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
and No Bake Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites made for an amazing weekend for me!
Have a great week!
Whew! You ’bout lost me, but congrats to you! I will be thinking of all you sacrificed when I enjoy your blog, haha!! ;)
I am NOT tech savvy and tend to get the cheapest computer I can find about every 2-3 years when they finally start pinwheeling out of control! Might not be the best way to go at it, but it works for me! Glad you are enjoying your new computer!
yeah girl if that lost you, then i dont even want to tell you what else goes on behind the scenes…i just care that you’re reading and enjoying it all :)
There’s an iMac in my future too! Waiting for the Dell to be so bad I want to kill it, which should be any day now. GRRRR.
My 2 year old MacBook was pinwheeling like crazy so I stopped using Firefox and switched to Chrome, and no problems (knock on wood, cross my fingers, and all that;).
iMac! Huge monitor! Joy.
I never bought the extended warranty on my MAC or phone and now I wish I had :( It seems so much is going wrong lately with both that with the amount of money spent initially buying them I should’ve bought the extended coverage *sigh*. I now know that anytime I buy something I’m always buying the coverage now. I’m jealous of you lol!
I also have windows and parallels! I have no idea how to use them though since I have to turn my computer on with windows in order to get to my windows stuff, but I don’t have internet over there :( I just instead bought iWork for MAC and it’s much easier lol for me.
thanks for lmk you wished you’d bought the warranty. I never buy them but the guy told me, really with this kind of money you’re spending, just do it and normally i dont “fall for sales pitches” but realized it made sense and wasn’t a “sales pitch”…sorry you’re having issues w/ your stuff but this confirms that ok, i did do the right thing…
It’s okay =/ AT least you were smart and did lol!
This is a sign.. I’ve been talking about how I need to buy my own computer. Lame, I know, but I only use my work laptop. I’ve never owned my own. (SHOCKER.) I don’t know how to use a mac but I’m debating getting one anyway because it seems to be a better investment than a PC. Is there a reason you bought the iMac instead of the macbook? I’m currently trying to decide between the two.
yes, i already own a macbook (linked to it in the post) and they’re fine but for heavy photo editing and heavy blogging, i.e. 2x/day, plus all the life stuff…i definitely needed size and speed and this is the best of both!
HOORAY for a new computer!!! It’s definitely going to be worth the money, especially now that you’re doing so much with your photography. Another great investment!
I always get excited when I get a new techy product. And I’m the type of person who always reads through the manual first… I get frustrated when they don’t include one. ;)
Loving your new iMac! I think it’s important to stay current with technology to an extent. I don’t feel like there’s a need for me to update my computer or camera every year or whenever new technology comes out (which is all the time now!). I usually just make that new purchase when my current computer starts to slow down or have issues.
nothing like an exciting weekend of festivals, food and shopping to make coming home from vacation a little easier. I should back up but I don’t, eek! So bad I know, so thanks for the reminder of how important it is.
JEALOUS!!!! I can’t wait to hear how it goes with the new computer and WLW. You are going to be flying through your posts and no pinwheel of death. It will be magical!
Yes, I learned after the Great Latte Spill of 2010 to back up my computer at least once a month!
ooo fancy new computer! I have a macbook from two years ago, and It’s started to pinwheel when I have a lot of windows open at once. It’s ok for now, but probably in the next year or so I might get new one. I love macs!
woo hoo – look at that beautiful thing! :)
you weren’t in spam but your last comment needed me to approve it, like you were a first time commenter. should be fine now! :D
have fun!
thanks for lmk you saw it and fished it out…i was pretty sure you would otherwise i was gonna send you an email :) thanks for being on top of it!
you know I have to sift through my spam, looking for the FUNNY comments – like this one I got last week –> “Under the mother otter, muttered the other otter” or the ones thanking me for my “Important Post” when it’s about… a smoothie or a cookie! ;)
hubba, hubba! Loving the new technology, Averie! Gosh, I wish I could get a new computer. I think your old computer must have read that blog post. haha
thanks for fishing me out of your comment moderation, too, btw!
I’m a total nerd. I love new technology! Computers, computer games, cameras, you name it! I’ve spent quite a lot of money on gaming equipment in the last year, from special keyboards to huge monitors and special mouses. Too bad I don’t really game too much anymore, haha!
AHHH macs are so pretty…I am so ready to get my college MacBook Pro!
JEALOUS!!
Wowza! A girl who works as hard as you deserves the best freakin’ computer out there. I hope it makes life a lot easier!
I save all of my pictures, word files, and music onto discs. Is that the same as backing up?
well, it’s a form of backing up, yes.
external hard drives are sooooo much easier for me than burning to disk and so much faster that way but any form of backing up is better than nothing.
how exciting!
i have been wanting a computer so badly.. seriously, i can relate to your past situation of slow computers! mine is eight years old.. so, i feel your past pain. unfortunately, funds must go to feeding the family right now, so i can’t justify such a purchase. :-(
makes me sad though…i have recently gotten into photography,too. i love it beyond words! but… i can’t even run elements on my elderly computer, so somewhat feel held back from making my dreams a reality. makes me want to cry. nothing quite like having your dreams put on hold because of finances, but tis life and many are dealing with financial strains.
i am trying very hard to be content with the things i do have (including this computer) but it has been difficult.
anywhoo, my apologies for rambling on and on…congrats on your new computer!!! how exciting that must be to edit photos super fast and efficiently. yay for you!! ;-)
have a great day, Averie! oh, and those cookie dough bites make me want to eat my ancient computer screen. ;-)
I completely empathize, Kelly, with your situation! For the first couple years after Skylar was born I didnt work outside the home at all and we went from 2 people, 2 incomes to 3 ppl, 1 income in Southern Cal. And it was very HARD. Every cent counted. I hope things turn around for you and one day you’ll be able to get a new machine.
I bought my macbook used on Craigslist and got a great deal on it, btw. May be worth checking out.
Oh I feel for ya Kelly. Right there with ya.
But congrats Averie – I can FEEL your happiness! It is a desktop though right? Do you find that will limit you for when you want to GET OUT of the house!! You seem to spend a lot of time with your blog and commenting, etc. , so do you feel you’ll be “chained” to the desk?!!