Compulsive Shopping

I've been searching the web for the past 2 months, researching laptops, processors, hard drives, memory, screen size, etc. I've logged at least 95 hours visiting manufactures homepages, building, re-building and re-building different (really the same) laptops. I'll admit, the last 2 weeks at my old job, I logged most of my paid hours on either Dell.com or HP.com.

I've read blogs, review sites, Wikipedia posts all in the name of technology to make a firm, sound and logically decision on a rather large purchase. Right when I had a good grip on which way I was leaning, Windows 7 launched. Wrench in the works! Windows 7 totally freaked me out. I mean, have you seen those MAC commericals where PC makes the same statement about the Windows operating system since 1982? Pretty convincing huh? Ok, I know the benefits of a MAC. Who under the age of 35 doesn't? No real viruses to speak of, excellent for editing pictures, light and easy to travel, but have you seen the price tag? YIKES!!! All you PC-haters are rolling your eyes, I know, I know, I know and I don't want to hear it. I'm convinced there are two kinds of people - PCs and MACs. MAC commericals don't like, but I just couldn't take the leap. I don't need all the bells and whistles of a MAC (I'm not Michelle Wise, after all). I just need a reliable laptop, wireless internet with a good screen and software compatible with the 1090 software used at Goodwill. After writing that sentence, I'm thinking I'd be better off with my 2003 Dell with XP and no Microsoft Office!

After ready more web posts, reviews, blogs, watching Windows videos and tuning out MAC commericals, I made the decision that Windows 7 will be ok and an HP is better suited for me than a Dell. I ever convinced myself that I would wait until I cam back from vacation to purchase my new home office. For those of you who know me, I'm all about instant gratification. It was all settled! Enter a big-box retailer. Wrench in the works! A quick cruise through the computer section and about 25 minutes later, I was standing in the parking lot with a box.

I couldn't pass it up - it was an amazing deal; twice the memory, twice the hard drive, bigger screen, faster processor, Windows 7 and Microsoft Office. It was exactly that computer I wanted, but better and cheaper. Why is that? How could a big-box retailer be able to sell a superior machine at a cheaper price?

With the smoke still coming from my wallet from burning through so much cash, Bobbie said "You spent more time researching computers than when you bought your car. You went for a haircut and came home in a whole new car."

Well put.