Day 57: An Apple a Day...

I've had my Dell laptop for five years and right around the time I started writing this blog, it started giving me problems. It's low on hard drive space and I'm pretty sure it has a virus. I know this is probably not the best way to care for a computer, but I worry that whatever is wrong with it is so bad and unfixable, that it'll cost me a fortune to fix. So, I just assume ignore what might be wrong with it and deal with the problems as they arise until it stops working all together.

I'd like to say this behavior is reserved for just computers, but this is how I live. I tend to keep things, especially expensive things, until they fall down, wear down, or break down.

Some may call this behavior frugal, others might call it cheap. I think I have a genuine fear of making big purchases.

Despite my dad's constant reminders (read: nagging) about shopping for a car, I put it off for an entire year, until my car died on I-20, leaving me stranded on the side of the road outside of Augusta, Georgia. The fiasco inconvenienced my mom, who had to drive from South Carolina to come pick me up. It also caused me a great deal of stress for the month I was without a car, and before it was all over, ended up costing me a great deal of money in rental car payments.

Waiting to shop for a car until I was car-less probably wasn't the wisest move I've ever made. But some funny things happened as a result, so I didn't mind. I was forced to get acquainted with Atlanta's public transportation system and I also got to test drive some pretty sweet rental cars, like a 13-passenger church van and a silver PT cruiser.

I don't anticipate this level of drama when my computer finally dies and goes to computer heaven, but I did want to have my research done so when that day comes, and I'm pretty sure it's coming, I'll be ready. I also needed to get real about how much this purchase was going to cost me.

Day 57's thing I've never done before was to go to an Apple store and shop for a computer. Not only was this my first time in an Apple store, this was the first time I'd ever shopped for my own computer. All of the other computers I've ever owned were handed down to me or purchased by my parents. It was time to be a big girl!

I've passed the Apple store dozens of times, but until this day, hadn't ever stepped foot inside. I never had a need to go in there, and I'm not much of a browser, especially when it comes to electronics I cannot afford. I'll admit, I walked in cautiously. I'm not sure why and it seems so silly, but I was intimidated. Within five seconds, a cheerful woman approached me and asked me what I was looking for. I told her I was interested in a laptop.

She nodded and said, "That's great! There are a couple of people ahead of you line, but someone will be with you in about 30 minutes."

Come again? We're one month from Christmas and I have to wait a half an hour for someone to sell me a computer? Every other store I'd walked in to that day, the sales people were tripping over each other to try and sell me something.

I told someone at work about having to wait to speak with a sales person and he asked me if I considered making an appointment.

An appointment? To buy a computer?

Apple seems to have that way about them. They make you think that they are cooler than they are, with all this waiting to see a sales associate and appointments. Give me a break, Apple. Who do you think you are? On the other hand, based on the overwhelming response from nearly every Mac owner that I know when I mentioned I may be in the market for one, maybe they really are that cool?

Or maybe all of these Mac owners, who likely have Apple stickers on their cars and Gmail accounts, should reevaluate things. It's a computer, geeks. Just a computer.

Super busy Apple sales guy James finally became available and they called my name. What a production! He and I went over what I was looking for in a computer.

I said I wanted a laptop just for the basics. Surfing the Internet, downloading music, uploading pictures, blogging.

"Oh, you're a blogger?" James asked me.

Indeed, James, I am. Yes, that's right, I pimped my blog to the Apple guy. I even gave him my business card and wrote the blog address on the back. I'm a shameless self-promoter these days.

James showed me the different computers and explained how easy it would be for me to move my files from my current computer over to my new computer. After hearing about what I needed, we agreed that a 15" Macbook Pro best suits me and what I need. He then proceeded to tell me about Apple Care and all of these other programs that I would need to buy to support the already expensive computer.

I was starting to get really irritated about all of these additional costs when James said the sweetest words I've ever heard: Macs don't get viruses. Sold!

Well, not really "sold." I didn't actually buy one. This is me, remember? I have to wait for old Dell to blowup in my lap before I actually purchase a new one.

I got an email from my friend James. He read the blog and then he asked me out on a date! Day 57's other thing that I've never done before: get asked out by the Apple store guy.

My friend Trish said I should go.

"Free tech support."

There may come a time in my life when I go out on dates with people for free tech support, but I'm not there yet. She also pointed out that he may be able to get me a good deal on the computer. That would be nice, since as well as trying something new everyday, I'm also trying to live a financially responsible life, and that means buying the computer with cash. I'm not quite ready to make such a big purchase, but hopefully soon.

Fingers crossed my Dell holds out until then, or I might just have to take James up that date.