phone support for 3 years.

And I bought a new external hard drive so I can back things up.  New computer = new external drive.

Clean slate, fresh start.

Please, back your machines up whether you have a PC or a Mac, you must back up!

I had all my music and iTunes from my old Mac on an external drive and I transferred that onto the new machine.

6000 songs at a buck or two bucks each?  Do the math. Buy an external drive if for nothing else, peace of mind.

I still haven’t touched or moved photos and I don’t think I will.  I will just keep my “favorite” 25,000 photos parked on the old external drive and if I really want to go back and look at them, I know where they’re at.   I don’t want to import and clutter my new computer unnecessarily.

Point being, however, if you aren’t backing up your computer and you lost all your music + photos, how would you feel?  Music can be replaced for a fee.  Photos cannot.  And yes, even external hard drives to fail, but it’s better than not doing it at all!

I also wasted money on purchased Microsoft Windows

I purchased Windows so that I can run Windows Live Writer (WLW) on my Mac.  Not familiar with WLW?  See this post.

In order to run WLW:

You need Windows and you need a program such as VMWare Fusion or Parallels that allows one to run Windows on a Mac.

Thankfully, I worked a deal out at the Mac store for the VMWare Fusion!

I didn’t pay that.  Yay!

But I was not as lucky when I ventured “down the hall” of the mall and into Microsoft and paid for a Windows license, in entirety.

Ouch. $220 after tax.

Why do I want to run Windows on my new Mac?  In order to run Windows Live Writer so I can be a more efficient blogger!

So now that I have officially bored you with talk of my computer, we can talk about my last post, the Greek Festival I went to over the weekend.

It was fun to read about what festivals you’ve attended and most everyone loves festivals, fairs, and of course the food that goes with them!

In terms of food, I think everyone loves Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and 3 minute recipes, right?

Try a Microwave Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oat Snack Bar out.

Questions:

1. Do you get excited about new technology?  Is it important for you to stay current with technology?

I will admit, I love it.  I was stoked about my iPhone, my Macbook, my camera, yes, I do get very excited by these things.

I’d rather buy camera equipment than lingerie these days if that tells you anything!

So it was a pricey Sunday but I look at my blog as a job, of sorts.  I don’t make enough money from my blog to quit my dayjob.   Far from it! But blogging is a large part of my life: two posts a day, comments, reader questions, reading others’ blogs, and so much more.  Having a machine to keep up with my needs is key.

Also, photography is a big part of  my life and I hope it becomes an even bigger part and I’d love to explore my photography in a more professional sense so having a machine in which I can edit my photos efficiently and effectively is absolutely necessary.  And let me just tell you, the screen size is huge and makes editing simply amazing. I don’t think anyone says, yay, I get to sit down and edit 200 photos today but I will say, I am almost saying that because the screen is honkin’ ginormous and makes editing a breeze!  And no pinwheeling, either, of course!

And let’s face it, we live in a technology-driven society and I’d rather invest in quality now, and know that for the next many years, I am set and don’t need to buy a thing. 

2. I haven’t broken the seal on the VMWare or the Windows license.  For anyone who blogs with Windows Live Writer, you can tell me if it’s worth it. I know it is, but just tell me it is!

Have you tried blogging with any other software such as Ecto or WLW?  Or would you like to try them?

3. Do you back up your computer?

I hope so!

4. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?

Computer

Greek Fest

and No Bake Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites made for an amazing weekend for me!

Have a great week!