Finally, on a trip to the States I was able to buy a new computer. It’s a 13″ MacBook Air. Then we lost our internet connection and I got the flu as the connection returned. But all’s well now, I’m back in the saddle.
Not having a computer for two months taught me a couple of lessons which might be useful. The first was my idea of being able to get along with just having a tablet. Being a minimalist the idea of having a small device that does it all is appealing, but it turns out not to be practical. Basically, iPads aren’t full function computers. Especially when it comes to typing and manipulating text. It’s like trying to get by with a crescent wrench in place of a socket set. You can do it, but it’s frustrating if you know what using the proper tools is like.
I was happy to have had the iPad to use for a couple of months before I could get my hands on a new computer and to put the one small computer idea to the test. But ultimately the iPad is a good backup and travel companion.
The other lesson I learned was that external hard drives, your info backup, have a lifespan of about three years. I’d dutifully backed up my computer every three weeks or so for years. But when I bought my new computer and tried to import the backed up info – nothing! The Genius bar dude who was trying to help me said he always replaces backup drives after no more than three years. Mine was older than that and dead.
I still may be able to retrieve the data from my dead drive. But from here on I’m replacing my external drives early. Especially on the coast, I imagine the small moving parts in there clumping up like table salt in a salt shaker.