Comments on: Thinking Amish http://greencouple.com/2009/02/11/thinking-amish/ Learning to live green and live together Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:59:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Will http://greencouple.com/2009/02/11/thinking-amish/comment-page-1/#comment-3019 Will Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:54:21 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=520#comment-3019 I'm glad that a netbook has worked out so well for you! How much benefit I'll get from it is the real question. My current computer is still working fine, so a netbook would be a supplementary computer. I did like having a separate personal and work computer for a while last year, so it might be useful in that sense. I haven't been biking since it got cold and wet, but I've been taking the bus (and then walking) a lot recently, and the extra weight of my current laptop puts a real strain on my shoulders and neck. That makes it sound totally worth it but I'm only on campus for this semester, so I'm not sure I'll be carrying a laptop around as much after this spring. We also weren't living here last year, so I don't have any historical behavior to fall back on. I might end up biking and walking a lot since we're much closer to downtown. Or, I might end up working from home all the time and not take my laptop anywhere. Thanks for the thoughts! Talking it out helps put things in perspective. I’m glad that a netbook has worked out so well for you!

How much benefit I’ll get from it is the real question. My current computer is still working fine, so a netbook would be a supplementary computer. I did like having a separate personal and work computer for a while last year, so it might be useful in that sense. I haven’t been biking since it got cold and wet, but I’ve been taking the bus (and then walking) a lot recently, and the extra weight of my current laptop puts a real strain on my shoulders and neck.

That makes it sound totally worth it but I’m only on campus for this semester, so I’m not sure I’ll be carrying a laptop around as much after this spring. We also weren’t living here last year, so I don’t have any historical behavior to fall back on. I might end up biking and walking a lot since we’re much closer to downtown. Or, I might end up working from home all the time and not take my laptop anywhere.

Thanks for the thoughts! Talking it out helps put things in perspective.

]]> By: Andy http://greencouple.com/2009/02/11/thinking-amish/comment-page-1/#comment-3018 Andy Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:41:15 +0000 http://greencouple.com/?p=520#comment-3018 Almost a year ago, everyone told me I was silly for buying a 7" laptop. I did my research, knew that I could handle Linux and maximizing a small screen, and was planning on selling my car and biking everywhere. This is my primary computer, and it goes with me a lot of places, especially since 50% of the time I am on-call for work and need to be near internet. With this computer, I can still attend my city, town, and permaculture meetings downtown without a problem. With my old 8 pound 15" laptop, that would have been extremely difficult on a regular basis. I've biked almost 500 miles so far this year already. But now netbooks are all the rage, and I don't understand why. I know several people with them now, and in every case it is an additional laptop for them, they drive for most every trip, and it's essentially a toy for them. Unless your old laptop is on the fritz and in need of replacement, or you plan on biking places that you also need a computer for, is it really worth the money? $400 could get you halfway towards a permaculture certification, or pay for a few conferences, or insulate a water heater, etc. There's nothing green about buying a new computer if it's just for the neatness of a small laptop. So that's my two cents. -Andy Almost a year ago, everyone told me I was silly for buying a 7″ laptop. I did my research, knew that I could handle Linux and maximizing a small screen, and was planning on selling my car and biking everywhere. This is my primary computer, and it goes with me a lot of places, especially since 50% of the time I am on-call for work and need to be near internet. With this computer, I can still attend my city, town, and permaculture meetings downtown without a problem. With my old 8 pound 15″ laptop, that would have been extremely difficult on a regular basis. I’ve biked almost 500 miles so far this year already.

But now netbooks are all the rage, and I don’t understand why. I know several people with them now, and in every case it is an additional laptop for them, they drive for most every trip, and it’s essentially a toy for them. Unless your old laptop is on the fritz and in need of replacement, or you plan on biking places that you also need a computer for, is it really worth the money? $400 could get you halfway towards a permaculture certification, or pay for a few conferences, or insulate a water heater, etc. There’s nothing green about buying a new computer if it’s just for the neatness of a small laptop. So that’s my two cents.

-Andy

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