The writers at the Lifehacker website (which, I might add,
is well worth checking out…every few minutes…just in case there’s something
new…not that I’m compulsive about it) have each written an article about all
the tech gear they use. Seemed like a
cool idea, so here’s my version.
HARDWARE
My home computer is a Dell Dimension 2400 desktop PC running
Windows XP. I bought it in July of 2003,
so it’s ancient, but it does everything I ask of it (Pandora, Facebook, e-mail,
iTunes, photo management, and the occasional “yard sale” flyer) without
complaint. I have even used it for
simple video editing. I have made
several upgrades, including beefing up the memory (now 1.5 GB), DVD
burner, and an external 80 GB hard drive (which gives me a total of 120
GB). Moving all my media files (music,
video, photos) to the extra hard drive did wonders for the speed of the
machine. There is a scanner, deskjet
printer, and photo printer on my desktop (it would be nice to have an “all in
one” but that won’t happen until something breaks). I found a used small flatscreen monitor on
Craigslist for cheap and since I don’t do games or watch movies on it, it’s
quite sufficient. The keyboard is the
original Dell, and the mouse is a standard three-button Logitech. Both have (gasp!) wires.
At work I have a Macbook Pro laptop (13”), which I
love. It is sleek and portable and
non-intrusive when I set it on the table at a meeting. It is a wonderful presentation tool,
automatically detecting whatever projector I plug it into, and came with its
own remote. I like the operating system
just fine, but don’t have a strong preference for it over the Windows XP I use
at home. The touchpad is fantastic, and
I have probably only learned a third of its capabilities. At my desk, I plug in an external monitor
which allows me to view some windows on the laptop screen, and other windows on
the external monitor, shifting them around at will. Very cool if you’ve never seen it. I also plug in an external keyboard, and
standard PC mouse.
OPERATING SYSTEM
I have pretty extensively tweaked Windows XP on my home
PC. I have, of course, deleted a bunch
of the extraneous “crapware” that came with it.
The desktop is organized exactly to my liking, with nary an unnecessary
icon. I downloaded Powertoys for Windows
XP from Microsoft, which gives you additional customization options. The ClearType Tuning download from Microsoft
makes the fonts on your screen more crisp.
I run CCleaner occasionally to delete unnecessary files. I also used CCleaner to clean up my registry
files, but there seems to be some debate as to whether that’s really necessary,
and there’s also some risk that you’ll screw things up and have to reinstall
your operating system. Regular defrags,
file cleanups, and keeping my hard drives at 50 percent capacity or less seems
to keep things running smoothly and with adequate speed. I am very selective about what goes into the
system tray (tiny icons on lower right) and startup folder, and absolutely
NOTHING is given “quick launch” privileges.
MOBILE DEVICES
I have a 2nd generation iPod Touch, which does 75
percent of what your smartphone does, with no monthly fee for a data plan. I get a little shaky if my iPod is more than
a few feet away, and use it for numerous critical functions, including storing
contacts, lists (to-dos and shopping), reading news, and scheduling
(syncs automatically with Google calendar so co-workers are up-to-date). I also use it for several entertainment
functions, including reading (Kindle app), music (both downloaded and Pandora),
and videos.
In the truck, I have a basic MP3 player that I keep loaded
with my favorite podcasts (plays through stereo with an FM tuner). I haven’t figured out a good music solution
for the truck, but I’m going to try using a second MP3 player loaded with music
only (and different than the music on my iPod).
For work, I use a backpack style laptop bag from Walmart,
which I love. It was cheap, but has held
up very well. It carries my laptop, work
camera, phone chargers, memory sticks, and a notebook. Using a backpack instead of a more conventional bag also helps me maintain my "young and hip" image.
DESKTOP SOFTWARE
Very glad I switched to Google Chrome for web browsing,
after a long and happy relationship with Mozilla Firefox. I vaguely remember a troubled time years ago
with some other browser (maybe starts with an E??), but maybe things are better
now.
For e-mail we use Thunderbird. Just discovered you can use it to manage
multiple addresses, so I’m switching all my on-line accounts and newsletters
(e.g. on-line stores, Clark Howard, etc.) to a different address. I would probably go whole hog with the Gmail
interface, but Kate and I share an address and she is comfortable with
Thunderbird.
iTunes is my primary media management tool, and I like it
just fine. The writers on Lifehacker
seem enamored of Winamp, which I tried, but it kept crashing which I don’t have
time for. So now I’m using Windows Media
Player as a secondary tool to manage my non-Apple MP3 players. I also have VLC Media Player so I can watch
DVDs (although I never do), and DVD Flick to
burn DVDs (there’s no built-in for tool for either function in XP).
WHAT’S NEXT ?
My next project is to find an inexpensive used laptop or PC
that I can connect to the TV. Between
Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, and the network websites, there is a ton of free or cheap
programming available. I will also get a
kick out of playing with new hardware (VGA converter, remote) and software
(maybe XBMC) to make it all work seamlessly.
And my secret agenda is to wean Kate off of satellite, which would save
us a few hundred dollars a year.
