Well, I’ve gone and done it now: for the first time in around 10 years, my main home computer is now a desktop computer– specifically, a 20 inch iMac with a second 19 inch monitor. As Borat might say, very nice, very nice….
I decided to go with a desktop unit this time around for a couple of reasons. First, I’m doing a lot more stuff with audio and video (or really, “multimedia” since most of the movies I’ve played around with so far have actually been a bunch of still pictures), and that isn’t something that’s easy to do with a laptop. With this new computer, I got Final Cut Express, for example.
Second, just as a matter of work habits, I have found myself working at home a lot more in recent years. I used to do about 75% of my work in coffee shops; now I think it’s more like 25%. I can’t explain why exactly, but there you have it.
Third, I was in a kind of awkward in-between place in terms of computer upgrades. See, I had problems with my laptop fixed last spring, and while it is too slow, has too small of a hard drive, has a fussy touch pad, and has the letters rubbing off of the keys, it still works just fine. So, the way I figure it, I can actually use my laptop for what a laptop is for: as my auxiliary computer.
And fourth, I see myself moving more and more to computing strategies that will allow me to access my stuff from a variety of different computers. In other words, I don’t have to carry it all around with me on my laptop anymore. Web 2.0, I guess. For example, it seems inevitable to me that I will be switching soon to gmail for all of my official (and probably unofficial) email correspondence. As this list of the “Top 10 Gmail tips and hacks” and these instructions for “Turn(ing) Gmail Into Your Personal Nerve Center” suggest, there’s a lot of stuff beyond just email that this app can do.
I’m also playing around with an app/service called FolderShare, which allows me to access all the files on my home desktop computer via the web without a fixed IP number or any other fancy software stuff. It took me five minutes to install. I’m a little suspicious of it since I have no idea how this works and it is a Microsquish product, but it does work.
Anyway, enough blog posting. I need to go monkey around with this new toy….
Very nice — you have large khram!
Hey Steve, just wondering if you learned any more about FolderShare. Do you like it? Seems like a great idea but it makes me a little nervous. Congrats on your new system, by the way! ;-)