I had, until a few moments ago, recently been very keen on trying to make my computer last as long as possible. It does what I need to to, I can't really complain, and new computers are a lot of money, particularly when apple is on the cusp of new models.

And then my "r" key and the "tab" key flew off my keyboard.

I take this as a sign from the gods. I'm going to wait till I find a job and/or there are good new laptops from apple, because while I'm more partial to getting a linux laptop than I have been in the past, I think I'd be much more pleased by either: getting something like the Asus EEE PC (rumor has that there's going to be a new faster one in a few weeks) and/or something in the cloud that I could SSH into [1]

Anyway. I looked at the Apple website for the first time in months and I realized something: The MacBook Pros, are finally worth the extra price again. If you assume that the difference between a 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 ghz Core 2 Duo processor is basically academic (which I think it likely), for about 500 dollars you get: a much nicer screen (quality), a bigger screen, more powerful graphics, a firewire 800 port. I mean, these are the historic differences between the models, but usually the difference in price is more like 1000 dollars.

But this post is supposed to be about what I'm thinking of doing. I recognize that you can get replacement keys for about 9 bucks a pop, but upgrading is pretty inevitable, and desirable at this point.

Given this, my upgrade scheme/options are:

1. Wait till after the next major revision of the macbook (con: white/black) or the macbook pro and get it. And then continue as I have for the past few years to use it as my main/sole computer. Not a bad option. I'd probably lean toward the pro, if this were the case. 2. Get an iMac and either a MacBook con or an Assus EEE pc. This puts the focus on my at home computing, and while I'd still be mobile, I wouldn't be as at the drop of the hat mobile. 3. Get a macbook pro and figure out some way to organize for some sort of server-type at-home computer that could grind through the stuff that isn't laptop suitable: media center stuff and the like.

Two is a radical departure from my established usage patterns, and thus sort of unlikely. And even though my keys are beginning to strike wholesale, I'm probably still going to wait until august or november before I upgrade for real.

Anyway, there's a weekend brain dump. I'll see you later, and around.

[1]Particularly as I tend to be a more multi-box computer user, it's beginning to make the most sense for me to have all of "my digital stuff" somewhere "out there" in internet land, and then connect to this from, what amounts to dumb terminals throughout my day. We'll see. And in cases like that, the computer that I use to log into this is largely irrelevant.