Got a new laptop this week after being way to annoyed at what my old computer decided it was too tird to do, most notably connecting to wireless networks and keeping its battery running for more than twenty minutes.

This new computer has Vista. All reports have told me that Vista is a bad idea. But I couldn’t help myself…

Having Vista on your computer is like dating a supermodel. So pretty to look at, great conversation starter, but you can’t help but wonder how much it’s going to ruin your life. Loading old programs onto the new computer was a great source of frustration, spending hours searching the Net for upgrades or freeware alternatives. Getting NVivo to work was a particular stress. I did spend a good afternoon on hold waiting for a support guy at the tech office who then took me deep into the system drives of the computer to fix certain installation bugs. And some programs I had to let go, including the drivers that used to connect my mp3 player to the computer.

But all-in-all I think I’m happy with the new fang-dang-thang. I can still produce what I need to produce on it. And I have new friends - the ghosts in my head that remind me of my increasing student debt. Being a PhD student is a great life - playing around with new technologies, travelling the world meeting great minds and contributing to exciting conversations. Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford it.