Kelly's World

As I have written about numerous times already I have recently upgraded to an iPhone. My sister also kindly lent me her old tivo since they didn’t require it anymore. Well, tonight I combined the two.

In case you dodnt know, you can log into the TiVo using a web browser on your computer, and perform various tasks from setting up a manual recording to administrative functions. Out of curiosity I typed in the web URL on my iphone while connected to the wireless at home, and boomski I was in. The display on the phone was even quite good, although I had to zoom in so I could click on the appropriate links. Because it’s using safari turning the phone on the side changes the display, which helps with any scrolling issues although I didn’t encounter many.

So what is the point I hear you ask? Why, I can be even lazier than before! If I see an ad during one of the programs we have recorded and it’s something I want to watch, provided my phone is within reach I can connect to the tivo and set up the recording without stopping the current show. Bonus points if mat is watching tv cause it means I don’t frustrate him by pausing to set up the program.

But most importantly I don’t have to get up and use the computer. Being lazy is always awesome.

So once again I’m on the prowl for some gadgets prior to our US trip overseas. As mentioned in a previous post, I have a list of items I would like to purchase before we head over. One of these was the purchase of a small laptop. My requirements were simple:

• Small and light – something I could whip out and use quickly and easily, and not struggle to carry over the countryside with me.
• Wireless – for use in cafe’s and hotspots around America so I could communicate with friends and family back home
• Ability to transfer files between digital/video camera and an external hard disk to free up space on the memory cards within the cameras

Given the amount of competition in the market at the moment, I thought I would be buying an Asus eee and that was it. It was small, cheap, and portable. It offered everything I needed, and for a relatively small price tag. Until I saw it.

I went to Myers on a separate matter one day, happened to walk past the technology section and saw one on display. A black one, if that made any difference. And I immediately thought it looked cheap and nasty. Sure it would do what I needed, but it was UG-GLY! I was greatly disappointed.

Then my sister emailed me about the Dell e (what’s an extra two vowels anyway?) and I was over the moon. It was cheaper than the eee, and looked about a bazillion times better! I’m not a geek, the bells and whistles don’t interest me. I’m an inexperienced consumer who likes shiny sleek things, and the Dell has captured me. It has wi-fi, it’s small, and has 3 usb slots allowing for simple file transfers.

So, now I’m just waiting on a release date to be announced. Oh, and to learn how to use linux. I’m in the process of installing a copy on my laptop in a virtual environment (there’s that geek in denial thing again) so I can learn how to use it, which I’ll blog about later. It’s been overwhelming so far, to say in the least. Once I have that downpat, the world is at my feet. Well, the linux world of mini laptops anyway.