Torn

I'm torn at the moment.

When I make a decision to do something, I like to dive in head first and execute it. Ok, I may procrastinate a little more and hunt out the best deal but I do like to make the change when it's time to do so.

The latest is the laptop ... (says he writing this post with 7.3lbs, 3.3kg of laptop between knees and tummy - it could be a short post).

I've decided what I want to do, it's the execution that's going to be frustrating now. I know what laptop I'll get :

Macbook Air, 13.3", 256GB drive, latest generation. That's what I want, it meets the spec I'm interested in and the hard disc is big enough to hold my iTunes library with tonnes of space left over. Not convinced that a 128GB drive would have enough room left after the library (which is now 11169 tracks, 62GB).

The frustration now is how I want to buy it. I.e. spending the minimum possible to get what I want. I have a number of options :

Buy refurbished - this depends on stock and would cost £959.
Yes - that's a lot of money ! But I target having this puppy for 5 years at least.
Buy different - a Macbook Pro costs more for less capability. Not an option.
Buy from a reseller - they're cheaper but they're last generation. Meh.
Use the work discount - cost £1060.
(Refurb wins there)
Go by the Apple Store price - £1129.

You can probably tell that I'd like to go by the refurbished price and guess what - there was one on sale until ... Monday night. Why did I hold off before making the decision ? Because I was booked in for a tyre change appointment on Tuesday evening and didn't want the deliveries to clash.

Ho hum. Procrastination sometimes doesn't pay.

A Windows laptop is still a possible alternative. However ... none of the ones at PC World meet an acceptable spec (either they're Windows 8 or the screens/keyboard don't measure up). A potential gamble would be PCSpecialist.com, although that's a gamble because I've never used them before so I have no idea as to their quality. But :

A spec equivalent to the Macbook Air would be a 13.3" Optimus V :
Intel i5-4200, 8GB RAM (more but Windows needs it), 240GB SSD - £833

What I would buy - 15" Cosmos II :
IPS* 1080p screen, Intel i5-4200, 8GB, 500B hybrid HD - £761

*If you're buying a monitor and have a choice, go for an IPS screen. I dunno what the acronym stands for (I'm techie but I read stuff, pick up the key points and forget the acronyms) but IPS screens are the best on the market. And considering that the screen is how you interact with the laptop, it's the most vital thing out there.

Both of those are with Windows 7. However, you're still stuck with Microsoft software there and an uncertain keyboard, trackpad and screen. I tried out the Macbook keyboard and my fingers definitely appreciated the feel.

So - I'm torn.

I WANT SHINIES !!!!! NOW !!!! (lol)

But - I don't actually have to buy it now. I can wait. Which is what I will do. The thing that makes things cost more is rushing into things and being hasty.

Although if you don't act with enough speed, you can miss out on a good thing. I've done that a few times in the past ... and I'm not talking about computers ;-) Mind you, I've also rushed in and scared people off.

Let's see ... WoW is queueing, this Body of Proof episode is almost done ... time to close !