We have a new addition to Hidden City HQ: Gargantua.
Yes, I broke down and bought a new PC. I actually bought it last weekend, but the first unit I picked up was a lemon (crashed on the first boot-up), so I gave the replacement a week to prove itself before I said anything.< ?p?>
I decided against getting an Alienware for cost reasons; they offered me credit, but the more research I did I just couldn’t justify the extra $1000 for my purposes. I’m not a gamer, so most of their bells and whistles are relatively meaningless to me, and while state-of-the-art components are swell, I don’t have to have them.
This HP machine (a ZD7020, if you are interested) has been getting strong reviews among the new “desknotes,” and the price was right. (Not cheap mind you, but I do live on-line, so I wanted something to hold me for a few years.) So now I’m working on realigning my home office setup to support this beast. Fortunately, built-in wireless means I can put the desk wherever I want.
Here’s the skinny for the gearheads out there: Pentium 4 2.8 GHz • 17.0″ WXGA widescreen display (1440×900) • 64MB NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5600 • Toshiba 80GB drive (4200 rpm) • DVD+R/RW//CD-RW combo • 512MB (2×256) DDR SDRAM (333Mhz) • Broadcom 54g MaxPerformance 802.11g wireless • USB 2.0 (4) • FireWire (1) • Internal card reader • Full specs (PDF)
As to why I chose a laptop, instead of a cheaper/stronger desktop, it’s a two-part answer. One reason is for music. By getting a desknote I can set up my synthesizer in any room and hook up to the PC; I’m no longer tied to my office while I’m learning. The other equally strong reason is for peace of mind. Having been robbed twice (with computers stolen both times), I’ll feel better if I’m able to store my data and machine with a friend if necessary, and at least have more concealment options when I leave it at home. (Anyone have a recommendation for a good in-home safe?)
And yes, I know: a widescreen TV, a widescreen laptop, what’s next, a red convertible? Do you think I’m compensating for something?
