On the Lookout for a New Laptop
I never thought this day would come. If you personally know me, or if you’ve been following my ergonomics series of posts on ForeverGeek (Such as my Of Mice and Men post), you would know me as such a TrackPoint freak. Yes, I dig the ThinkPad’s red rubber nub that everyone else seems to hate. I’m a touch typist, and I hate having to move my hand from keyboard to mouse (or touchpad) when I have to move the cursor around. Having that red nub conveniently placed in the middle of the keybaord is heaven-sent, IMHO. Also, it’s like the ThinkPad’s cursor has a direct connection to my brain, the way I can move it around with my TrackPoint.
But, alas! Just a few days ago, my cursor went moving around the screen like crazy. Eventually, my TrackPoint stopped working altogether. A quick check under the hood (yes, I opened up my laptop, since it’s way out of warranty, and I sometimes do my own upgrades/repairs) revealed that the ribbon cable had split into two because of stress–it was folded beneath the keyboard! What poor design. Darn those thin ribbon cables!
Well, at least the keys are still working in tip-top condition.
Suffering Touch-Typist
Apparently, as old machines go (mine’s many years old) you really can’t rely on things to go smoothly. Things are bound to break, especially with the heat that laptops give off (especially the old ones) and the fact that you lug them around in your bag. Sometimes you’d have to endure the ultimate sacrifice of not being able to do things the way you’re used to if things go break or if your machine dies altogether.
Dismayed as I was, I resorted to temporarily plugging in one of those cheapo small USB optical mice so I could work on my laptop (while away from my home office, that is). It’s not what I’m used to. I get efficiency losses the few milliseconds I have to move my hand from keyboard to mouse and back. And what about the brain-cursor connection that I’ve lost? It’s unbearable! I can’t stand it!
I promised myself I would be on the lookout for a replacement keyboard, and that I wouldn’t let a couple of days pass without my fixing my beloved ol’ ThinkPad. But woe of all woes, there is none to be found–at least none within convenient reach. I’ve tried stores that sell secondhand parts (read: salvaged from dead units), but to no avail. Same with my contacts and friends who are experts at laptop repair. I could have the ribbon cable repaired, but the contacts are too fine, thin and small, and would probably take some time to fix.
I could order a keyboard online, but I checked the prices, and that would cost me big bucks. $100 for a keyboard? For an old laptop? I’d rather buy a new computer!
On the Lookout
So this is what I’ll be doing. I’m currently on the lookout for a new laptop. Something cheap, reliable and with decent warranty. I’m not out for the meanest, most blazingly-fast, eye-catching model out there. I’d settle for something that would give me decent battery life (about three hours), connectivity options (WiFi–can’t live without it!) and good ergonomics (ThinkPad keyboards are the best!).
I’d go for a new ThinkPad, but sadly most decent models are out of my budget for the time being. And frankly, I’m prepared to try new things, to explore, and to try to enjoy the experience other brands may offer. I’m in need of something sub-$1,000 but that would give me great bang for the buck.
Any suggestions?
Oh, it doesn’t have to have a trackpoint!
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