Back in early 2011, I purchased a Sony Vio laptop (the machine on which most of my writing is done). I had, of course owned both laptops and desktop computers prior to buying the Sony. I do, however have no hesitation in stating that the Sony Vio is the most stable machine ever owned by me. This may stem in part at least from the fact that it is equipped with Windows 7 while previous machines worked utilising earlier versions of the notorious Microsoft operating System Vista. (Anyone who has had the misfortune to work with Vista will, I believe have their own tales of woe, made up of crashing operating systems due, in large measure to the amount of space taken up by Vista and the instability of the operating system).
During my visit to Liverpool, over the Christmas holiday in 2014, I knocked a cup of tea over my trusty Vio which lead to me having to replace the laptop’s keyboard (given it is a good old workhorse I was happy to pay the £60 entailed in doing so). Ironically, on returning from Liverpool (having attended the Christmas festivities in 2015), I found that the hard drive of my Vio had given up the ghost and required to be replaced. Again I paid for the machine’s repair.
All things do, however come to an end and this Christmas I received a Linova laptop as a present. Later this morning my friend Jeff is coming round to assist in setting up the new laptop. Being blind, I require assistance as Windows laptops/computers do not speak “out of the box”. My friend will ensure that the latest version of Windows 10 updates, then help in installing Job Access with Speech or JAWS (the software which converts text into speech and braille enabling visually impaired computer users to utilise Windows machines).
My Sony will, over time retire. It will, however remain as a spare machine.
I will be sorry to see this happen. It is, as I said at the start of this post, the laptop on which the lion’s share of my work has been produced. I am familiar with it’s workings an have become rather fond of it (well as much as one can become fond of a non-living object)! I am keeping my fingers crossed that the new Linova works as well as my good old Sony Vio laptop …